Northern District of Illinois
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Chicago Man Arrested in Connection with Planned Violent Attack at Ultimate Fighting Championship Event at White HouseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been arrested in connection with the planned violent attack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House earlier this month.
ALEXANDER INIGUEZ MERCADO was an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups that included members who appeared to communicate with others regarding the planning of a violent attack targeting the UFC event at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2026, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Seven other individuals from multiple states have been charged in connection with the planning of the violent attack. [See here and here for more information about the other defendants charged as part of this investigation.]
According to the indictment against Mercado, the day before the UFC event, a Special Agent from the FBI spoke with Mercado by telephone. The agent informed Mercado that he was calling to discuss online threats regarding the UFC event, and he asked whether Mercado planned to travel to Washington, D.C., to help with the attack, the indictment states. Mercado allegedly denied those plans and advised the agent that he did not want to meet with the agent. Mercado then uninstalled the Signal application on his phone, which caused the data on his phone relating to those messages to become unavailable, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Mercado, 20, of Chicago, with obstruction of justice. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.
Mercado was arrested on Thursday. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Chicago today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes.
The indictment and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and James Morley, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“Obstructing justice in a law enforcement investigation into a planned violent domestic attack is a profoundly serious offense,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The investigation in this case involved serious threats to public safety, including the safety of President Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America, other members of government, as well as the many attendees and athletes who attended the event at the White House. Any obstructive conduct to interfere with this investigation undermines the integrity of the justice system as well as the rule of law. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will pursue all appropriate charges against those who act to obstruct law enforcement investigations because safeguarding the public depends on the full, unhindered pursuit of the evidence.”
“The FBI’s most important responsibility of protecting the American people means that our personnel work 24/7/365 to evaluate the ever-changing threat landscape and disrupt acts of violence before they occur,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “Thanks to the partnerships on the FBI Chicago’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, to include the relentless work by the U.S. Secret Service, this attack was successfully foiled before any innocent people were gravely injured or killed. While the FBI will continue to use every available resource to hold accountable those who seek to terrorize our community, we urge the public to join us in this effort by immediately calling 9-1-1, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submitting to tips.fbi.gov if they encounter any suspicious or threatening behavior, in-person or online.”
“The safety and security of the President of the United States and all those under our protection is the U.S. Secret Service’s highest priority,” said Secret Service Acting SAC Morley. “We approach this mission with dedication and vigilance in the current heightened threat environment. Successfully carrying out our protective mission is strengthened by strong partnerships. I want to thank the FBI for its steadfast collaboration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois for its relentless pursuit of justice.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
mercado_indictment.pdfIllinois Investment Advisor Indicted on Fraud Charges for Allegedly Swindling Clients in Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Illinois investment advisor has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling clients in a Ponzi scheme.
PAARIS KOPSAFTIS operated Illinois-based Blackwater Assets, Inc. From 2020 to 2025, Kopsaftis fraudulently solicited and obtained money from victims based on false representations about the intended use of the investments and the performance and value of the investments, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Kopsaftis falsely told the victims that he would invest the money for their benefit, when, in reality, Kopsaftis knew he intended to use some of their funds for personal use, including paying his own bills, the indictment states.
Kopsaftis allegedly engaged in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors. The indictment alleges that Kopsaftis concealed his fraud by creating and providing false documentation to his victims reflecting that their investments were worth more than they actually were.
Kopsaftis, 42, of Charlotte, N.C., and formerly of Illinois, is charged with four counts of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing has been set for July 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Securities Department of the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and must also order restitution to the victims.
kopsaftis_indictment.pdfIllegal Alien with Violent Criminal Record Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Seven DeportationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An illegal alien with a violent criminal record has been sentenced to ten months in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported seven times.
JEFRY ESTRADA-PASTRANA, a native of Honduras, was unlawfully present in the United States on Jan. 20, 2026, when he was arrested in Chicago. Chicago Police officers arrested Estrada-Pastrana after he failed to appear in court related to a Cook County criminal case involving theft and forgery.
Estrada-Pastrana was previously deported from the United States on seven occasions. During the times in which he was illegally present in the United States, Estrada-Pastrana was convicted of criminal offenses including robbery and aggravated fleeing.
Estrada-Pastrana, 37, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal. On June 16, 2026, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall imposed the ten-month prison sentence and ordered that it be followed by three years of court-supervised release. The conviction subjects Estrada-Pastrana to removal from the United States.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Frank Padula, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Chicago. Substantial assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. The government was represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diya Rattan.
United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Announces Charges Against Two Chicago-Area Defendants as Part of Department of Justice’s National Healthcare Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced criminal charges against two Chicago-area defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court in Chicago are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Healthcare Fraud Takedown. The charges continue the trend of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago as well as the Midwest Strike Force moving with speed, intentionality, velocity, and impact to bring criminal healthcare fraud prosecutions, especially against gatekeepers, that dismantle significant schemes that syphon taxpayer funds from Medicare and Medicaid. As part of those efforts, in the summer of 2025, U.S. Attorney Boutros stood up the Office’s first-ever Healthcare Fraud Section, which since its inception has charged some $2.135 billion in healthcare fraud in the Northern District of Illinois.
One of the Chicago-area defendants is charged with participating in a scheme to defraud Medicare out of approximately $240 million in reimbursements for over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits that were either never provided or never requested by Medicare beneficiaries, all within a span of less than six months. The other Chicago-area defendant is charged with orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Illinois Medicaid program out of more than $75 million for purported behavioral health counseling and therapy services that were never provided.
“Healthcare fraud causes billions of dollars in losses to the federal government and private insurers and all too often involves the exploitation of patients through unnecessary or unsafe medical tests and procedures,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “That’s precisely why, last year, I created a standalone Healthcare Fraud Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago—to bring greater focus, velocity, and impact to our efforts in this critical program area. Since becoming U.S. Attorney on April 7, 2025, my Office has charged more than $2.135 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the Northern District of Illinois and throughout the United States and even transnationally. In addition, our Healthcare Fraud Section and its team of federal prosecutors work closely with the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, to bring important and consequential cases such as the significant charges announced today. Under my leadership, healthcare providers, gatekeepers, and others who criminally cheat the system will be vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished to the full extent of federal law. I am quite proud of the work that federal prosecutors and agency partners in Chicago have accomplished in the healthcare fraud space in such a short period of time.”
The Chicago-area cases announced today by U.S. Attorney Boutros are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges filed throughout the country against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with a more than $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
Today’s national enforcement action involved a whole-of-government approach, including:
Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to more than $73 million, more than 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The two Chicago-area defendants were charged in the Northern District of Illinois:
AMIRALI BHIMANI, 42, of Naperville, Ill., was charged in a criminal information with three counts of healthcare fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare through the submission of fraudulent claims for over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits that were never requested or provided. Through the alleged scheme, Bhimani caused laboratories to bill Medicare approximately $342 million for the purported provision of test kits to beneficiaries who did not consent to receiving the kits and did not receive the kits, of which approximately $240 million was paid to the laboratories. Specifically, as alleged in the information, Bhimani sold Medicare beneficiary information to laboratories so that those laboratories could bill Medicare for purportedly providing the beneficiaries with Covid-19 test kits. Bhimani and others provided one or more of the laboratories with fake recordings of phone calls, in which the Medicare beneficiaries purportedly agreed to receive the test kits, the charges allege. The source of the recordings allegedly informed Bhimani that they were generated using artificial intelligence. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kelly M. Warner of the Midwest Strike Force.
DANIEL ROBINSON, 51, of Palos Park, Ill., was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of healthcare fraud and one count of money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Illinois Medicaid through the submission of fraudulent claims for behavioral health counseling and therapy services that were never provided. As alleged in the complaint, since January 2024, Robinson’s company, ODA Solutions, Inc., has billed Illinois Medicaid more than $92 million and has been paid approximately $75 million. Robinson, as Founder and CEO of ODA Solutions, allegedly directed others to create fake medical records and then bill for counseling services that were not provided, including for beneficiaries who had died. As alleged in the complaint, Robinson transferred approximately $45 million of the fraudulent proceeds to several brokerage and other business bank accounts and used more than $7 million of the fraudulent proceeds to purchase luxury items including real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and a yacht. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Finch of the Midwest Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Pinkston of the Northern District of Illinois.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, HHS-OIG, and the FBI, with assistance from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to investigate and prosecute the cases filed in federal court in Chicago.
The cases involved in the National Takedown are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The public is reminded that an indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
bhimani_information.pdf robinson_complaint.pdfSuburban Chicago Chiropractor Convicted of Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a suburban Chicago chiropractor on healthcare fraud charges for billing a private insurer for nonexistent services.
SEUNG HAN LIM owned and operated Movement Health and Rehab, also known as Motu Chiropractic and Motu Chiromassage, in Libertyville, Ill. From 2016 to 2019, Lim submitted fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Lim knew were not actually provided. Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided on dates when either Lim or the patient were not in Illinois. Other claims submitted by Lim were for services purportedly rendered by another chiropractor in Lim’s practice to Lim and Lim’s family members, even though Lim knew that those services had not actually been provided.
When Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois attempted to audit the bogus claims, Lim prepared false patient medical records and other documents and submitted them to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. As a result of the scheme, Lim and his clinic fraudulently billed more than $600,000 to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for services not rendered.
Lim, 42, of Lincolnshire, Ill., was convicted on 13 counts of healthcare fraud. The jury returned its verdicts on June 12, 2026, after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. U.S. District Judge Franklin W. Valderrama set sentencing for Oct. 22, 2026. Each healthcare fraud count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Nutini and Caitlin Walgamuth.
Former Suburban Chicago Police Officer Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison on Corruption ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former suburban Chicago police officer has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for conspiring to steal cash and drugs from occupants of vehicles during traffic stops.
ANTOINE LARRY was serving as a patrol officer for the Phoenix, Ill. Police Department when he conspired with another officer to corruptly solicit cash and drugs from the occupants of vehicles during traffic stops. Larry and his partner selected their victims based on circumstances arising from the stops. If the motorist was at risk of being detained or having their car towed and the officers believed they wouldn’t report corruption, Larry and his partner solicited cash bribes in exchange for reduced charges, not towing the car, or letting the individual go without citations. The officers then falsified police reports to conceal their corruption. The criminal conspiracy began in at least 2020 and continued until 2022.
A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago earlier this year convicted Larry, 50, of Bolingbrook, Ill., on conspiracy, extortion, and attempted extortion charges. On June 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Larry to five years and three months in federal prison.
The other officer—JARRETT SNOWDEN, of Lansing, Ill.—pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge prior to trial and admitted his role in the scheme. Judge Kness set Snowden’s sentencing for Oct. 27, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
Larry’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Antoine Larry was a police officer, sworn to uphold the law, who instead brazenly abused his power,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ramon Villalpando argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “When law enforcement officers commit crimes—especially the type committed by defendant— public confidence in law enforcement as an institution is undermined.”
U.S. Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Race Discrimination Lawsuit Challenging Reparations Program in Evanston, IllinoisRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division moved to intervene in a lawsuit challenging a program by the City of Evanston, Illinois, that distributes cash payments and financial assistance for housing solely to black persons, and their descendants, and not to similarly situated persons of other races. The United States’ proposed complaint in intervention alleges that the city’s actions violate the Equal Protection Cause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Fair Housing Act.
“Under the pretext of paying reparations for events more than 100 years ago, the City of Evanston has chosen to distribute millions of dollars in cash and housing benefits to people because of the color of their skin or the color of the skin of their parents, grandparents, or great grandparents,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There are sound ways for a city to remedy past discrimination or direct resources to its most vulnerable citizens and neighborhoods. Simply handing out money based on race, however, is not the answer. It is race discrimination, pure and simple. And it is illegal.”
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that government actions classifying citizens by race are presumptively unconstitutional,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Constitution demands that the government treat citizens as individuals, not as members of a racial class. Distributing public funds based on an individual's ancestry or race divides the citizenry and establishes the very hierarchy the Equal Protection Clause was designed to dismantle.”
In 2019, the city adopted the “Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program.” Under this program, black persons who lived in the City of Evanston as an adult at any time between 1919 and 1969, as well as their children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren, can receive $25,000 in the form of cash payments, which the recipient can use for any purpose, or financial assistance for purchasing, repairing, or maintaining a primary residence in the city. The city has not identified any specific acts of discrimination that violated the constitution or a statute that these payments are intended to remedy. Nor does the city require any evidence that recipients or their ancestors experienced discrimination when they lived in the city. Race alone determines whether a current or former resident or their descendant receives $25,000 in cash or financial assistance for housing. To date, the city has paid over $5 million and it plans to distribute millions more as funds become available.
In 2024, descendants of persons who had lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, but who were not black, filed a lawsuit, Flinn, et al. v. City of Evanston, No. 24-cv-4269 (N.D. Ill.), challenging their exclusion from the city’s program as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court denied the city’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March 2026. That same month, the United States opened an investigation of the program under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Fair Housing Act. The city refused to cooperate in the United States’ investigation. The United States now seeks to intervene in the lawsuit.
The United States alleges that the program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It also alleges that by offering and providing financial assistance for housing because of race, the city has violated the Fair Housing Act.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Trafficking Firearms and DrugsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for trafficking firearms and drugs.
In the fall of 2024, EFRAIN JACOBO sold methamphetamine, cocaine, and seven firearms in a series of transactions in Joliet, Ill. Unbeknownst to Jacobo, the buyers were undercover law enforcement officers.
On Dec. 17, 2024, Jacobo shared tracking information with the undercover officers for a truck containing meth that was traveling to Illinois from Texas. At Jacobo’s direction, the truck arrived at a shipping facility in Bolingbrook, Ill., the following day. Law enforcement searched inside the truck and discovered more than 150,000 grams of meth. A subsequent search of a storage facility leased by Jacobo in Wheeling, Ill., turned up more than 1,800 grams of fentanyl.
Jacobo, 44, of Prospect Heights, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm and drug charges. On June 11, 2026, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Jacobo to 16 years in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Bolingbrook, Ill. Police Department provided valuable assistance.
“Defendant plainly was a powerful and high-level drug dealer,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Stern argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Drug sellers of any illegal narcotics have a negative impact on society. They help fuel a drug trade that can devastate lives, families, and communities.”
Man Sentenced to More Than 33 Years in Prison for Operating Online Chat Group That Shared Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than 33 years in federal prison for operating an online chat group that shared large amounts of child pornography.
CHRISTOPHER MARTIN operated and led a group chat on the instant-messaging mobile application Kik. Martin moderated the chat and enforced the rules. The primary rule was that if members wanted to stay in the group, they had to constantly share photos and videos of child pornography. For example, when a prospective user wanted to join the group, Martin wrote, “Send what you got. Anything young is fine for group trade . . . Send youngest.” If group members were slow to share child pornography, Martin would pressure them to do so, writing, “If you don’t send [images to the group] you will be removed [from the group].” Martin was also a prolific sharer and trader of child pornography in his group chat.
Martin, 46, of Markham, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal charges of transportation of child pornography. On June 11, 2026, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Martin to 33 years and nine months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Defendant’s offense is extremely serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant’s facilitation of the sharing of hundreds of images and videos of young children being abused helped to drive the creation of those images and videos, and the creation of future images and videos of other abused children.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Three Defendants Charged with Attempting to Rob Law Enforcement Agents During Undercover Operation in Chicago Suburb; Fourth Defendant Charged with Trafficking FirearmRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Two individuals have been charged in federal court with attempted robbery after they were shot on Tuesday while allegedly attempting to rob federal agents during an undercover investigation in a Chicago suburb. The alleged getaway driver from the attempted robbery was charged with forcibly assaulting a federal officer after allegedly driving a car into a law enforcement vehicle while attempting to flee. A fourth individual was charged with trafficking a firearm as part of this investigation.
With each one pointing a firearm at law enforcement, AMIR A. FAGAN and DEMOND EDWARDS attempted to rob two ATF officers during an undercover operation on Tuesday evening near a residence in Country Club Hills, Ill., according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. According to the complaint, the undercover officers and a confidential informant arrived at the residence to purchase firearms in an ongoing firearms trafficking investigation. While the officers and informant waited outside the residence, Fagan and Edwards allegedly arrived in a car with other individuals. Fagan, Edwards, and a third individual exited the car and allegedly pointed firearms at the officers and informant. A separate team of ATF agents quickly arrived at the scene and fired shots towards Fagan and Edwards, striking Fagan. The alleged getaway driver, CHASHONN TONEY, allegedly rammed the car into an ATF vehicle while attempting to flee.
Edwards ran from the scene on foot but was located by another officer about two blocks away. A physical altercation ensued, with Edwards allegedly striking the officer multiple times in the face and body. In response, the officer shot Edwards, wounding him, the complaint states.
The complaint charges Fagan, 19, of Harvey, Ill., and Edwards, 18, of Markham, Ill., with attempted robbery, while Toney, 18, of Robbins, Ill., is charged with forcibly assaulting a law enforcement officer. The alleged firearms trafficker—TEVIN CURLEE, 29, of Country Club Hills, Ill.—was charged as part of this investigation with unlawfully possessing and transferring a machine gun, according to a separate complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Curlee sold a handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device to undercover law enforcement officers on June 3, 2026, in Crestwood, Ill., the complaint against Curlee states. The defendants' initial appearances in federal court in Chicago are pending.
The complaints were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office. The government in the Fagan, Edwards, and Toney case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Fiedler, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Andres Almendarez represents the government in the Curlee case. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.
“Our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are constantly displaying heroism that makes us all proud,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Every day, these brave officers step into uncertainty with a resolve to protect others, often at great personal risk. Their courage allows our communities to thrive and be better, and exemplifies the highest ideals of public service. Attacks on these heroic men and women in law enforcement will not be tolerated, and our Office will pursue every available measure under the law to hold dangerous criminals accountable when they dare strike at law enforcement and our way of life. I am also proud of the Chicago Assistant U.S. Attorneys and supervisors who immediately jumped into a volatile and fast-moving situation to work with our law enforcement partners to bring immediate charges against these defendants.”
“The attempted armed robbery of our undercover agents highlights the risks law enforcement officers face every day while working to protect our communities and disrupt violent crime,” said ATF SAC Amon. “I want to recognize the professionalism, courage, and swift actions of the agents and officers involved in this incident, and we are grateful that all law enforcement personnel are safe. I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, FBI, and the many suburban police departments that immediately responded to assist and support the investigation.”
“The FBI possesses the specialized skills and vast resources needed to conduct investigations across a wide range of threats from counterintelligence to counterterrorism, cybercrime, public corruption, violent crime, and more," said FBI SAC DePodesta. "Our personnel work around-the-clock lending our talent, resources, and expertise to law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. The FBI remains committed to rooting out violent crime, especially when committed against law enforcement, and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.”
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
curlee_complaint.pdf fagan_et_al_complaint.pdfMan Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Injuring Law Enforcement Agent During Arrest AttemptRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for illegally possessing two firearms and injuring a law enforcement agent who was attempting to arrest him.
On the morning of Jan. 31, 2022, members of a DEA Enforcement Group, accompanied by Homeland Security Investigations agents and an officer from the Posen, Ill. Police Department, attempted to execute an arrest warrant for ANDREW VESELY outside of his residence in Posen, Ill. Vesely had two outstanding felony arrest warrants—one for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and the other for criminal trespass to a motor vehicle—and he was also suspected of stealing multiple Jeep Grand Cherokees, one of which was parked outside the residence.
When Vesely walked out of his home and approached a rear alley, four officers moved to apprehend him. Vesely jumped into the Jeep and managed to start the engine before a DEA agent reached into the open driver’s door and grabbed Vesely by the front of his coat to stop him from fleeing. Vesely put the Jeep into drive as he and the agent struggled for control of the car. As the Jeep began to move forward, Vesely’s backpack fell onto the ground in the alley. The agent lost his grip and was flung into several garbage cans as Vesely sped off.
Vesely drove out of Posen at a high rate of speed and into the neighboring town of Markham. Officers from the Markham Police Department, who had been alerted by a dispatcher, chased Vesely on a major throughfare at more than 100 miles per hour through several traffic signals. Vesely crashed the Jeep into an embankment and was captured while attempting to run off.
The backpack that had fallen in the alley contained a semiautomatic handgun and a spare magazine, both loaded with armor-piercing rounds. The backpack also contained a car-key programming device, 31 car-key fobs, and other tools suitable for stealing cars. Law enforcement later searched the room where Vesely resided in the home and discovered another loaded semiautomatic handgun, three loaded magazines, a bullet-proof vest, police scanner, 25 key fobs, and another car-key programming device.
Vesely, 25, of Posen, Ill., pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of forcibly resisting, impeding, and interfering with an Officer of the United States government and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On June 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Vesely to four years and four months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of HSI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Posen, Ill. Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Hogan, Jr.
“Violence in general, and most certainly violence against law enforcement officers tear at the very fabric that holds our communities together,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Violence offends our way of life and undermines the safety and trust that we all depend on to achieve the pursuit of happiness. As I have repeatedly stated since becoming United States Attorney, criminal attacks on law enforcement constitute a direct assault on the rule of law as well as our justice system and will be met with swift, firm, and unequivocal legal consequences.”
“The sentencing in this case sends a clear message that violence against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated,” said DEA SAC Smith. “DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our communities from drug trafficking and violent crime. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their commitment to ensuring accountability in this case.”
Eighth Defendant Charged as Part of Federal Investigation into Violent Home Invasion in Winnetka, Ill.Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — An eighth defendant has been charged in federal court with robbery and kidnapping offenses for allegedly participating in a violent home invasion in Winnetka, Ill. The defendant, ANDREW FRANKLIN, 19, of Chicago, was arrested on June 3, 2026, and has been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond.
Andrew Franklin and seven co-defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping in connection with the alleged home invasion, which occurred on the afternoon of March 8, 2026, according to a second superseding indictment that was ordered unsealed in federal court after Andrew Franklin’s arrest. The seven co-defendants were previously arrested and have also been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond. For one of those defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed a U.S. Magistrate judge’s order of release on bond to a U.S. District judge, who ordered the defendant to remain detained without bond.
According to the charges, DASHUN BROWN, 24, of Chicago, posed as a food delivery driver to cause an individual in the residence to open the front door. Armed with loaded firearms, Andrew Franklin, Brown, TYRESE FENTON-WATSON, 23, of Chicago, DAVID FRANKLIN, 24, of Chicago, and JALEN CHAMBERS, 24, of Bourbonnais, Ill., forcibly entered the residence. Brown, Fenton-Watson, David Franklin, Chambers, and Andrew Franklin kept an individual in the residence captive for approximately an hour and used firearms to physically restrain the victim, the charges alleged. The perpetrators also restrained a child who arrived home while the violent home invasion was in progress, the charges alleged. The captors allegedly demanded access to a safe, computer, and online accounts holding cryptocurrency.
The conspirators fled the residence after about an hour in the home, later meeting up with ISAIAH DUKES, 28, of Los Angeles, Calif., KHIELL DUKES, 30, of Elgin, Ill., ANTHONY RAMSEY, 22, of Chicago, and additional co-conspirators who were waiting nearby and had been communicating with the captors while they were inside the residence, the charges alleged.
Andrew Franklin’s arrest and the unsealing of the second superseding indictment were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Brian O’Connell, Chief of the Winnetka Police Department. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Chicago Police Department, Northbrook, Ill. Police Department, Glencoe, Ill. Police Department, and Orland Park, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin, Jessica Ecker, and Jessica Maveus.
Kidnapping conspiracy is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while robbery conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
brown_et_al_2nd_superseding_indictment.pdfFederal Indictment Charges Former Chicago Housing Authority Director and Construction Company Owner with Engaging in $4.8 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former property director for the Chicago Housing Authority was given more than $421,000 in kickbacks from the owner of a construction company in exchange for steering that owner more than $4.8 million in construction and renovation work at CHA properties, according to an indictment returned today in federal court in Chicago.
The indictment accuses RYAN ROSS, formerly a Director in the CHA’s Property and Asset Management Department, of receiving the kickbacks in 2023 and 2024 from VANESSA RHODES, the President of Bell’s Better Buildings, Inc., a Chicago company that did business as Twenty Eleven Construction, Inc. In exchange for the kickbacks, Ross used his official position as a Director at the CHA to fraudulently award construction, renovation, and other work to Twenty Eleven Construction and another company affiliated with Rhodes, the indictment states. As part of the scheme, Ross and Rhodes also caused Rhodes’s husband to falsely represent himself to CHA property managers as an employee of the affiliated company who would purportedly complete the work on CHA units, the indictment states.
Ross and Rhodes concealed the fraud scheme, including Ross’s financial interest in the CHA work he awarded to Twenty Eleven Construction and the affiliated company, by submitting false documents to the CHA, including proposals, scopes of work, and invoices, the indictment states. Ross spent some of the kickback money to purchase a vehicle for himself and pay for repairs and renovations on his home, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Ross, 50, of Bolingbrook, Ill., and Rhodes, 47, of Chicago, with eight counts of honest services fraud, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Machelle Jindra, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and Kathryn Richards, Inspector General of the CHA. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Prashant Kolluri and Hanna Helwig.
“Corruption in the awarding of public housing contracts undermines trust, distorts competition, and diverts already scarce resources,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Holding individuals accountable when they exploit their positions for personal gain is essential to protecting the integrity of our public institutions, ensuring that taxpayer funds are properly safeguarded, and making sure that everyday people in need of public housing assistance get the support they are entitled to under the programs. I urge anyone with knowledge of misconduct in the procurement of public contracts to report it to law enforcement; your vigilance is critical to protecting the fairness and transparency our taxpayers and everyday citizens deserve.”
“Ryan Ross and Vanessa Rhodes allegedly took advantage of a position of public trust to engage in a kickback scheme to enrich themselves,” said HUD-OIG SAC Jindra. “Their scheme corrupted the fair and competitive contracting process and undermined the confidence in the integrity of HUD-funded programs. HUD-OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable individuals who misuse public office for unlawful personal enrichment.
“Since the beginning of this investigation, the CHA-OIG has worked side‑by‑side with federal law enforcement to hold Ross and Rhodes accountable for their egregious corruption,” said CHA IG Richards. “They hijacked a program meant to repair and preserve Chicago’s already scarce public housing, diverting public funds to enrich themselves. We are grateful to HUD-OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for aggressively pursuing this case and helping us expose and eliminate fraud in CHA programs.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
ross_et_al_indictment.pdfIllinois Investment Advisor Indicted on Federal Fraud Charges for Allegedly Swindling Clients in Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Illinois investment advisor has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling at least three clients in a Ponzi scheme.
JOHN MYERS operated Illinois-based Sterling Capital Investments, LLC. From 2022 to 2025, Myers fraudulently solicited and obtained money from three victims, including a husband and wife from Michigan, based on false representations about the performance and value of the investments, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Myers provided false documentation reflecting the investments were worth more than they were, when Myers knew the value had actually decreased due to his trading losses, the indictment states. Myers engaged in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors, the indictment states.
Myers, 41, of Chicago, is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago is set for June 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
u.s._v._myers_no._26_cr_278_n.d._ill._-_indictment.pdfIllegal Alien with Extensive Criminal Record Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An illegal alien with an extensive criminal record has been sentenced to more than a year in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported on multiple occasions.
MANUEL ALBERTO CORTES CUAN, a native of Mexico, was unlawfully present in the United States on June 17, 2025, when he was arrested in Lyons, Ill. Police received a report that a vehicle identified in an ongoing theft investigation was located in a residential area of Lyons. When police approached the vehicle and attempted to detain Cortes Cuan, he vigorously resisted arrest, causing injuries to himself and two police officers.
Cortes Cuan was previously deported from the United States on five occasions. Each deportation occurred after Cortes Cuan sustained criminal convictions while unlawfully present here. The prior offenses of convictions included theft, escape, trespassing, aggravated assault, and aggravated DUI.
Cortes Cuan, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal. On June 3, 2026, U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt sentenced Cortes Cuan to 14 months in federal prison. The conviction subjects Cortes Cuan to removal from the United States.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lyons, Ill. Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Selling Heroin and Cocaine on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that sold heroin, cocaine, and other drugs through online stores on the dark web.
TOMMY SPAULDING sold the drugs on dark web vendor stores known as AVALANCHE and ETHER_MART. AVALANCHE sold heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and MDMA, while ETHER_MART specialized in heroin. Each store used a unique packaging style to distinguish itself. Spaulding managed the vendor stores’ finances, including distributing money to others to purchase the drugs and helping to operate the stores. In 2018 and 2019, Spaulding was responsible for distributing more than seven kilograms of heroin and more than a kilogram of cocaine, among other narcotics.
Spaulding, 42, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiracy and drug trafficking offenses. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the nine-year prison term on May 29, 2026, during a sentencing hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Substantial assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Chicago Police Department.
“The organization and structure of the vendor stores maximized the quantity of narcotics the defendants could distribute, and the stores were very successful,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “All it took was a few clicks, and defendants counted on the simplicity, ease, and temptation of the online market to maximize their illicit sales and drug profits.”
Four other defendants were charged as part of this investigation. LAUREN LUCANSKY, 40, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge and was sentenced in August 2025 to seven years in federal prison. Among other duties, Lucansky procured the drugs for the vendor stores, processed customer orders, and mailed narcotics to customers. NATHANEL BUTTERFIELD, 47, of Chicago, who procured the use of a condo in Chicago’s River North neighborhood to package drugs and then mailed them to customers, and RICHARD MARTINEZ, 41, of Chicago, who fulfilled customer orders for drugs, each pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy charge and are awaiting sentencing. MICHAEL BENTLEY, 37, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to operating a dark web store known as ALLGOLDEVERYTHING. On Feb. 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings sentenced Bentley to five and a half years in federal prison.
Rockford Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin.
DEMARGIO TRIPP, 36, pleaded guilty earlier this year to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin in the Rockford area in 2024 and 2025. Tripp also admitted that in May 2025 he possessed cocaine and other narcotics that he intended to sell to others.
On May 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Tripp to 192 months in federal prison. Judge Johnston found that Tripp qualified as a “career offender” under federal law due to multiple drug trafficking convictions in state and federal courts.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance.
“Distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances is a serious and dangerous offense,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “As a drug dealer, defendant is a direct cause of these problems.”
Man Sentenced to More Than 26 Years in Prison for Using the Dark Web to Distribute NarcoticsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than 26 years in federal prison for distributing drugs through a dark web marketplace known as the “Nemesis Market.”
DARREN HUGHES operated a vendor store offering free samples of methamphetamine on the Nemesis Market, one of the world’s largest dark web markets. When an undercover law enforcement agent contacted the vendor store, Hughes agreed to mail the law enforcement agent a free sample of meth from California to Chicago. Thereafter, on five occasions in 2023, Hughes sold the law enforcement agent meth and fentanyl pills in exchange for cryptocurrency. Hughes was arrested in Redwood City, Calif., in June 2023 after agreeing to sell additional meth to undercover agents in Chicago. Local police searched the vehicle Hughes was driving and discovered, among other items, approximately 672 grams of meth, a loaded “ghost gun” with no identifiable serial number, and various narcotics paraphernalia.
Law enforcement shut down the Nemesis Market in 2024 after a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional investigation. From 2021 to 2024, Nemesis Market processed more than 400,000 orders, including more than 55,000 orders for stimulants, including meth, cocaine, crack cocaine, and other controlled substances, and 17,000 orders for opioids, including fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone.
A federal jury in November 2025 convicted Hughes, 39, of San Jose, Calif., on drug trafficking charges. On May 26, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Hughes to more than 26 years in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA, Nicholas Bucciarelli, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Substantial assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Redwood City, Calif., Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Kelly, Michael Maione, and Hayley Altabef.
“Having been part of the original multi-agency, multi-Office Task Force that took down the Silk Road almost 13 years ago, I know firsthand the seriousness of criminals operating on dark web marketplaces,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Criminals selling poison on the dark web often act with impunity and brazenness because they mistakenly believe that they are beyond the reach of federal law enforcement. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will identify, investigate, and prosecute drug traffickers regardless of where they operate—and, even if they operate on the dark net.”
“Today’s sentencing announcement reflects the strength of coordinated law enforcement partnerships, through the Homeland Security Task Force, and DEA’s continued commitment to targeting drug traffickers operating in both the physical and digital worlds,” said DEA SAC Smith. “This investigation brought together DEA, FBI, CBP, USPIS, IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners at Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area to identify, track and dismantle a dark net drug trafficking operation responsible for distributing dangerous narcotics across the country. DEA will continue leveraging investigative tools to follow the money, identify criminal networks and hold traffickers accountable wherever they operate.”
“The sentencing of Darren Hughes sends a clear message in how critical a role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners play in protecting American consumers from illegal narcotics being shipped via the U.S. Mail,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Bucciarelli. “Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives.”
“Drug dealers once relied on street corners; today, they use the internet to reach customers worldwide,” said IRS-CI SAC Jobes. “Dark web marketplaces may seem anonymous, but no platform is beyond law enforcement’s reach. Darren Hughes used the internet to profit from addiction and distribute dangerous drugs. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents worked with our law enforcement partners to follow the financial trail, expose his crimes, and hold him accountable. Whether drugs are sold on the street or online, we will continue identifying traffickers, disrupting their operations, and bringing them to justice."
United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Issues Rare Special Report Regarding Federal Grand Jury AppearancesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today issued a rare Special Report confirming what he has already stated publicly in response to intense press interest and inquiries: He has never appeared before any grand jury hearing or deliberating evidence on any matter since becoming U.S. Attorney on April 7, 2025.
As addressed in the Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros’s only appearances in the federal grand juries of the Northern District of Illinois were to welcome grand jurors when first impaneled, and thereafter, his only other appearances were in his official capacity as the Chief Legal Advisor to federal grand juries where he addressed generally the role, function, and importance of the grand jury in our constitutional system of government and laws. In the latter context, U.S. Attorney Boutros appeared only after informing the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, who supervises all federal grand juries in the District, that he would be doing so. Then, his appearances as Chief Legal Advisor to the grand juries consisted of him providing brief general comments about the important role of the grand jury under the U.S. Constitution, and the need for grand jurors to be fair and impartial. His comments coincided with the reading of a letter from the Chief Judge to the various grand juries; U.S. Attorney Boutros has not seen, read, or heard the contents of the Chief Judge’s letter.
As a condition to issuing today’s Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros obtained court-ordered authorization for the release of grand jury materials and minutes. Today’s Special Report is being made available to the public in the public interest as well as the interest of justice in light of wide-ranging speculation about U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros’s appearance in what some have dubbed the “Broadview 6” grand jury, which is the panel of grand jurors from the Special June 2024 Grand Jury hearing evidence on that specific matter. That speculation was created on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in open court, when counsel for the one of the defendants in United States v. Rabbitt, et al., 25 CR 693 (Perry, J.) stated in relevant part in open court before going into closed session that: “We have a belief that the U.S. Attorney had personal contact with this grand jury. We have not been provided with that transcript. I believe there’s an update on that. If that did occur, we would like that as well.” Rabbitt, et al., Transcript, 05/26/2026, p. 22, lns. 13-16.
The Special Report conclusively shows that a transcription error by the court reporter transcribing the audio recording of the grand jury minutes from October 23, 2025, inadvertently and mistakenly stated “USA (inaudible),” instead of “AUSA Bond,” with the latter being a reference to Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Bond, the Chief of the Office’s Narcotics Section, who had appeared before the same grand jury on a different, unrelated matter on October 9, 2025. Thus, the grand jury minutes from October 23, 2025, reflect a classic case of mistaken identity, namely, that “USA (inaudible)” appeared before that grand jury on a matter when in fact, Chief of Narcotics Aaron Bond appeared before the same grand jury on a different matter on October 9, 2025. Steps are being taken to attempt to correct the relevant minutes.
The full Special Report can be read here.
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Note: The Special Report consists of grand jury materials that would otherwise be subject to grand jury secrecy pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e), including highly secretive grand jury “minutes,” which are those portions of a grand jury session where an Assistant U.S. Attorney speaks to grand jurors about the law or sometimes the application of the law to the facts, without a witness present. Prior to publishing these materials in the Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros obtained court-ordered authorization from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
special_report.pdfRockford Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Drugs and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to fourteen years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and illegally possessing a firearm.
RISHAWN JONES admitted in a plea agreement that in May 2024 he possessed controlled substances in various locations, including his vehicle and a storage unit. The storage unit also contained a 9-millimeter pistol. This crime was committed while Jones was serving a term of court-supervised release following a prior federal prison sentence for distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime—a fact that the Court found to be an aggravating factor in sentencing Jones.
Jones, 40, pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and more than 500 grams of cocaine, and illegally possessing a firearm. On May 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Jones to 14 years in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Handgun on Chicago Train and Doing so While on Court-Ordered Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun on a Chicago train while he was on court-supervised release from a prior drug trafficking conviction.
GERALD PITTMAN was arrested on July 28, 2025, aboard the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line train while drinking a beer, smoking, and holding a red shopping bag that contained a loaded handgun. Pittman had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
One of Pittman’s prior felonies was a federal drug trafficking conviction, for which Pittman was on court-supervised released at the time of his arrest on the Blue Line.
Pittman, 39, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. On May 19, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani sentenced Pittman to 30 months in federal prison. Following this term of incarceration, Pittman must serve an additional six months in federal prison for violating the terms of his court-supervised release from the drug trafficking case. That brings the total term of Pittman’s period of incarceration to three years.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department.
Shortly before Pittman’s arrest and federal prosecution, U.S. Attorney Boutros expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the CTA, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city. The expansion represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation.
The federal investigation was conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement partnership that focuses exclusively on investigating and prosecuting violent offenders who utilize firearms in commission of their crimes in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. Every firearm-related case in Chicago is processed through the CGIC on a daily basis.
“Defendant did not possess a gun in a private residence; he was carrying it in a shopping bag while riding on the L, where gun violence has risen at an alarming rate in recent years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Gun-wielding riders like the defendant have caused an increasing share of Chicagoans to fear for their lives when riding Chicago’s public train system. Indeed, defendant’s offense—carrying a gun on a CTA train while impaired—is the type of behavior driving violent crime on public transportation, instilling fear in innocent transit patrons, and scaring countless others away from riding trains that are meant to serve everyone in this city.”
United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Announces Sweeping Reforms to Internal Grand Jury Practices and Disclosures; Remediation Plan Includes Most Substantial and Significant Changes in DecadesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced a series of sweeping internal reforms to the Office’s grand jury practices and disclosures that took effect yesterday. The remediation plan, which represents the most substantial and significant internal changes to the Office’s grand jury procedures in decades, will streamline the Office’s grand jury processes and disclosures. The new process moving forward will be more transparent, effective, and impactful while greatly reducing the likelihood of mistakes and errors.
The important reforms, which took effect yesterday for all grand jury presentations in the Northern District of Illinois, establish clear and unequivocal expectations and rules for federal prosecutors related to grand jury disclosures and the timing of those disclosures. Among the many changes in the remediation plan are increased and expanded education about grand jury presentations, including extensive, deep-dive training from national experts outside the Office. U.S. Attorney Boutros and the Department of Justice have also taken swift action related to internal personnel matters.
“One of the benefits of being the first Chicago U.S. Attorney to have previously been Chair of White Collar in private practice is that I have represented and advised as my own personal clients some of the largest public and other companies and their audit committees, boards, C-suite executives, and others in highly sensitive and bet-the-company government and internal investigations,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Everybody who has handled high-stakes corporate cases knows that in addition to the importance of thorough, honest, and objective investigations, there must also be remediation, reforms, and process improvements to allow organizations to accept responsibility and make sure that the same mistakes don’t happen again. What I have formulated and thereafter implemented on Tuesday of this week are among the most sweeping reforms to address root-cause issues in the Northern District of Illinois’s federal prosecutorial practices and procedures, especially as they relate to the grand jury and grand jury disclosures. They also make the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office among, if not the leading district in the country on grand jury disclosures. These remediations should also be deeply curative and put to rest once and for all the divergent practices that have existed across the Office for decades, including from one Assistant U.S. Attorney to another as well as from one generation to the next. That’s because these are clear, bright line rules that everyone must abide by, which should streamline and simplify the decision-making and disclosure process, as opposed to bedevil it. It also should all but eliminate points of contention between federal prosecutor and defense counsel as it relates to these grand jury issues.”
After learning of certain conduct by the government in the grand jury during a recent case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office immediately moved to dismiss the indictment in that case and proactively initiated an immediate review of other grand jury presentations that could have been impacted in a similar fashion. The inquiry has included both a root cause analysis into the Office’s practices and procedures generally, as well as an exam of any cases by the AUSAs who went into the grand jury in that case that could have been impacted by similar conduct. The Office’s review is far along but remains ongoing. In addition, the Office has proactively reached out to the defendants’ attorneys in other cases handled by those AUSAs and has agreed to give them the “minutes” from the grand jury sessions in those cases. “Minutes” from a grand jury session include the highly secretive portion where AUSAs, as legal advisor to the grand jury, speak to grand jurors about the law—and sometimes the application of the law to the facts—without a witness present.
The reforms announced today, many of which are being implemented for the first time anywhere in the country, will transform and modernize the Office’s procedures, while continuing to adhere to the longstanding tradition that a prosecutor serves as “one of the most beneficent forces in our society,” as then-Attorney General (and later Supreme Court Justice) Robert H. Jackson shared in his seminal 1940 address, “The Federal Prosecutor.” Attorney General Jackson remarked that the prosecutor’s “powers have been granted to our law-enforcement agencies because it seems necessary that such a power to prosecute be lodged somewhere. This authority has been granted by people who really wanted the right thing done—wanted crime eliminated—but also wanted the best in our American traditions preserved.”
In announcing his reforms to the Office, U.S. Attorney Boutros thanked the Office’s Assistant U.S. Attorneys for all that they do for the people of the Northern District of Illinois: “Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for being on the front lines keeping our communities safe, making sure our victims are heard, protecting the public fisc, and working to hold accountable those defendants who commit serious crimes, all while doing so in the very best traditions of the Office and the Department. After all, the motto of the Department is ‘Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur,’ meaning, ‘Who prosecutes on behalf of Justice.’”
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This statement is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, that are enforceable at law by any party, in any criminal, civil, or administrative matter. This statement does not purport to offer legal advice nor is it intended to substitute for the advice of legal counsel. It does not in any way limit the enforcement intentions or litigating positions of the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, or any other U.S. Attorney’s Office or component of the Department, or any other U.S. government agency or department.
Man Who Transported $9 Million in Illicit Cash Proceeds for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man who transported $9 million in illicit cash proceeds for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.
RICARDO TELLO transported bulk cash proceeds for Mexico-based drug traffickers who had distributed cocaine to numerous cities in the United States. Tello picked up at least approximately $9 million from various locations and delivered the money via plane or car to others in the Chicago area. He received about $3,500 per pickup. On one occasion in November 2019, Tello delivered nearly $300,000 to an undercover law enforcement officer in Hillside, Ill.
Additionally, Tello used his logistics company to support the Mexico-based drug traffickers by exporting nearly 50 loads of plastic sheeting that had been used to smuggle at least 450 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
The drug trafficking organization was allegedly led by OSWALDO ESPINOSA, of Mexico. Espinosa’s organization allegedly used warehouses, garages, and stash houses in Chicago to receive and store the cocaine and cash. Tello, Espinosa, and sixteen others were charged in federal court as part of this investigation. Ten of the co-defendants have pleaded guilty and admitted their roles in the trafficking operation. Espinosa is believed to be in Mexico, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Tello, 39, of Mission, Texas, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to drug distribution and money laundering charges. On May 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso imposed the six-year prison term and ordered Tello to forfeit $297,699.50 in cash and a Cessna 182P aircraft to the U.S. government.
Tello’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Michael J. Pfeiffer, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Rosenbloom and Hanna Helwig.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Cyberstalking Former Romantic PartnersRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for cyberstalking and harassing former romantic partners.
VINCENT STORME threatened and harassed six women after they ended their relationships with him. Storme stalked his victims both online and in person, with the harassment and threats often extending to the victims’ families, employers, and friends.
In one instance, Storme accessed and searched a former girlfriend’s phone without her knowledge and then published a semi-nude photograph of the victim that could be seen by her family, friends, and co-workers. Storme also created a website and social media accounts bearing her name and used the accounts to further embarrass and harass her.
While on bond in this case, police arrested Storme for stalking another victim by following her home in his car. Another victim reported that after breaking up with Storme, he often arrived at her home unannounced.
Storme, 38, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of accessing a computer without authorization in furtherance of a criminal and tortious act. On May 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the four-year prison term and ordered Storm to pay a total of $11,318.39 in restitution to three of his victims.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
“With each relationship and each victim, defendant’s methods grew more prolific,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill J. Bhalakia argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Computer intrusion and cyberstalking will not be tolerated by the criminal justice system.”
Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Returns Indictment Against Operation Midway Blitz Defendant for Alleged Vehicle-Ramming Attack on Federal Immigration AgentRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has returned an indictment charging a man with using a deadly or dangerous weapon, specifically, his vehicle, to assault a federal immigration agent during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago.
DIEGO EMMANUEL REYES, 21, of Chicago, is charged with assaulting impeding, intimidating, and interfering with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer using a deadly and dangerous weapon, namely, his vehicle, according to an indictment returned on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. On Oct. 4, 2025, Reyes allegedly rammed his sport utility vehicle into the rear of a vehicle driven by the ICE agent, who was engaged in the performance of his official duties on the Southwest Side of Chicago, and upon doing so, accelerated his SUV forward pushing the agent’s vehicle. Video of the incident can be viewed here.
Given the enhanced penalty for using a deadly or dangerous weapon, the charge in the indictment is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn McCarthy.
“What this defendant did on October 4, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, during Operation Midway Blitz was a dangerous and brazen act of violence against a federal agent as well as an attack on the rule of law," said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Federal agents perform risky, essential work every single day to enforce our federal laws and keep our communities safe. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will never tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable those who seek to assault, impede, intimidate, or interfere with lawful federal operations. I applaud our federal prosecutors and the federal agents and supervisors with the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for having the fortitude, determination, and grit to see this important case through the grand jury where it can now be adjudicated to its fullest in a court of law.”
“The Chicago Field Office has zero tolerance for anyone impeding federal officers engaged in their lawful functions," said FBI SAC DePodesta. "The people of Chicago deserve to be safe and free from harm. The FBI is committed to using every available resource against those who undermine the rule of law and jeopardize the peace in our community.”
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
reyes_indictment.pdfRockford Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Covid-Relief Fraud and Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief loans and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In 2020 and 2021, ABSALOM HALL engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), one of the sources of relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Hall submitted multiple PPP loan applications that contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about his purported businesses, including gross revenue, payroll needs, and operational expenses. As a result of the fraudulent applications, Hall obtained approximately $85,401 in PPP loans.
Hall also engaged in tax fraud by presenting himself as a tax preparer operating a purported business called “Lootland Tax Prep.” Even though Hall did not have an IRS-issued tax ID number to prepare federal income tax returns for others, he nonetheless accepted compensation from clients in exchange for preparing their federal income tax returns. Hall did not report any income derived from this business on his 2021 or 2022 individual income tax returns.
Hall, 37, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to wire fraud, tax, and money laundering charges. On May 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins imposed the three-year prison sentence, entered a judgment against Hall of $85,401, and ordered him to pay $30,866 in restitution to the IRS.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Nicholas Bucciarelli, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus.
"Absalom Hall exploited a program designed to help Americans survive an unprecedented crisis,” said IRS SAC Jobes. “At a time when families and small businesses were fighting to stay afloat, Hall chose greed over integrity and stole from a system built to provide relief and stability. Even as the pandemic fades further into the past, IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to identifying and bringing to justice individuals who abused these emergency programs for personal gain. Americans deserve accountability for those who treated a national emergency as an opportunity to enrich themselves.”
Engineer for Illinois Company Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trade Fraud, Counterfeiting, and Other Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former engineer for an Illinois company has been sentenced to federal prison for manufacturing and selling counterfeit versions of his employer’s products and engaging in other fraud schemes.
SHAUN BROUWER worked as a mechanical engineer for an Illinois-based manufacturer of high-performance network infrastructure solutions, including network jacks. Brouwer stole proprietary information from the company and paid three vendors in China to manufacture jack modules and other products and falsely brand them as authentic products of Brouwer’s former employer. Brouwer then arranged for the counterfeit products to be sold online.
Brouwer also sold approximately 11,267 authentic jack modules and other products that his employer had sent him after Brouwer falsely represented that he would use them at trade shows. Brouwer admitted in a plea agreement that he sold a total of approximately 160,039 counterfeit and authentic products without the company’s authorization, causing a loss to the company of approximately $986,519.
Brouwer further acknowledged that he asked a vendor in China to create fake payment documents to lower the perceived value of some of the counterfeit items in order to avoid attracting attention from U.S. customs officials and avoid paying additional customs duty fees.
As part of his schemes, Brouwer also fraudulently applied for and received a loan under the Covid-relief Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In 2020, Brouwer received a $20,832 PPP loan for a purported side business and dispersed more than $10,000 of it to the online marketplace in China for counterfeit goods.
Brouwer, 47, of Cedar Lake, Ind., pleaded guilty in December 2025 to a federal mail fraud charge. On May 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings sentenced Brouwer to 18 months in federal prison. Judge Cummings found in mitigation that, among other things, Brouwer promptly waived indictment, accepted responsibility, and pleaded guilty to a criminal information.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, which vigorously pursues enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade or otherwise undermine federal customs laws. The Department of Justice recently selected the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to be lead prosecutorial partner on the Trade Fraud Task Force. In addition, on April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Chicago Federal Court Imposes Statutory Maximum Sentence of 15 Years in Prison for Defendant’s Illegal Possession of Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to the statutory maximum of 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun.
DIRK HUGO was arrested on May 1, 2024, after he was found in a parking garage in Arlington Heights, Ill., possessing a loaded handgun in his waistband and wearing a bulletproof vest. The prior month, Hugo was involved in an assault at a Glenview, Ill. motel during which he allegedly struck a man’s head with a gun. Hugo had previously been convicted of multiple felony firearm offenses in state court and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Hugo has remained in law enforcement custody since his arrest.
A jury in federal court in Chicago last year convicted Hugo, 49, of Arlington Heights, Ill., of illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon. On May 12, 2026, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold sentenced Hugo to 15 years in federal prison, which was the statutory maximum sentence that could be imposed for this criminal conviction.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“As defendant’s criminal record makes clear, he absolutely refuses to give up his firearms despite decades of being told that he cannot possess a gun,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie C. Stern and Simar Khera argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant’s refusal to give up his guns combined with his violent tendencies are a dangerous enough combination; but when defendant’s absolute disdain for the law and his failure to acknowledge his own misconduct is added, it showcases an individual who is an extreme danger to the community.”
Former Federal Prison Employee Convicted of Sexually Abusing Two InmatesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal jury in Rockford has convicted a former employee of the Federal Correctional Institute in Thomson, Ill. of sexually abusing two male inmates.
After a three-day trial, the jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford on Wednesday found DANNY L. SPYKER, 42, guilty of two counts of knowingly engaging in sexual acts with two inmates. Each count is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani set sentencing for Sept. 14, 2026.
According to evidence presented at trial, Spyker worked as a cook supervisor in March 2024 when he knowingly engaged in sexual acts with two inmates. At the time, both victims were in official detention in the prison and under the custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority of prison employees, including Spyker.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matt Loux, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Regional Office of the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Kim and Andrew M. Rosati.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois Announces First-of-Its-Kind Individual Self-Disclosure ProgramRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois today announced the formation of a first-of-its kind Program that both encourages and incentivizes individuals to voluntarily report and/or self-report criminal wrongdoing for non-violent offenses and fully cooperate with the government in its investigation and any subsequent prosecution of other offenders. The Individual Self-Disclosure Program applies exclusively to individuals and does not overlap with the Department of Justice’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy of March 10, 2026. Any corporate disclosures will be governed by the DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement Policy.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office implemented the Individual Self-Disclosure Program to provide greater certainty and equal-access transparency to individuals and their counsel as to what they can expect in exchange for their full, truthful, and complete reporting of criminal wrongdoing and subsequent cooperation. Those who fully and voluntarily self-report criminal wrongdoing that is previously unknown to the government will have the opportunity to secure one of three tiers of potential benefits: (1) letter immunity; (2) a deferred or non-prosecution agreement; or (3) criminal prosecution with substantial sentencing relief. An individual who receives a deferred or non-prosecution agreement under the Program must agree to disgorge any proceeds from the criminal activity through forfeiture or other means and pay restitution to victims consistent with the individual’s role in the offense and applicable law.
The Office will maintain its prosecutorial discretion to determine on a case-by-case basis whether an individual who reports wrongdoing merits one of the three tiers of benefits. As set out in the Program, among the factors that the Office will consider are whether the criminal conduct had previously been made public or was previously known to law enforcement; whether the individual disclosed the criminal conduct voluntarily and not in response to a government inquiry or imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation; the completeness and timeliness of the disclosure; and the individual’s role and participation, if any, in the wrongdoing. There are additional considerations that the Office will factor in its assessment, as is outlined in greater detail in the Program.
The Program supersedes the Northern District of Illinois’s Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program for Organizational Misconduct announced on Sept. 16, 2024.
“One of the key hallmarks of effective leadership is constantly striving for progress and innovation,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “When I began serving as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on April 7, 2025, I embarked on a deep, root-cause analysis of what was working and what was not working in the Office. In fraud and other adjacent program areas, I determined fairly quickly that an overhaul of our self-disclosure program was needed. From there, I personally rolled up my sleeves and got to work reimagining a program that would lead to individual voluntary disclosures, be responsive to the defense bar and its concerns, protect the sanctity of prosecutorial discretion, and be fair and reasonable to individuals who make the difficult decision to come forward with information. Drawing upon some 25 years of experience in the criminal law field, including nearly ten years as Co-Chair of White Collar, eight years as a federal prosecutor in Chicago handling sophisticated white-collar prosecutions, 16 years of teaching criminal law at the University of Chicago Law School, including debating self-disclosure policies with colleagues and thought leaders, as well as authoring some 160 articles and two books on various white-collar, corruption and adjacent topics, I put ‘fingers to keyboard’ on re-envisioning an individual self-disclosure program that not only works, but also comports with Administration priorities. For the first time in the Northern District of Illinois, individual wrongdoers now know upfront with transparency and much greater certainty whether and how they can be rewarded when they self-disclose wrongdoing, fully cooperate with our investigation, and remediate the misconduct. Incentivizing individuals to come forward and do the right thing will result in a better outcome for victims and a just result for the citizens of our District. Although we expect this new self-disclosure Program to substantially increase our intake of fraud and other adjacent investigations, make no mistake: our Office will continue to vigorously pursue criminals who elect to roll the dice and not come forward and self-report their criminal activities. The defense bar now has a unique tool at their disposable that we hope will be used with great frequency. As such, for those individuals who make the decision not to self-report, they should not expect to be treated nearly as favorably as those who turn the corner and take account of their criminal conduct.”
Individuals who wish to make a voluntary disclosure must complete this form and submit it to [email protected]. Although anonymous reporting is not allowed, a new, unique feature allows for attorneys to reach out as an initial matter to the Front Office of the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to provide an attorney proffer of their client’s wrongdoing, role in the offense, and the other criteria and factors discussed in the Program. Attorneys can do this without identifying their client.
The Program is not available to individuals whose misconduct involved violence, the threat of violence, gun trafficking and firearm offenses, terrorism, drug trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, or any sex offense involving fraud, force, coercion, trafficking, or a minor victim. Additionally, absent extraordinary or unique circumstances, elected federal, state, local, or foreign officials, and federal law enforcement officers, are not eligible to participate in the Program. Click here for a full list of the Program’s terms and conditions.
ndil_voluntary_self_disclosure_program_2026.pdf ndil_individual_self-disclosure_program_intake_form_2026.pdfU.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Recognizes the Law Enforcement Community During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today recognized the tremendous service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers during National Police Week.
“Serving as a sworn law enforcement officer is among the greatest callings in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “All of us at the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office consider it a privilege to work with the valiant men and women of law enforcement who serve our communities with honor, integrity, and bravery. National Police Week reminds us that behind every badge is a story of service, sacrifice, and family. To those brave officers in uniform, I say thank you for risking your life, wellbeing, and security to keep the rest of us safe. To the families of the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price, we grieve your tragic loss and renew our commitment to supporting law enforcement each and every day and to continuing to fight the good fight on behalf of the people of the district that we serve.”
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week. During National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, and loyalty.
On Wednesday, the names of 363 officers killed in the line of duty, including Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew, were added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil. Officer Bartholomew served CPD honorably for ten years and was tragically killed on April 25, 2026. He is survived by his wife and three children.
To learn more about National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Stephenson County, Ill. Man Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Stephenson County, Ill. man has been sentenced to 150 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting numerous children, including infants and toddlers.
For more than a decade, MATTHEW KAUFMAN enticed multiple children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and recorded it. Kaufman coerced and enticed some of the children via the social media application Snapchat. He stored hundreds of videos and images of the abuse on his electronic devices.
Kaufman is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2008 of a felony offense for possessing child pornography. The following year, he began the abuse that gave rise to this federal conviction and 150-year sentence.
Kaufman, 45, of Lena, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to three counts of production of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Iain D. Johnston on Thursday imposed the 150-year prison term and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Kaufman was also ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance.
“Over the course of at least thirteen years, defendant, a convicted sex offender, preyed upon vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “By repeatedly and violently sexually abusing multiple young girls, defendant has proven that he is truly a predator and that each of the images and videos he created depict a crime scene.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to https://www.missingkids.org/ or calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Rockford Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Prison for Burning Down His Restaurant and Filing False Insurance ClaimRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — The owner of a Rockford restaurant has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for burning down his restaurant and filing a false insurance claim.
JAMES PURIFOY intentionally started a fire inside the 15th and Chris restaurant, 201 15th Ave. in Rockford, on Jan. 22, 2023. To hide his involvement from law enforcement, Purifoy left the premises before police and fire personnel arrived to put out the fire. Purifoy admitted to obstructing the subsequent arson investigation by providing false statements to the Rockford Police Department, Rockford Fire Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Purifoy later filed a fraudulent insurance claim, which paid him $305,400.
Purifoy, 51, of Rockford, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to a federal arson charge. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the 66-month prison term during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge for ATF’s Chicago Field Division, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Timothy Morris, Jr., Division Chief of the Rockford Fire Department The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation and prosecution.
“Arson is a seriously dangerous crime which can have devastating consequences,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “An intentionally set fire unnecessarily risks the lives of bystanders and first responders. Others who engage in reckless and deceitful behavior must be on notice that they will be held accountable.”
“The City of Rockford Fire Department worked closely with the ATF throughout this long investigation,” said Division Chief Morris. “The joint effort between the ATF and City Fire Investigators resulted in a case closure. This outcome reflects our department's commitment to holding those who intentionally set fires fully accountable, protecting our community, our firefighters, and the integrity of the insurance system that citizens and residents depend on.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm in Downtown Chicago Federal CourthouseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has charged a man with illegally possessing a loaded firearm in the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago.
JAMES C. LAKE, JR. possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Monday morning in the lobby of the Dirksen Building, which is located at 219 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago’s downtown Loop neighborhood, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The Dirksen Building houses the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the offices of various governmental agencies. It is the largest federal courthouse in the United States both by square footage and number of federal judges.
According to the complaint, Lake approached the Court Security Officers around 7:40 a.m. and placed a bookbag containing the gun, a box cutter, and a jackknife onto the magnetometer conveyer belt. Lake informed the officers that he had a gun and “other stuff” in the bag, the complaint states. Officers searched the bag and discovered the gun with a loaded magazine, the box cutter, 23 live rounds of ammunition, and the jackknife inside its sheath. The seized items can be seen in the photo below.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of IllinoisAn inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service took Lake into custody and seized the contraband. Lake had previously been convicted of a federal felony and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The complaint charges Lake, 53, of Chicago, with illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Lake made an initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and LaDon Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Smith.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
lake_complaint.pdfSuburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Immigration Fraud, Possession of Child Pornography, and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for engaging in immigration fraud, possessing child pornography, and committing tax fraud.
JOSE GREGORIO SOSA CARDONA operated Delta Global Solutions, Inc., which assisted individuals in applying for asylum, immigrant visas, and other immigration benefits. From 2020 to 2024, Sosa Cardona conspired with others to knowingly provide false information to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of his foreign national clients who were seeking immigration benefits. Among other things, Sosa Cardona fabricated foreign law enforcement reports and other documents to falsely corroborate his clients’ asylum claims. He also falsely represented himself as a licensed attorney to clients and USCIS when, in fact, he was not an attorney and was not authorized to represent applicants in U.S. immigration proceedings.
A court-authorized search of Sosa Cardona’s electronic devices in 2024 turned up approximately 2,877 photos and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Sosa Cardona also filed fraudulent individual tax returns and failed to pay taxes withheld from his employees’ pay for the calendar years 2020 to 2023, causing a loss to the IRS of approximately $316,000.
Sosa Cardona, 42, of Downers Grove, Ill., pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of tax fraud. U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani imposed the nine-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 7, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Man Sentenced to More Than Six and a Half Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm During Burglary Attempt in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded firearm while attempting to burglarize a store in Chicago.
NARVEAL RAGGS possessed a loaded handgun in the early morning hours of Nov. 15, 2024, while he and others attempted to break into a store in the 2600 block of North Halsted Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. The handgun had been equipped with a “switch” device, allowing it to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger, essentially turning the firearm into a machine gun. Chicago Police officers arrived on the scene before Raggs and the others could break into the store. Raggs took off running and threw the handgun onto the roof of a nearby building before he was apprehended.
A screenshot from the store’s video surveillance footage depicts Narveal Raggs holding a handgun.Raggs had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, including firearm-related convictions, and was legally prohibited from possessing a gun.
Raggs, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On May 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Raggs to six years and 8 months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Jodrey.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Feloniously Assaulting Law Enforcement Officers During ArrestRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An illegal alien residing in Aurora, Ill., has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for feloniously assaulting law enforcement officers during the execution of an arrest warrant.
The assaults occurred on the afternoon of July 17, 2025, in the lobby of the Kane County Sheriff’s Department in St. Charles, Ill. Two officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations approached FRANCISCO JAVIER ACEVEDO-CALDERA and informed him that they had a warrant for his arrest. Acevedo-Caldera, who had recently been bonded out of the Kane County Jail, resisted the arrest, kicked one of the officers, head-butted the other officer, and then bit a Kane County Sheriff’s Deputy who offered to help, puncturing the Deputy’s skin. The officers were eventually able to subdue Acevedo-Caldera and execute the arrest warrant.
Acevedo-Caldera, 40, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to a federal charge of assaulting a federal employee. On May 7, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeremy C. Daniel sentenced Acevedo-Caldera to 12 months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Raymond Hernandez, Acting Field Director for ICE-ERO in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Kane County Sheriff’s Department.
“Defendant’s conduct was serious—he made physical contact with all three officer victims and caused bodily injury to two of them,” Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Finch argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Assaulting these officers in a government building caused risk to public safety and demonstrated disrespect for the law and law enforcement.”
Attorney General Appoints United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros to Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced his appointment to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), a select and prestigious body of United States Attorneys chosen by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to advise Department of Justice leadership on national law enforcement priorities. U.S. Attorney Boutros’s appointment to the AGAC reflects both his leadership in the nation’s third largest federal district and the important role the Northern District of Illinois plays in leading from the front as well as confronting emerging threats to public safety and national security.
Created in 1973, the AGAC is comprised of an exclusive group of 18 United States Attorneys and is designed to ensure broad geographic, operational, and subject-matter representation. Members work through subcommittees and working groups on issues including violent crime, national security, fraud, narcoterrorism, and other critical priorities as set by the President of the United States. The Committee plays a central role in ensuring that the experience of federal prosecutors in the field informs national Department of Justice strategy.
U.S. Attorney Boutros and other members of the AGAC met with Acting Attorney General Blanche and other Department leadership last week and will hold the first substantive meeting next month.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros, bottom right, joined other members of the AGAC at a meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2026.“I am honored to be appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I want to thank Acting Attorney General Blanche for his trust and confidence in me. I accept his appointment with sincere humility, fully mindful of the immense responsibility it carries, and the exceptional standards of excellence set by Department leadership and my colleagues on the Committee. As United States Attorney, I have been sharply focused on innovating, driving results, productivity, scalability, and maximizing impact, including reducing violence and disrupting fraud—all while staying true to the Department’s cherished and ancient motto: ‘Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur,’ meaning, ‘Who prosecutes on behalf of justice.’” I will do my utmost to carry that mission forward while working closely with my colleagues on the AGAC to achieve the Department’s core priorities.”
U.S. Attorney Boutros took the Oath of Office as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on April 7, 2025. He serves as the top federal law enforcement official in the Northern District of Illinois, which contains approximately nine million people in 18 counties. In his 13 months as U.S. Attorney, he has prioritized prosecutions of violent criminals, transnational cartels and terrorist groups, human traffickers, fraud actors, and numerous other criminal offenders.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2008 to 2015, U.S. Attorney Boutros investigated and successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases, many of which involved matters of national and international significance. From 2015 until his appointment as United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney Boutros worked in private law practice in Chicago, holding various leadership roles, including Co-Chair of White Collar. For 16 consecutive years, U.S. Attorney Boutros has taught an advanced criminal law course at the University of Chicago Law School. While practicing law full time, U.S. Attorney Boutros has also written and spoken extensively on criminal law and criminal law adjacent topics, including publishing two books, authoring nearly 160 articles and book chapters, and presenting at 100 speaking engagements.
U.S. Attorney Boutros earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree, In-Honors summa cum laude, from Virginia Tech. He also clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr.
The AGAC is comprised of 18 U.S. Attorneys and First Assistant U.S. Attorneys who lead their offices. U.S. Attorney Boutros will serve alongside the Committee’s Chairman, Jay Clayton (Southern District of New York) and Vice-Chairwoman, Leah Foley (District of Massachusetts), as well as U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop (Middle District of North Carolina), U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford (District of Oregon), U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine (District of Arizona), Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby (Northern District of Alabama), U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant (Western District of Tennessee), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison (District of New Mexico), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli (Central District of California), U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon (Southern District of California), U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon (Eastern District of Michigan), Acting U.S. Attorney John Marck (Southern District of Texas), U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly (District of Colorado), U.S. Attorney David Metcalf (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (District of Columbia), U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones (Southern District of Florida), and U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods (District of Nebraska).
United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Hosts First-of-Its-Kind All Fed-Head Summit in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today assembled the highest law enforcement leadership from the entire federal apparatus in the Chicagoland region for a historic, first-of-its-kind summit to discuss collaborative efforts to oversee important federal enforcement priorities and do the people’s business. The most senior leaders from more than 40 federal agencies operating in the Chicagoland region participated in the summit, as did nine U.S. Attorneys from the Seventh Circuit (Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin) and other federal districts, in addition to the Head of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force.
The day-long 2026 Chicago-Area Federal Agency Leadership Summit, informally dubbed “Davos in Chicago,” began with the Presentation of Colors and then moved on to a series of presentations and panel discussions focused on six key program areas: (i) violent crime, (ii) national security, (iii) narcoterrorism, (iv) government fraud, (v) trade fraud, and (vi) quantum computing. U.S. Attorney Boutros convened the summit to reinforce areas of collaboration and synergies among the agencies as part of a whole-of-government approach intended to strengthen the safety and security of the Northern District of Illinois, the region, as well as the public fisc. The pioneering summit represented the first time anywhere in the country that a United States Attorney has convened and hosted a gathering of an entire region’s federal leadership.
“As the chief federal law enforcement officer of the third largest federal district in the country—and of a U.S. Attorney’s Office that is one of the most storied in our nation’s history—I have the distinct privilege and honor to lead from the front and make the Northern District of Illinois the envy of the nation when it comes to effectuating positive changes for the betterment of the people,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I convened this important summit because we have reached a critical juncture in Chicago where ‘good enough’ is simply not enough. My goal in bringing together the highest-ranking officials from more than 40 federal agencies and all the U.S. Attorneys of the Seventh Circuit and others is to innovate and achieve real, positive, and transformational results both rapidly and fairly. Although the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is in constant contact with many of these partners throughout the year, a summit of this magnitude will serve as a model for other districts, while for our purposes, allows for agency and district partners to come together in one room to exchange ideas and have candid discussions about what’s working, what’s not working, where changes may be needed, and how we can best support each other for the betterment of our communities and the nation. My message to the leaders assembled today was clear: We must be intentional with our actions. We must let our actions speak for themselves. We must rise to the occasion at this moment in time. And we must stay focused, ignore distractions, work closely together, and move with purpose, intensity, accuracy, and impact in support of our public safety and law enforcement missions. The people are counting on us, and we must deliver for them.”
Today’s summit featured various panels and presentations, including three panels—comprised of Section Chiefs, office leaders, and agency heads—entitled, (i) “Government Fraud and Corruption,” (ii) “Anti-Violence Initiatives in Chicago,” and (iii) “Homeland Security Task Force, Narcotics Trafficking, and Narco-Terrorism.” Two additional panels, one led by the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern District of Michigan and Southern District of Indiana, tackled the difficult topic of national security threats posed to our research institutions, while another panel led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation discussed quantum computing given Chicago’s emergence as a global quantum capital.
In addition, Cody Herche, Head of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, presented on the Trade Fraud Task Force and its significance in the Chicagoland region, where the Northern District of Illinois has expansive venue. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is lead prosecutorial partner on the Trade Fraud Task Force, which brings robust enforcement against importers, brokers, purchasers, industrial and commercial end-users, and other supply chain actors and parties who seek to defraud the United States or introduce non-compliant goods into the commerce of the United States.
Finally, today’s summit concluded with a special panel of United States Attorneys from throughout the Seventh Circuit, which includes Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. U.S. Attorney Boutros moderated this panel, which discussed district and region priorities, emerging legal issues in the Midwest, and collaborative ways for the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to address them. Also in attendance at the summit were the United States Attorneys for the Western District of Missouri and Eastern District of Arkansas.
The informal name of today’s summit—“Davos in Chicago”—draws from the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, which brings together world leaders and top businesspersons for a renowned conference each January in Davos, Switzerland.
The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office wishes to extend a special thank you to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for physically hosting today’s summit in its downtown Chicago headquarters and for the incredibly warm hospitality it extended to all those who gathered.
Three Affiliated Skilled Nursing Facilities to Pay $300,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Medically Unnecessary Rehabilitation ServicesRead the Press Release
Three affiliated skilled nursing facilities in Illinois have agreed to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for medically unnecessary rehabilitation services. Under the agreement, Symphony Jackson Square LLC doing business as Symphony of Chicago West, Symphony Park South LLC doing business as Symphony of Morgan Park, and Symphony Midway LLC will pay the United States a total of $300,000. The settlement is based on their ability to pay.
Prior to October 2019, Medicare reimbursed skilled nursing facilities for therapy services to patients based on a patient’s resource utilization group (RUG). The RUG was to be determined by the amount of therapy and other services provided to the patient. The more therapy a patient received each week, the higher the RUG category, and the higher reimbursement a facility received. The United States alleged that, between Jan. 1, 2014, and Sept. 30, 2019, the skilled nursing facilities billed Medicare for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology services provided to patients for longer than medically necessary and without regard for patients’ individual medical needs. These actions resulted in the submission of false claims based on inflated RUG levels.
“We expect nursing facilities to provide their patients, which include some of our most vulnerable citizens, reasonable and appropriate amounts of skilled rehabilitation therapy services,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to holding accountable skilled nursing facilities that provide services based on their financial interests rather than the clinical needs of their patients.”
“Providing unnecessary medical services endangers the health of patients and raises the cost of treatment and insurance premiums for hard-working taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will remain vigilant in our efforts to deter those who seek to exploit critically important federal health care programs that are intended to help people in need — not cheats who seek to abuse and misuse our nation’s generosity.”
“Skilled nursing facilities that place profits above patient care betray the trust placed in them by vulnerable beneficiaries and the Medicare program,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “HHS‑OIG will not tolerate the provision or billing of medically unnecessary services. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect vulnerable beneficiaries and ensure taxpayer‑funded health care dollars are used appropriately.”
“The FBI is committed to ensuring that the nation’s nursing facilities are poised to provide top-notch, medically necessary care, not putting vulnerable patients at-risk or increasing the costs for vital health care,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “While greed and fraud are often uncovered in law enforcement investigations, the FBI is uniquely poised with the personnel and resources to ensure that critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid are protected. Today’s announcement underscores the importance of the work that the FBI and our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners engage in to ensure offenders face accountability. We would especially like to thank the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Office of Inspector General for their partnership in this investigation.”
The allegations resolved by the settlement arose from a qui tam or whistleblower lawsuit filed by Integra Med Analytics LLC. Under the False Claims Act, private parties can sue on behalf of the government and receive a portion of any recovery. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Integra Med Analytics LLC v. Symphony Healthcare LLC et al., No. 20-CV-0348 (N.D. Ill.). The whistleblower will receive $45,000 of the recovered funds.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of Illinois, HHS-OIG, and the FBI.
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorney Rachel Karpoff and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Wawzenski for the Northern District of Illinois.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: This release has been updated to reflect the contributions of additional law enforcement partners.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Stealing More Than $10 Million in Interstate ShipmentsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for stealing more than $10 million in goods, including liquor and commercial-grade copper, from interstate shipments.
From 2020 to 2023, AIVARAS ZIGMANTAS used various aliases to falsely pose as a representative of real and fictitious carriers and brokers that offered to transport shipments across state lines. After fraudulently inducing individuals and entities to release shipments of goods to him, Zigmantas and others diverted the shipments from their intended destinations and stole the goods.
Zigmantas and others intended to steal at least $14.6 million in goods and successfully stole more than $10.1 million.
Zigmantas, 41, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., pleaded guilty in December 2025 to a federal wire fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo imposed the 60-month prison sentence during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Michael J. Pfeiffer, Acting Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Over the course of three years, defendant stole more than $10 million in shipments of copper and liquor by fraudulently posing as employees of both legitimate and fictitious logistics companies,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate McClelland argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He had the ability to make different choices, but refused to do so, resulting in increasingly serious criminal conduct and substantial losses to his victims.”
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, which vigorously pursues enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade or otherwise undermine federal customs laws. The Department of Justice recently selected the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to be a lead prosecutorial partner on the Trade Fraud Task Force. In addition, on April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Man Sentenced to Nearly 16 Years in Prison for Attempting to Traffic MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Sterling, Ill., man has been sentenced to more than fifteen years in federal prison for attempting to traffic methamphetamine from California to Illinois.
TONY CLAPP, 62, pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Clapp to 15 years and eight months in federal prison.
In his plea agreement, Clapp admitted that in February 2022 he arranged for the purchase and delivery of approximately three kilograms of pure methamphetamine from a source in California. This crime was committed while Clapp was serving a term of court-supervised release following a 2008 federal prison sentence for distribution of cocaine—a fact that the Court found to be an aggravating factor in sentencing Clapp.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane R. Catone, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Federal Indictment Charges Suburban Chicago Businessman with Orchestrating $4 Million Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago businessman has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a pair of fraud schemes that netted him more than $4 million.
An indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges RAED NASER with eleven counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.
Naser owned a freight transport company based in Orland Park, Ill. According to the indictment, Naser engaged in two wire fraud schemes—one involving the submission of false invoices from Naser’s company for nonexistent freight shipping and the other involving bakery franchises that Naser sold to an unsuspecting buyer after fraudulently inflating their value. The money laundering charges accuse Naser of laundering the proceeds from the fraud schemes by, among other things, purchasing a Lamborghini Huracan, a BMW M8 Gran Coupe, and a Cadillac Escalade.
Naser, 41, of Crown Point, Ind., pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing is now set for June 10, 2026, at 9:45 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
naser_indictment.pdfDeputy District Director to United States Congressman Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Covid-Relief BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – The Deputy District Director to an Illinois United States congressman has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $31,000 in unemployment insurance benefits during the Covid pandemic. Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud.
GERARD C. MOORER engaged in fraud related to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) program, one of the sources of relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, according to an indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The indictment alleges that in May 2020, Moorer filed a fraudulent application for PUA benefits in which he claimed to have met Covid-related reasons for being unemployed, partially unemployed, unable to work, or unavailable to work. Moore’s application was approved, and over approximately the next 16 months, he continued to submit fraudulent certifications of his purported unemployment to continue receiving the benefits, the indictment states. In reality, Moorer knew that he was in fact employed by the federal government as an aide to the Illinois Congressman at the time of his application and certifications, the indictment states.
As a result of the fraud, Moorer obtained $31,887 in PUA benefits to which he was not entitled, the indictment states.
Moorer, 42, of Chicago, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court is scheduled for May 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz.
U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the indictment along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, and Erin Silk, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Smith and William Hogan.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
moorer_indictment.pdf$2 Million Swindle of Suburban Chicago Resident Results in Two-and-a-Half-Year Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A California man who claimed to be an investment advisor has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for swindling a suburban Chicago resident out of $2 million.
Over the course of six months in 2023, RAYMOND ECHAVEZ VILLAMOR fraudulently solicited and obtained a $2 million investment from an individual residing in Glenview, Ill. Villamor made false representations about the purported investment and falsely promised that the victim would receive all his money back, plus a substantial return. Villamor instead used the money on personal expenses, including to purchase, among other things, vintage automobiles. Villamor had also raised funds from other investors and used some of the money from the Glenview victim to repay those investors in classic Ponzi-scheme conduct.
Villamor, 62, of Newport Beach, Calif., pleaded guilty in 2025 to a federal wire fraud charge. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood imposed the 30-month prison sentence and ordered Villamor to pay full restitution to his victim.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten.
Chicago Police Sergeant Charged in Federal Court with Fraudulently Obtaining Covid-Relief LoansRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A Chicago Police sergeant has been charged in federal court with fraudulently obtaining more than $41,000 in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud. This prosecution reflects those efforts.
BRANDI WRIGHT engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), one of the sources of relief under the CARES Act, according to a criminal information filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The information alleges that Wright submitted two applications for PPP loans in 2021 on behalf of a bakery business she claimed to own but that did not actually exist. The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about Wright’s purported business, including gross revenue, payroll needs, and operational expenses, the information states.
Wright fraudulently obtained two loans totaling $41,662, which she intended to use for her personal benefit, the information states.
Wright, 44, is a Chicago Police sergeant who resides in Chicago. The information charges her with wire fraud, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charge along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Sheri Mecklenburg.
The public is reminded that an information contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
wright_information.pdfSeventh Defendant Charged as Part of Federal Investigation into Violent Home Invasion in Winnetka, Ill.Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A seventh defendant has been charged in federal court with robbery and kidnapping offenses for allegedly participating in a violent home invasion in Winnetka, Ill. The defendant, TYRESE FENTON-WATSON, 23, of Chicago, was arrested on April 28, 2026, and has been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond.
Fenton-Watson is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping in connection with the alleged home invasion, which occurred on the afternoon of March 8, 2026, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. Six other defendants were previously arrested and charged with the same offenses in a superseding indictment unsealed last week in U.S. District Court. Those defendants have also been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond. For one of those defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed a U.S. Magistrate judge’s order of release on bond to a U.S. District judge, who ordered the defendant to remain detained without bond.
According to the charges, DASHUN BROWN posed as a food delivery driver to cause an individual in the residence to open the front door. Armed with loaded firearms, Brown, Fenton-Watson, DAVID FRANKLIN, JALEN CHAMBERS, and another co-conspirator then forcibly entered the residence. Brown, Fenton-Watson, Franklin, Chambers, and the co-conspirator kept an individual in the residence captive for approximately an hour and used firearms to physically restrain the victim, the charges alleged. The perpetrators also restrained a child who arrived home while the violent home invasion was in progress, the charges alleged. The captors allegedly demanded access to a safe, computer, and online accounts holding cryptocurrency.
The conspirators fled the residence after about an hour, later meeting up with ISAIAH DUKES, KHIELL DUKES, ANTHONY RAMSEY, and other co-conspirators who were waiting nearby and had been communicating with the captors while they were inside the residence, the charges alleged.
Fenton-Watson’s complaint and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Brian O’Connell, Chief of the Winnetka Police Department. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Chicago Police Department, Northbrook, Ill. Police Department, Glencoe, Ill. Police Department, and Orland Park, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Jessica Ecker. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.
Brown, 24, of Chicago, Franklin, 24, of Chicago, Ramsey, 22, of Chicago, Isaiah Dukes, 28, of Los Angeles, Calif., Khiell Dukes, 30, of Elgin, Ill., and Chambers, 24, of Bourbonnais, Ill., have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in the superseding indictment. Kidnapping conspiracy is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while robbery conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years. The public is reminded that indictments and complaints are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
fenton-watson_complaint.pdfChicago Tribune Op-Ed by Andrew S. Boutros and Christopher C. Amon: The New Dawn of Federal Anti-Violence Initiatives in ChicagoRead the Press Release
“It’s Halloween, and somebody is going to die tonight.” Those were the chilling words of a Chicago gang member who made good on his threat by firing a hail of bullets into a car on Halloween night in 2009 in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. A passenger in the car was shot multiple times and died. It’s a tragedy we sadly see all too often in Chicago. It also was entirely preventable.
I, Andrew S. Boutros, was then a new assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago when I received a call from an experienced federal agent about a large-scale case that had just been reassigned. Turns out the gang member who committed the drive-by murder had been under federal investigation for months. Prior to Halloween, federal agents coordinated undercover firearm purchases from him and referred the matter for federal prosecution. Federal agents had identified the defendant as highly dangerous and volatile, but the U.S. attorney’s office had opted not to charge him then while prosecutors looked for more evidence. The agent soon came to meet with me, and he did not mince words. I heard him; he was right.Working alongside another assistant federal prosecutor returned multiple indictments charging nearly two dozen members of that violent gang and others. All defendants were convicted and sent to prison. But should the case have sat for as long as it did in the quest for better evidence and case building? After all of our experience, the answer to that question is almost always: No.
As I, Andrew, embark on my second year leading the Chicago U.S. attorney’s office and working closely with many law enforcement partners, including Christopher Amon, special agent in charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, I can now do something about cases that trouble me, such as what happened in Humboldt Park in 2009.
We, Andrew and Christopher, decided to chart a different course, which we will describe here.
With dozens of newly minted federal criminal prosecutors coming on board in Chicago, many with deep experience handling violent crime cases in federal and state courts around the country, we are building the team to do it. Indeed, we will do it, all while we continue to prosecute corrupt public officials, narco-terrorists, drug traffickers, large-scale fraud, corporate crime, government benefit schemes, child predators, human traffickers and other worthy federal targets. Just scroll through our office’s news releases from last year and this year — including the first-ever annual report we issued in January: Under fresh office-wide leadership, we are doing significantly more with far fewer resources.
On the violent crime front, there has long been a perception from some in Chicago that federal prosecutors must turn to large-scale conspiracy cases against street gangs as a centerpiece of urban violence reduction. The theory is intuitive: Dismantle the organization, incapacitate its leadership and send a deterrent message that reverberates across the streets. These noteworthy prosecutions, often built under racketeering or similar statutes, are resource-intensive, multiyear undertakings that culminate in sweeping indictments, dramatic news conferences and lengthy sentences. They are also, as a primary strategy for reducing today’s street violence, not the principal tool for the job.
If the goal is reducing shootings this week, next month or even this year, the overwhelming evidence based on empirical research and law enforcement experience — including Christopher’s more than two decades of experience in multiple cities — as well as common sense, points toward rapid, targeted and responsive interventions that interrupt violence in real time.
This is the strategy that gets results quicker. It’s the strategy that reduces violent crime and saves lives. It means measuring success not by the size of an indictment but by the absence of violence and, even more pointedly, the prevention of violence. And with the summer months ahead, it’s the strategy that will drive our violent crime initiatives at the federal level here in Chicagoland.
Long-term federal gang and violence cases are built deliberately and painstakingly. Investigations often take years, involving wiretaps, informants, controlled drug and firearm transactions, financial tracing and coordination across agencies. Arrests and charges often occur long after the individuals contributed to cycles of violence and retaliation. That means by the time an indictment is returned, the factual narrative typically reflects a backward-looking account of conduct that may stretch over a decade. That retrospective orientation is inherent to the model. It is designed to tell a comprehensive story of enterprise criminality, not to disrupt the next retaliatory shooting.
Violence, however, operates on a different clock. Most shootings are not the product of hierarchical gang directives or long-term conspiracies; they are reactive, situational and often impulsive. A slight, a social media post, a perceived encroachment on territory, a dispute involving a girlfriend can escalate into lethal violence in hours or even minutes. The individuals involved are frequently known to local law enforcement and community members. What is missing is not information. What is needed is clear deterrence and accountability through immediate arrest, detention and prosecution of worthy targets. Arresting and federally charging a dangerous felon in possession of a firearm before he shoots someone are far more effective — and decent — actions than prosecuting that defendant for murder after he has already killed somebody.
There is also a mismatch in scale. Long-term federal gang and violence prosecutions are designed to take down organizations. But as the data shows, violence is largely concentrated among a small number of individuals and increasingly smaller, yet no less violent and lethal, groups of street gangs and crews. Strategies that focus on rapid, targeted intervention operate at the right level of analysis and on the right timeline. They are not about building perfect courtroom cases; they are about preventing the next act of violence.
When it comes to dangerous offenders, simple and straightforward gun cases spearheaded through violent crime prevention centers like ATF’s Chicago Gun Intelligence Center and charged swiftly by federal prosecutors can do more with less to immediately curb violence in Chicago. As the head of ATF Chicago, I, Christopher, have seen firsthand that by leveraging technology such as ballistic evidence, law enforcement can identify the true drivers of violence to intervene early and disrupt the violence cycle. In doing so, we can focus on individuals with extensive criminal histories who illegally possess guns as well as those linked to prior shootings.
Federal law can also serve as a backstop when state prosecutions face complicated legal or factual scenarios, such as self-defense. In those instances, perpetrators can be charged under federal firearms statutes that carry a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
Critically, real-time prosecutions also are far less resource-intensive. A single long-term federal gang case can consume enormous prosecutorial, investigative and judicial resources. Agents are tied up for years. Prosecutors devote substantial time to managing multidefendant litigation, complex evidentiary records and massive volumes of discovery. Even successful prosecutions may not bring about the desired force-multiplier effects. Convictions have frequently resulted in retrials for one reason or another. Lengthy prison sentences imposed years after the crime may not influence other individuals making split-second decisions in volatile situations.
Meanwhile, those same law enforcement resources, if redeployed toward proactive intervention such as gun prosecutions and rapid-response initiatives, can produce swift, predictable justice that is more immediate, measurable, exact and effective in reducing violence, even if they lack major headlines, courtroom drama, celebrated outcomes and obvious career advancement.
Rapid-response strategies are not ad hoc; they depend on structured, robust collaboration among law enforcement partners and prosecutors. In Chicago, when it comes to anti-violence work, we are lucky to have first-rate federal agents and experienced federal, state and local leadership in place at all those levels, including FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug DePodesta, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Todd Smith, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino, U.S. Marshal LaDon Reynolds, Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and many others.
This shift in mindset took hold in the federal law enforcement community many years ago, even if it has not made its way to some former prosecutors and others who practiced decades ago or never really practiced in this space at all. Those who reminisce about large-scale, multiyear violence prosecutions often speak of a bygone era when prosecutors and defendants operated with beepers, typewriters, fax machines, Dictaphones and cassette players — as opposed to the lightning speed of social media, encrypted messaging apps, drones and other forms of modern technology, such as computers, the internet and smartphones.
The Chicago U.S. attorney’s office and the ATF’s Chicago Field Division play a key role in providing investigative and prosecutorial muscle for tough-on-crime enforcement that quickly disrupts the cycle of violence and leads to safer streets and fewer victims. The next shooting will not be prevented by a case that will be indicted three years from now. It will be prevented by what happens in the next 24 to 72 hours.
The tragic murder of that young man in Humboldt Park years ago is a prime example of what we speak. But his senseless death has informed the thinking of today’s law enforcement leaders, who are working, strategizing and innovating to try to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
Against that backdrop, at the U.S. attorney’s office and ATF, our collective focus squarely resides in acting now, all while upholding the most cherished traditions of our storied offices.
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Andrew S. Boutros is United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Christopher C. Amon is Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This Op-Ed was published in the Chicago Tribune on April 29, 2026.
Illegal Alien Who Fired Shots Near Border Agents During Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An illegal alien has pleaded guilty to a federal firearm charge after he fired shots near U.S. Border Patrol agents during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago last fall.
HECTOR GOMEZ admitted in a plea agreement that he was driving a Jeep Wrangler in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago on Nov. 8, 2025, when he discharged at least two rounds from a handgun. Gomez fired the shots in proximity of Border Patrol agents who were engaged in the performance of their official duties, the plea agreement states. Gomez had previously been convicted of a felony firearm offense in the Circuit Court of Cook County and was prohibited under federal law from possessing a gun.
Gomez admitted that later the same day, he brandished the handgun at an individual in a parking lot a few blocks from where he fired the shots.
Gomez pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The conviction is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly set sentencing for July 20, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.
Gomez, 46, is a citizen of Mexico who had been residing in Chicago. He has no claim to United States citizenship or lawful permanent residence and is now subject to removal.
The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill J. Bhalakia.
gomez_plea_agreement.pdfFederal Investigation into Violent Home Invasion in Winnetka, Ill. Leads to Arrests of Seven IndividualsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted six men on robbery and kidnapping offenses for allegedly participating in a violent home invasion in Winnetka, Ill., last month. A seventh defendant was arrested this morning, and federal charges are forthcoming against him. Working with its law enforcement partners, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office obtained court-authorized arrest warrants within 12 days of the home invasion but kept the warrants under seal while it continues to obtain evidence to identify and arrest additional defendants involved in the violent incident.
A superseding indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court charges DASHUN BROWN, 24, of Chicago, DAVID FRANKLIN, 24, of Chicago, ANTHONY RAMSEY, 22, of Chicago, ISAIAH DUKES, 28, of Los Angeles, Calif., KHIELL DUKES, 30, of Elgin, Ill., and JALEN CHAMBERS, 24, of Bourbonnais, Ill., with conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping in connection with the alleged home invasion, which occurred in Winnetka, Ill., on the afternoon of March 8, 2026. Brown, Ramsey, and Franklin were taken into federal custody on March 22, 2026, while Isaiah Dukes, Khiell Dukes, and Chambers were taken into federal custody on April 10, 2026. All six defendants charged in the superseding indictment have been ordered detained pending trial. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A seventh defendant was arrested this morning and a criminal complaint will be submitted to the Court for his alleged role in the home invasion.
According to the superseding indictment, Brown posed as a food delivery driver to cause an individual in the residence to open the front door. Armed with loaded firearms, Brown, Franklin, Chambers, and two other co-conspirators then forcibly entered the residence. Brown, Franklin, Chambers, and the two other co-conspirators kept the individual in the residence captive for approximately an hour and used firearms to physically restrain the victim, the charges alleged. The captors demanded access to a safe, computer, and online accounts holding cryptocurrency, the indictment states.
The conspirators eventually fled the residence, later meeting up with Isaiah Dukes, Khiell Dukes, Ramsey and other co-conspirators, who searched Brown, Franklin, and additional co-conspirators to ensure that all the proceeds from the robbery were collected, the indictment states.
The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Brian O’Connell, Chief of the Winnetka Police Department. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Chicago Police Department, Northbrook, Ill. Police Department, Glencoe, Ill. Police Department, and Orland Park, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Jessica Ecker. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.
“By immediately deploying targeted federal resources to this investigation and working closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners, we were able to swiftly disrupt a violent criminal conspiracy and remove dangerous individuals from the streets in a matter of days,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I will continue to push hard to crack down on violent crime in the Chicago area, which means the U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to federally prosecute significant violent offenses throughout the city and suburbs. The people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve our tireless and unwavering efforts to hold violent offenders accountable, and they will get it.”
“Home invasions strike at the core of an individual’s most basic right to safety, security, and privacy in their own home,” said ATF SAC Amon. “ATF and our partners were on this case from the very beginning, and let me be clear: No matter who you are, we will find you and hold you accountable. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office for their assistance and partnership in this investigation. Together, we will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice.”
“This indictment serves as a reminder of the FBI’s promise to leverage our prosecutorial and law enforcement partnerships against anyone seeking to harm or endanger those in our community," said FBI SAC DePodesta. "This investigation exemplifies the ways in which both local and federal law enforcement were able to deploy our agencies’ unique tools and resources as a collective group when apprehending the individuals identified in this scheme. The FBI stands ready to disrupt and investigate violent crime at a moment’s notice wherever it may be occurring in the world.”
“On behalf of the Winnetka Police Department, I’d like to recognize the diligent work and partnership of the ATF, FBI, other local agencies, and Winnetka’s investigations unit in the pursuit of the offenders in this case, and the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecuting violent criminals,” said Chief O’Connell. “These charges are a positive step forward toward resolution of this incident and they demonstrate our shared commitment to protecting our constituents. This is an example of the collaborative efforts between multiple federal, state, and local agencies working together, utilizing the best investigative technology available, and prosecuting offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
The kidnapping conspiracy count is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while the robbery conspiracy count is punishable by up to 20 years. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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