Former Illinois lawyer found guilty of fraud

A former lawyer in Illinois was recently sentenced for illegally taking debt collection fees and impersonating an attorney. Timothy Eddy, 46, was disbarred in 2002 after being accused of taking money from a debt collection agency and posing as an attorney. United Press International reports that Eddy, who was recently sentenced to three years behind bars, came to officials' attention after he defended a man in traffic court under the name of a person who once worked for a collection agency but was not allowed to practice law in the state of Illinois. Eddy had been held on $150,000 bail since July and will serve a minimum of 18 months behind bars before being released. During his capture, Eddy allegedly blocked his door and tried to run when police came to get him. He went so far as to cut a hole in the wall of his apartment with a knife, go to his neighbor's apartment and jump off a balcony before he was caught. In Oregon, police have warned of other fraudulent behavior by a man posing as an FBI agent. A resident in Salem said that she had been contacted by a man who told her that he was with the FBI, saying that he needed a check for $3,000.