People v. Knop

Defendants, Edward P. Knop and Beverly J. Knop, were charged by complaint in the circuit court of Carroll County with the unlawful promotion of a pyramid sales scheme in violation of section 17—7 of the Criminal Code of 1961 (Code) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 17—7). Defendants moved to dismiss the charges against them based on their alleged reliance on a ruling of the circuit court of Cook County that a business enterprise virtually identical to defendants’ was not an illegal pyramid scheme. The trial court granted the motion to dismiss the charges, and the State now appeals.

On…