Former state inspector Jose Guillen expected to plead guilty to lying about groping women during inspections
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A former State of Illinois inspector, who was fired after he was caught on camera groping the owner of a doggy daycare center, is expected to plead guilty to federal charges on Wednesday.
Illinois Department of Agriculture inspector Jose Guillen was caught on camera, groping Leah Bindig during an inspection at Aeslin Pup Hub, her doggy daycare, boarding, and grooming business.
After CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey broke the story, several other women business owners came forward with similar complaints of sexual abuse during their inspections.
In July 2022, Guillen, 43, of Melrose Park, was arrested after he was indicted on four counts of deprivation of civil rights and one count of obstruction of justice. He's accused of lying in a civil deposition in a federal lawsuit that one of his victims filed against him.
According to the charges, during a deposition in that lawsuit, Guillen lied when he denied groping, hugging, or otherwise intentionally touching five different women without their consent while performing inspections of their businesses between 2019 and 2021.
In one woman's case, Guillen is accused of lying about grabbing a woman's buttocks during an inspection of her business.
According to the charges, Guillen claimed it was an accident, and that he was simply trying to keep his balance.
"I have two left feet so obviously I, I'm a little clumsy, so, yes," he said in a deposition. "I was keeping my balance to make sure I didn't fall."
Federal prosecutors said Guillen knew he'd touched the woman's buttocks on purpose, and he had grabbed and groped his victims "for purposes of his own sexual gratification."
Guillen is due back in court on Wednesday afternoon for a change of plea hearing. Terms of his plea were not immediately available, but he faces up to 20 years in prison for the single count of obstruction of justice, and up to one year in prison for each count of deprivation of civil rights.
The charges do not name any of Guillen's victims, but Bindig and several other women previously came forward to CBS 2 with accusations that Guillen groped them during inspections.
After CBS 2 broke the story in June 2021, Guillen resigned before he could be fired from the Department of Agriculture. Then, he was hired by the state government again in January 2022 as an "employment security program representative" with the Illinois Department of Employment Security, according to state salary records.
In July 2022, IDES told CBS 2 that Guillen is no longer with the department. The agency said Guillen was placed on administrative leave following his arrest. Prior to that, he had signed a letter of resignation.
In a statement, the IDES said: "During his time at IDES, the employee had limited interaction with the public and no interactions with the public without a supervisor present. In part, because the employee resigned before he could be terminated from the Department of Agriculture, his conduct there was not included in his application materials."
IDES also said potential employees are subject to a background check conducted by the Illinois State Police and all applicable state hiring laws and regulations were followed with Guillen.
