Former Reditus CEO Aaron Rossi appeared in federal court Friday morning, after officials allege he once again violated the terms of his release.
Rossi appeared via Zoom in an orange jumpsuit from the Peoria County Jail. He was arrested Thursday. Attorney Richard Blake was the only member of Rossi’s legal team to attend.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas McMeyer claims Rossi sold off assets without permission of the court. The alleged transactions include the sale of eight vehicles, two of them motorcycles, conducted between January and September 2023. McMeyer also claimed Rossi missed his 10 p.m. curfew on one occasion, following a court-approved trip to Chicago.
Unsealed court documents, including the seven page petition for action on the violation of pretrial release conditions, give more insight into the details of the alleged transactions.
The eight vehicles were sold to Sam Leman dealerships in Bloomington-Normal and Morton. They include a 2021 Cadillac Escalade, estimated value $110,000, and a 2021 Tesla Model S, estimated value $150,000.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” McMeyer told U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric Long. “We have far more evidence of a number of transactions we intend to raise as well.”
Court documents also provide more information about the circumstances of the curfew violation.
According to officials, Rossi had traveled to Chicago for approved meetings with attorneys and mediation from Aug. 8 to Aug. 10. Conditions of his release required him to be back in his home by 10 p.m. on Aug. 10.
After the company monitoring Rossi's GPS tracker alerted United States Probation Officer Jessica Almonte that Rossi had not returned home, Almonte began attempting to reach him.
Eventually, documents say, Almonte received a call from an unknown number. The man on the other end identified himself as Rossi's driver and said Rossi was asleep. When Almonte asked the driver to wake Rossi up, he said "no." After Almonte identified herself as an official, the driver said "oh, okay" and hung up.
Almonte was not able to establish contact with Rossi before midnight. Just after midnight, Rossi called her and explained he had a flat tire on his way home, had to call a driver and fell asleep in the car.
According to the documents, Rossi acknowledged he did not attempt to notify the location monitoring after hours line.
Friday’s hearing is in relation to federal mail and tax fraud charges Rossi faces related to a period before starting Reditus Labs. At the time, Rossi was employed at Central Illinois Orthopedic Surgery.
However, Rossi is a named defendant in multiple lawsuits alleging he defrauded the government and public out of hundreds of millions of dollars through the laboratory and COVID testing company.
This isn’t the first time Rossi has faced legal trouble because of alleged violations of his release conditions. He was jailed after a failed drug test in October 2022, with modified bond conditions tied to his release. Those conditions included a “sweat patch” that constantly monitors drug usage.
The conditions of his bond were restrictedagain after officials alleged the improper sharing of documents related to his criminal case and methamphetamine use in February 2023. Rossi agreed the government could prove meth usage. At this point, a curfew and GPS tracking bracelet were added to Rossi’s release requirements.
A bond revocation hearing on the latest allegations is scheduled for Sept. 5. However, a date change is likely, because McMeyer said he expects schedule conflicts with witnesses.
Rossi remains in temporary custody in the Peoria County Jail until the hearing.
