Three charged with conning woman plead not guilty

Three out-of-state men accused of cheating a Waukegan woman out of $47,000 pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County circuit court.

Adama Bility, 23, and Malcom Yancy, 28, face up to seven years in prison if convicted of theft, and George Bility, 23, could be sentenced to five years if convicted of attempted theft.

Assistant State’s Attorney Ari Fisz said the trio contacted a Waukegan woman and asked for her help in transporting a safe full of cash from the African nation of Liberia to the United States.

They told the woman they needed $40,000 for a chemical treatment to bleach the bills inside the safe to make them look like regular paper so they would be allowed into the U.S., Fisz said.

After the woman sent them the money in mid-October, Fisz said, the trio contacted her again and asked her for $7,000 to pay the actual shipping costs for the safe.

The woman sent that money, Fisz said, but when she was contacted for the third time with a request for $15,000, she called Waukegan police.

Police set up a meeting with the trio at the Lake Forest Oasis for Nov. 14, and all three were arrested without incident shortly after they arrived for the meeting.

Adama Bility, of Milwaukee, and Yancy, of Minneapolis, are free on $5,000 bond. George Bility, also of Milwaukee, posted $2,000 to gain his release.

Circuit Judge Fred Foreman scheduled a trial of the case for April 2 and ordered all three to appear in court March 6.