Biography
Charles Sotis organized Chicago stockyards workers for the Communist Party. Police seized him at a party fundraiser in December 1935, and he was jailed under $5,000 bail. Federal authorities accused him of perjury in connection with his 1920 naturalization, alleging that he had concealed his Communist affiliation. Attorney D. J. Bentall defended him. After a three-day federal trial in 1936, Judge Holly directed a verdict of acquittal; the defense had challenged evidence seized during a warrantless search.
Page 6's March 31 Chicago dispatch reports that after a three-day federal trial Judge Holly directed a not-guilty verdict in the naturalization-perjury prosecution. ILD attorney Bentall challenged illegally seized evidence; the newspaper describes cooperation between Chicago's Red Squad and federal immigration agents against stockyards organizers. The five-year term and deportation were penalties demanded by police, not imposed. The separately mentioned forthcoming German deportation case belongs to Erich Becker, not Sotis. No exact arrest or physical-release day is newly established. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1936/v13-n079-Late-Morning-Ed-apr-01-1936-DW-Q.pdf
Page 5's December 19 Chicago report describes federal agents and local police seizing him at a stockyards workers' fundraising party, despite workers' efforts to protect him. He was held under $5,000 bail on a perjury accusation relating to his 1920 citizenship oath, with ILD attorney D. J. Bentall defending him. The paper reports a threatened effort to deport him to Ukraine; this was not an accomplished removal. This earlier account is retained alongside the separately documented March 1936 acquittal and does not create a second case. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1935/v12-n306-NY-dec-20-DW-Q.pdf
