Prosecutors say a City Colleges of Chicago basketball coach forged employment records so people on electronic monitoring (EM) for pending criminal cases could move around the city for jobs they didn’t really have.
According to public records, the college system fired Edmond Pryor, 42, in 2019 following an unrelated internal investigation. However, that investigation uncovered “suspicious documents” on Pryor’s work computer, prompting a separate investigation by the Cook County sheriff’s police, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Jack Costello.
Costello said the documents included phone and fax numbers that investigators linked to Pryor and to “several individuals” who were on the Cook County Sheriff’s Office electronic monitoring program.
Pryor faxed false employment records from his computer, Costello said, and two phone numbers linked to Pryor received nearly 100 calls from the number the sheriff’s office uses to verify the employment of EM participants. He also received calls from court representatives and prosecutors during the alleged fraud.
Other documents included forged pay stubs and documents claiming that EM participants worked for UPS and Amazon, according to Costello.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said, “While investigating Edmond Pryor for forging work documents for individuals seeking movement on electronic monitoring in 2018 and 2019, sheriff’s police identified other individuals who allegedly took part in this scheme. Investigators are working to locate these individuals and bring them into custody. This is an ongoing investigation.”
Pryor also created fake auto insurance cards that at least four people used to defend themselves against related charges in Cook and DuPage counties, according to Costello. He added that the allegedly faked insurance information resulted in some charges being dismissed.
Costello stated that Pryor was compensated for his services, but prosecutors do not know how much he was paid. After being arrested this month, Pryor allegedly “made lengthy admissions.”
Pryor’s defense attorney said he lives in Plainfield and is the legal guardian of his niece and nephew. Pryor works as an IT consultant and a basketball coach, the attorney continued.
Judge Charles Beach ordered Pryor to pay a $5,000 bail deposit to get out of jail on forgery charges. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said he made that payment and was released after the bail hearing.
According to the City Colleges’ inspector general, a head basketball coach was fired after a 2019 investigation found that he used his work computer to create fake receipts for reimbursement and false university transcripts, among other things.
Last month, New Mexico State University announced that Pryor had joined its men’s basketball organization as a defensive analyst.
“He is an energy guy and has an excellent feel for people,” head coach Greg Heiar said. “Aggie Nation you are going to really enjoy getting to know EP!”
