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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EASTERN DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )
)
Plaintiff, ) No. 10 CR 886
)
v. )
) Judge Ronald A. Guzmn
KEVIN TRUDEAU, )
)
Defendant. )
ORDER
While awaiting trial for criminal contempt, defendant remained free on bond, a condition of
which was that he surrender his U.S. and Italian passports to Pretrial Services. Defendant was later
found guilty, and sentenced to 120 months in prison. (J . [Dkt. 173].) Because his passports are no
longer needed to secure his appearance, defendant asks the Court to order Pretrial Services to release
them to his attorneys. For the reasons set forth below, the Court denies the motion [Dkt. 196].
Defendant will be in prison for the next ten years, and after he is released, will be under the
Courts supervision for an additional five years. (J . at 3 [Dkt. 173].) One of the conditions of
supervised release is that defendant . . . not leave the judicial district without permission of the
court or probation officer. (Id.) Thus, defendant will not be able to use his passports until 2024,
and even then only with the Courts permission, by which time his U.S. passport will have expired.
See United States Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, United States Passports &
International Travel, http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/FAQs.html (stating
that a U.S. passport issued to a person age sixteen or older is valid for ten years).
Case: 1:10-cr-00886 Document #: 202 Filed: 05/14/14 Page 1 of 2 PageID #:5146
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Moreover, even if defendant could use his passports before they expired, the Court would
still deny his motion because of the security risks inherent in releasing them to a third party. The
most prudent course is to allow Pretrial Services to follow its usual practice, which is to send
defendants U.S. passport to the State Department and his Italian passport to the Department of
Homeland Security. Accordingly, defendants motion for an order to return his passports [Dkt. 196]
is denied.
SO ORDERED. ENTERED: May 14, 2014
__________________________________
HON. RONALD A. GUZMAN
United States District Judge
2
Case: 1:10-cr-00886 Document #: 202 Filed: 05/14/14 Page 2 of 2 PageID #:5147