GALESBURG, Ill. — The CEO of Pekin’s Reditus Labs was jailed Friday night in Galesburg accused of violating conditions of his bond while he awaits trial on charges of federal tax and mail fraud.
The Knox County Jail confirmed Aaron Rossi, 39, was in custody on a “temporary federal hold” and will appear before a judge Monday.
Rossi’s attorneys filed an emergency motion saying a warrant was issued for his arrest Wednesday, and he was arrested about 9:30 a.m. Friday for allegedly testing positive for marijuana use on September 7.
His lawyers claim in the motion that Rossi was consuming marijuana-laced gummies as a sleep aid.
Rossi was given a lengthy list of bond conditions in April, and is accused of violating those rules.
The motion says Rossi shouldn’t be in jail because President Biden issued pardons for simple marijuana possession.
Rossi’s motion states:
“It is entirely unclear if – in the aftermath of the President’s marijuana pardon that was issued last week — there is any lawful authority for the United States, which operates and acts at the direction of the President — to lawfully hold any defendant on marijuana usage charges – let alone, as the Government wrongly seeks to do here, for a period of three nights and three days.”
According to 25 News, the motion says Monday morning’s scheduled court hearing for Rossi would run 23 1/2 hours past the Supreme Court’s guidelines.
“Marijuana usage is today lawful in Illinois and pardoned by the President, and provides absolutely no basis whatsoever for claiming any danger to the community or risk of flight, in connection with conditions of release. Based on the President’s pardon and directives to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Government should not be acting to hold anyone in Illinois in jail based on alleged marijuana usage – for even one night. And under the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s instructions – no one should ever be held without a hearing for three nights in jail, as the Government proposes to do here.”
A receiver is in currently in charge of running Reditus Labs, which employs hundreds of people and has held lucrative government contracts for COVID-19 testing in the state.
