Northern District of Illinois
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Suburban Chicago Tax Preparer Indicted for Allegedly Preparing More Than 25 Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A woman has been indicted in federal court for allegedly preparing more than 25 fraudulent tax returns for clients of her suburban Chicago tax preparation business.
From 2020 to 2024, JAYDINE BROWN prepared and assisted in the preparation of 26 false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of clients of her business, Hall Tax & Services Corp. of Flossmoor, Ill., according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Brown helped prepare federal tax returns that fraudulently overstated and misrepresented tax credits, deductions, income, and expenses in order to fraudulently reduce the taxpayers’ tax liability and claim refund amounts to which they were not entitled, the indictment states. Brown also filed an individual tax return for herself in 2021 that substantially underreported her income, the indictment states. She also failed to file a corporate tax return for her business for the tax year 2022, the indictment alleges.
Brown, 43, of Chicago Heights, Ill., is charged with 26 counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false or fraudulent tax returns, one count of making false or fraudulent statements on a tax return, and one count of willful failure to file a tax return. Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges during her arraignment on Friday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Asheeka Desai.
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.
brown_indictment_filed.pdfU.S. Department of Justice Announces Compensation Process for Victims of Chinese Liberal Education Holdings Ltd. (CLEU) Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Today the Department of Justice announced the launch of the CLEU remission fund to compensate victims of an alleged “pump-and-dump” investment fraud scheme that resulted in charges against seven individuals.
“This was a coordinated act of both social and market manipulation,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants allegedly made millions by setting a trap for unsuspecting investors, many of whom lost their life savings. Today’s announcement demonstrates the Department’s commitment to use forfeiture remedies to take the profit out of crime and to compensate victims as quickly as possible.”
“As alleged in the indictment and forfeiture complaint, the defendants defrauded U.S. investors through deceitful and coordinated trading activities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our attorneys and staff in this case placed a high priority on recovering funds for victims. The large forfeiture order of more than $200 million should serve as a warning that federal law enforcement will aggressively pursue fraudulent profits from those who seek to prey upon investors by manipulating the U.S. stock market.”
“Despite the overwhelming manipulation as alleged in this case, this serves as one of the premier FBI investigations in which the federal government was able to successfully recover victims’ hard-earned money before it disappeared into overseas bank accounts,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “This elaborate fraud scheme boasting bogus profit potentials has caused extensive harm to unsuspecting Americans. The FBI will continue to work with our partner networks to ensure that justice is served against anyone who seeks to weaponize financial systems to gain personal profit.”
According to the allegations in a March 2025 indictment in the Northern District of Illinois, from Nov. 2024 to Feb. 2025, seven individuals allegedly engaged in a “pump-and-dump” scheme whereby individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and messaging platforms falsely promised significant returns from investments in CLEU, a company that purported to provide educational services in China. The false and misleading promotion and coordinated trading caused the NASDAQ-listed stock price to artificially rise. The defendants then sold thousands of shares and made millions in profits. The stock price ultimately decreased significantly, at the expense of other investors, some of whom lost almost the entirety of their investment. CLEU has since been delisted from NASDAQ. The defendants are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.
In May 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois civilly forfeited over $200 million in assets traceable to the CLEU scheme. These funds are now available to compensate victims for their eligible losses. The department has retained Kroll Settlement Administration (Kroll) to serve as the Remission Administrator for this matter.
Victims who incurred financial losses related to the CLEU scheme may be eligible for remission payments from the forfeited assets. The Remission Administrator has established an official website at https://www.CLEUremissionfund.com/. Once the Petition Form is made available online, those individuals, their attorneys or estates of deceased victims may file a petition to claim their losses. Any victims who have previously provided their information to the FBI or United States Attorney’s Office will be contacted by the Remission Administrator to file a petition. Victims may also call, email or write to the Remission Administrator to request that a Petition Form be sent to them. For more information about the remission process, please visit the official website at https://www.CLEUremissionfund.com/ or contact Kroll at 1-833-754-8247 toll-free.
Special Agent Joseph Holzman and Victim Specialist Amanda Zarobsky of the FBI spearheaded the investigation and identification of thousands of victims. The Boston Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the SEC’s Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten for the Northern District of Illinois represents the government in both the criminal prosecution and civil forfeiture cases with valuable assistance from the office’s victim witness coordinator, Celia Mendoza.
The Department of Justice, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to compensate victims of crime. Since 2000, the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF), which oversees the Asset Forfeiture Program’s victim compensation program, has successfully used its specialized expertise to return more than $12 billion in forfeited assets to victims of crime. MNF Senior Attorney Advisor Carly Diroll-Black with MNF’s Program Management and Training Unit is leading the remission process.
The Remission Administrator and the Department of Justice will not ask for any payment to participate in this remission process. Please be cautious of any individual or organization claiming to represent the Remission Administrator or the federal government in this matter. If you are a victim, any communications will come directly from the Remission Administrator or from government representatives with whom you have already had contact.
PSA: FBI Warns of the Impersonation of Law Enforcement and Government Officials https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250418
How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Prison for Conspiring to Straw Purchase FirearmsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for conspiring with his sister to straw purchase seven firearms.
From 2020 to 2023, DERWIN VAZQUEZ, JR. conspired with his sister—JALISSA R. VAZQUEZ—to make false or fictious written statements to three licensed firearms dealers in connection with the acquisition or attempted acquisition of the firearms. Vazquez Jr. often purchased firearms online but falsely used his sister’s name as the purchaser. He then instructed Jalissa Vazquez to go pick up the firearms, knowing that she would falsely certify on federal forms that she was the actual buyer. Other times, Vazquez Jr. provided cash to Jalissa Vazquez or instructed her to purchase firearms with cash on his behalf. Vazquez, Jr. admitted that he intended to unlawfully re-sell the firearms to others on Facebook.
Vazquez Jr., 26, of Waukegan, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to provide false and fictitious written statements to federally licensed dealers of firearms. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the 30-month prison sentence during a hearing on Thursday in federal court in Rockford.
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. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
Jalissa Vazquez, 37, of Garden Prairie, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to the same conspiracy charge as her brother. She is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Johnston on April 23, 2026.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Former Paralegal for Chicago-Area Company Sentenced in Federal Court for $100,000 Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former paralegal for a Chicago-area public company has been sentenced in federal court for embezzling nearly $100,000 from the company.
As part of her paralegal duties, NAKESHA DAVIS facilitated payments from the company to former employees with whom the company had entered into settlement agreements. Davis created and submitted false approvals from managers in the company’s legal department purporting to approve settlement payments to certain former employees. Davis knew, however, that those former employees either did not have a settlement agreement with the company or, if they did, the amount of the settlement was different than the amount specified in Davis’s submissions. Davis supplied the company’s payroll department with her own bank account information in place of the former employee’s information, causing the company to issue the settlement payments directly to Davis.
In total, Davis caused the company to fraudulently issue her $99,905.17.
Davis, 46, of South Holland, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced Davis to six months of home confinement as part of a two-year term of probation. Judge Shah also ordered Davis to pay restitution to the company in the amount of $99,905.17.
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 Hayley Altabef.
Chicago Couple Among Nine Individuals Charged in Federal Drug InvestigationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal drug investigation has resulted in criminal charges against nine individuals for allegedly trafficking cocaine in the Chicago area.
The investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chicago Police Department, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by a Chicago couple—JOEL ANDRADE and MARIA BRENDA MORA-HERNANDEZ. A criminal complaint filed this week in federal court in Chicago accuses Joel Andrade and Mora-Hernandez of conspiring to possess at least five kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute. The pair also allegedly possessed two semiautomatic handguns in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. The seven other defendants allegedly distributed cocaine last year in Chicago or the suburbs of Villa Park, Ill., Addison, Ill., and Rosemont, Ill.
Law enforcement on Thursday arrested seven of the defendants and executed court-authorized searches of multiple locations in the city and suburbs. Those defendants have begun making their initial appearances in federal court in Chicago. The two other defendants are in state custody in Cook County and will make their initial federal court appearances at a later time.
The charges and arrests 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, Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, and Nicholas J. Roti, Executive Director of the Chicago High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois National Guard’s Counter-Drug Task Force, Carpentersville, Ill. Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Aurora, Ill. Police Department, Naperville, Ill. Police Department, Lake County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigations Group, and Berkeley, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Megan Donohue.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not allow our communities to be exploited by drug traffickers peddling poison,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We are proud to partner with FBI, CPD, HIDTA, and our many other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to hold traffickers accountable and keep dangerous drugs and illegal guns off our streets.”
“The FBI will continue to aggressively combat criminal organizations that degrade our communities by engaging in the trafficking of narcotics,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “The success of this operation underscores the valuable partnerships the FBI shares with the Chicago Police Department and all members of our Safe Streets Task Force who work together to ensure the safety of our communities.”
The complaint charges Joel Andrade, 34, of Chicago, and Mora-Hernandez, 32, of Chicago, with drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and firearm offenses. The other defendants charged with federal drug offenses are RICHARD RUBIO, 33, of Chicago Ridge, Ill., ALEXIS ANDRADE, 30, of Chicago, JEREMY RUSH, 34, of Downers Grove, Ill., DEVONTE JONES, 30, of Chicago, JOSE NAVARRETE, 23, of Chicago, JEREMIE REYES-GONZALEZ, 21, of Cicero, Ill., and ALEXIS GUTIERREZ, 43, of Riverside, Ill. Rubio and Alexis Andrade are also charged with possessing handguns in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes.
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and 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.
andrade_et_al_complaint.pdfFederal Jury Convicts Man of Extorting Money from Chicago RestaurateurRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on extortion charges for threatening and assaulting a Chicago restaurateur to collect a debt.
JAWAD FAKROUNE, also known as “Angelino Escobar” or “Anjelino Escobar,” 46, was found guilty on both extortion counts against him. The jury returned its verdicts after a week-long trial in federal court in Chicago. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah set sentencing for June 30, 2026.
Fakroune is a foreign national who recently resided in the Chicago area. Evidence at trial revealed that in 2023 and 2024, Fakroune loaned approximately $405,000 to the restaurateur to develop and open a new restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and to pay back taxes. In November 2024, Fakroune began to threaten the restaurateur about repayment of the loan. On the evening of Nov. 25, 2024, Fakroune confronted the restaurateur and threatened him over the manner and nature of the repayments. Fakroune choked, kicked, and punched the restaurateur, while continuing to demand money and repeatedly threatening the lives of the restaurateur and his family.
The guilty verdicts 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 Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 48 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 48 years in federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
TERCALO E. THOMAS enticed, persuaded, and used a prepubescent minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, which he recorded. Thomas then trafficked the images as barter to amass a vast collection of images of other children’s sexual abuse. At the time of his arrest in April 2022, Thomas possessed on his cell phone more than 1,500 images depicting child sex abuse.
Thomas, 35, of Park Forest, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the 48-year prison sentence during a hearing on Jan. 22, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.
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 was an avid collector of child exploitation images, particularly of prepubescent children,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Moheb argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Unsatisfied by his depraved collection, he created his own. The seriousness of this offense cannot be overstated.”
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.
Co-Creator of Dark Web Marketplace Pleads Guilty in Chicago to Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Virginia man who co-created and operated “Empire Market”—a dark web marketplace that enabled users to anonymously buy and sell illegal goods and services—has pleaded guilty in Chicago to a federal drug conspiracy charge.
RAHEIM HAMILTON, 30, of Suffolk, Va., entered the guilty plea on Monday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The conviction is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for June 17, 2026.
The guilty plea 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, Mary Johnson, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells and Ann Marie Ursini.
Hamilton and THOMAS PAVEY co-owned and operated Empire Market from 2018 to 2020. During that time, the online market facilitated more than four million transactions between vendors and buyers valued at more than $430 million, making it one of the largest dark web marketplaces of its kind at the time. The illegal products and services available on the site included controlled substances, compromised or stolen account credentials, stolen personally identifying information, counterfeit currency, and computer-hacking tools. Sales of controlled substances were the most prevalent activity, with net drug sales totaling nearly $375 million over the life of the site.
Hamilton admitted in a plea agreement that he and Pavey designed Empire Market to help its users avoid detection by law enforcement and to assist users with laundering money from the illicit transactions. Hamilton and Pavey established that all transactions on the site must be conducted using only cryptocurrency. As part of the plea agreement, Hamilton agreed to forfeit certain ill-gotten proceeds, including, among things, approximately 1,230 bitcoin and 24.4 Ether, as well as three properties in Virginia.
Pavey, 40, of Ormond Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty last year to a federal drug conspiracy charge and admitted his role in creating and operating Empire Market. Pavey is awaiting sentencing. He faces the same maximum sentence as Hamilton. As part of his plea agreement, Pavey agreed to forfeit certain ill-gotten proceeds, including, among things, approximately 1,584 bitcoin, two boxes containing 25-ounce gold bars, three automobiles, and two properties in Florida.
hamilton_plea_agreement.pdfFormer Suburban Chicago Police Officer Convicted of Federal Corruption ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former suburban Chicago police officer has been convicted of federal corruption charges 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 in exchange for reducing, dropping, or declining to press charges or allowing the vehicles to avoid impoundment. The officers falsified police reports to conceal their corruption. The criminal conspiracy began in at least 2020 and continued until 2022.
After a two-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a jury on Friday convicted Larry, 49, of Bolingbrook, Ill., on all four counts against him, including charges of conspiracy, extortion, and attempted extortion. The extortion and attempted extortion charges are punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years. U.S. District Judge John F. Kness set sentencing for April 22, 2026.
The other officer—JARRETT SNOWDEN, of Lansing, Ill.—pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge prior to trial and admitted his role in the scheme. Snowden is awaiting sentencing.
The convictions were 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. Attorneys Alexandra Morgan, Ramon Villalpando, and Prashant Kolluri.
Man Who Committed Two Chicago Carjackings Sentenced to 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for participating in two violent carjackings in Chicago.
EDMUND SINGLETON and two co-defendants conspired to commit the carjackings on a single night in November 2022. In the first carjacking, Singleton drove the trio in a stolen car to a gas station in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago, where the co-defendants violently took an Infiniti Q50 sedan from a driver who was pumping gas. One of the co-defendants jammed a gun so hard into the victim’s back that it left a bruise.
A few hours later, Singleton drove the trio to a gas station in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, where the co-defendants attempted to take a BMW X6 from a driver who was also pumping gas. The co-defendants pointed guns at the driver, who walked with the assistance of crutches. The victim fell to the ground after being approached by the armed men. The co-defendants tried to drive away in the BMW but gave up when they couldn’t operate the victim’s specially designed car. The co-defendants retreated into Singleton’s car, and he sped away from the scene.
A law enforcement officer soon spotted Singleton’s vehicle, and a chase involving police helicopters ensued. As police closed in, the defendants abandoned Singleton’s car and fled on foot while armed with guns. The defendants ran through backyards of residential homes and dropped their guns before police arrested them.
A federal jury last year convicted Singleton, 35, and co-defendant RAMONE BRADLEY, 27, both of Chicago, on carjacking and firearm offenses. On Jan. 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Singleton to 17 years in federal prison. Judge Kennelly found that Singleton committed obstruction of justice before trial when he paid a co-defendant to author a false alibi affidavit for Singleton.
Judge Kennelly last year sentenced Bradley to nine years in federal prison.
The third defendant—MARQUELL DAVIS, 23, of Chicago—pleaded guilty prior to trial and admitted his role in the carjackings. Judge Kennelly last year sentenced Davis to 12 years in federal prison.
The sentences 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 Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“Defendant’s crimes were serious, violent, and showed a complete disregard for human life,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elie Zenner and Simar Khera argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Carjackings like those here not only leave the victims scarred and perhaps looking for new places to live, but they impact the sense of safety and security for all Chicagoans.”
Chicago Businessman Sentenced for Role in Bank Fraud and Pandemic-Relief Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
An Illinois businessman was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in schemes to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit, as well as for submitting fraudulent applications to obtain COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He was also ordered to pay $ 23,226,005 in restitution.
“The defendant orchestrated a massive scheme to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit from federally insured financial institutions and exploit the Paycheck Protection Program,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division. “The defendant’s lies and deceit put our financial system at risk and wasted limited resources. The Criminal Division remains dedicated to prosecuting fraudsters who steal from our important institutions and taxpayer-assistance programs.”
“The duration, brazenness, and magnitude of this fraud scheme speaks to the defendant’s determination and greed,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The fact that such a sophisticated scheme was uncovered and successfully prosecuted is a testament to the diligent work of our prosecutors and federal law enforcement agents. Our Office was proud to partner with the Department of Justice Fraud Section on this case and many others that hold defendants accountable and provide justice for defrauded victims.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rahul Shah, 56, of Evanston, the owner and operator of several information-technology companies in the Chicago area, fraudulently obtained funds from loans and lines of credit for which he was not eligible from federally insured financial institutions and later defaulted on at least one such line of credit and one such loan. Shah submitted to federally insured financial institutions falsified bank statements that fraudulently inflated deposits, falsified balance sheets that overstated revenues, and fabricated audited financial statements with forged signatures. Shah also engaged in monetary transactions with proceeds from the bank fraud.
In addition, Shah submitted to a federally insured bank an application for a $441,138 loan guaranteed by the SBA that significantly overstated the payroll expenses of a company he controlled. In support of the loan application, he submitted to the lender several fraudulent IRS documents, which falsely represented that the company made payments to multiple individuals who had not received such payments. He also used stolen identities in the PPP loan application to carry out the fraud, listing the names and taxpayer-identification numbers of individuals that he knew had not received payments from the company.
Shah signed and caused to be submitted to the lender what purported to be IRS Forms 941 representing his company’s quarterly payroll expenses for 2019. A comparison between the documents submitted to the lender and the company’s IRS and state tax filings revealed that Shah’s company reported significantly lower payroll expenses to the tax authorities.
In July 2025, Shah was convicted of seven counts of bank fraud, five counts of making false statements to a financial institution, two counts of money laundering and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
The FBI and Small Business Association Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Patrick Mott and Trial Attorney Lindsey Carson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Chicago Nurse Charged with Distributing Counterfeit OzempicRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A registered nurse has been charged in federal court in Chicago with distributing counterfeit Ozempic.
SHARON CHRISTINE SACKMAN distributed the counterfeit drugs to three individuals in Chicago in 2023, according to a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The drugs were labeled as the weight-loss medication Ozempic, but they were not manufactured by Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, nor did they contain Ozempic’s active ingredient semaglutide, the information states. Sackman was a registered professional nurse but was not licensed by law to prescribe, administer, dispense, or sell Ozempic, the information states.
Sackman, 52, who currently resides in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, is charged with one count of distributing misbranded drugs and three counts of dispensing counterfeit drugs. Each count is punishable by up to a year in federal prison. Sackman pleaded not guilty on Tuesday during her arraignment in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing was scheduled for Feb. 3, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.
The charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ronne Malham, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey.
The public is reminded that an information 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.
sackman_information.pdfFormer Operations Manager for Suburban Chicago Medical Center Indicted in Alleged $900,000 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former operations manager for a suburban Chicago medical center has been indicted in connection with an alleged $900,000 fraud scheme.
From 2021 to 2024, BRANDON GETZLOFF used procurement credit cards from the medical center to purchase gift cards for himself and pay his personal bills, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Getzloff concealed the fraud by causing the expenses to be falsely recorded as legitimate expenditures in the company’s enterprise management system, the indictment states.
Getzloff also engaged in fraud related to sports outings that he offered to arrange to luxury golf courses, college basketball and football games, and other events, the indictment states. Getzloff induced victims to pay for the outings by claiming to offer significantly discounted rates that had to be purchased by certain deadlines, sometimes more than a year in advance, the indictment states. Getzloff diverted most of the funds to his own use without purchasing tickets, but in some instances he used the victims’ funds as well as some of the gift cards from the procurement fraud to pay for earlier-scheduled sports outings, the success of which he used to attract funding from additional participants, the indictment states.
In total, the indictment accuses Getzloff of fraudulently obtaining more than $700,000 from the medical center and more than $200,000 from the sports outing participants.
Getzloff, 42, of Carol Stream, Ill., is charged with eight counts of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeremy C. Daniel is set for Jan. 28, 2026.
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 Waukesha County, Wisc. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck.
getzloff_indictment.pdfYear in Review: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Cracked Down on Crime While Implementing Significant New Policies and Initiatives in Productive 2025Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — The United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago increased its caseload to crack down on crime in 2025 while implementing significant new policies and initiatives that have strengthened the Office for continued success now and in the future, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today.
Federal criminal indictments in all program areas in the Northern District of Illinois in 2025 were up 34% (429 versus 320) compared to last year. The number of defendants charged in all program areas in 2025 was up 38% (571 versus 414) compared to last year. The increase was particularly notable in federal firearm indictments brought under ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, with those indictments up 122% (51 versus 23) compared to last year. Child exploitation indictments were also up 45% (29 versus 20) compared to last year.
“I am proud to report that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois had a productive and robust year in 2025,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who began serving as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025. “I walked in and found an Office that was facing hard times, as had widely been reported. I knew that thoughtful and meaningful changes would be needed to move the direction of the Office,” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued. “As such, from my first days in the Office, I made it a top priority to sit down for candid, one-on-one discussions with every single Assistant U.S. Attorney to ask for their perspective on what was working, what wasn’t working, where change was needed, and how I could best support each of them,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I also met with all staff in the Office and further sat down with nearly every federal agency enforcement head in Chicagoland, as well as many state and local partners to ask the same types of questions. In addition, I conducted an objective, thorough, top-down review of nearly all our policies, procedures, and practices. What I learned from this massive undertaking was both eye opening and deeply informative—especially as an alum who served almost eight years in the Office.”
Against this backdrop, throughout the year, U.S. Attorney Boutros implemented numerous policy, procedural, and structural changes aimed at aligning resources with need, deploying resources for maximum effectiveness, forging deep partnerships with law enforcement stakeholders, and empowering prosecutors to bring many more impactful indictments in critical program areas. From an external perspective, among the policy changes he implemented, U.S. Attorney Boutros in June expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, 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. In August, U.S. Attorney Boutros created a Healthcare Fraud Section within the Office’s Criminal Division dedicated to the prosecution of healthcare fraud, which is among the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities and the first time the Office has had such a Section. Since U.S. Attorney Boutros began serving in his position, the Office has charged nearly $2 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the district and transnationally.
“There is no shortage of serious federal crimes in Chicago, whether in the areas of violence, fraud, drug or firearm trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, corruption, corporate crime, or any of the other myriad federal crimes that are committed in our District daily. As United States Attorney, I have been—and will remain—sharply focused on working closely with our various law enforcement partners to accept more and more of their cases for federal criminal prosecution, and once cases come through our doors, making sure our prosecutors have what they need to see worthy cases through charges and case disposition. The people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve our tireless and unflinching efforts to hold accountable those who break the law. As we embark on 2026, we will continue to work hard to investigate and prosecute an increasing number of significant cases that make a real difference in the lives of our citizens.”
The increased caseload and significant changes occurred during a year that saw the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and the simultaneous largest-ever enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois—commonly referred to as “Operation Midway Blitz”—a U.S. immigration enforcement operation launched in September by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The U.S. Attorney’s Office and numerous federal law enforcement agencies dedicated a substantial amount of resources in support of the surge, which lasted for months and required substantial preparation in advance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and much of the federal government also was subject to a hiring freeze in 2025.
“The stepped-up results we have been able to achieve came during a busy and historic year in our District, and at a time when our Office was down some 50 prosecutors, many of whom left the government in early 2025 after accepting a government-wide offer of early retirement,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Looking ahead, I am energized by the fact that we are hiring dozens of new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal and Civil Divisions. Many of our new hires will come with significant experience, including substantial federal and/or state prosecutorial experience from across the country and will be able to hit the ground running. In addition to the hiring surge we are experiencing, I intend to implement numerous other changes in 2026 to build on the significant success we have already achieved in 2025, and to further increase efficiency, productivity, performance, and impact while ensuring fairness and integrity in all our matters and practices.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), to investigate and prosecute federal crimes. State and local partners in this effort include the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, and many other police departments and prosecutors’ offices throughout northern Illinois.
Examples of the many significant cases prosecuted in 2025 are featured below:
National Security / Terrorism
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man on Terrorism and Arson Charges for Lighting Train Passenger on Fire and Setting Chicago City Hall Ablaze Days Earlier
Lawrence Reed was indicted on terrorism and arson charges for allegedly lighting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train and setting fire to Chicago City Hall three days earlier. It is the first time in our District’s history that a terrorism charge has been filed in connection with a crime on a Chicago mass transit system.
Man Charged with Making a Threat to Kill President Trump
Trent Schneider allegedly posted a video of himself stating that he would kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.
Chicago Man Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS
Ashraf Al Safoo was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media.
Drug Trafficking / Cartels / Transnational Criminal Organizations
Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Sons of “El Chapo” and Heads of Sinaloa Cartel—Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago
The two brothers, who along with two other brothers are collectively known as “the Chapitos,” admitted that they assumed their father’s leadership role atop the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016. Joaquin and Ovidio Guzman Lopez admitted in plea agreements that they conspired to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals into the United States from Mexico. Joaquin Guzman Lopez also admitted to arranging and participating in violence and corruption to carry out the enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.
Alleged Boss of Violent Sinaloa Cartel Faction Indicted in Chicago on Narcoterrorism, Drug, and Firearm Charges
Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, also known as “El Musico,” allegedly oversaw the importation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
Six Defendants Indicted in Federal Drug Trafficking Investigation Involving Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Sales in Chicago
A superseding indictment accuses the six defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Chicago. Two of the defendants are charged with firearm offenses for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns.
Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Fentanyl and 25 Firearms from Suburban Chicago Residences and Storage Unit; Two Individuals Arrested
Federal law enforcement arrested two individuals after seizing multiple kilograms of fentanyl and 25 firearms from their suburban Chicago residences and storage unit.
Five Defendants Charged in Federal Investigation Targeting Fentanyl Sales in Chicago
The indictment accuses four of the defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, meth, and heroin. Three defendants are charged with illegally possessing firearms, including handguns equipped with a “switch” device, making them capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Laundering Money for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization
David Berger received more than $300,000 in cash from the cartel for arranging private jet travel for drug traffickers to transport illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico.
Violent Crime / Gangs / Firearms
Federal Indictment Charges Three Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders and Carjackings
Three alleged members or associates of a Chicago street gang were charged with conspiring to commit multiple murders and carjackings in the city and suburbs.
Five Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearm Charges for Allegedly Trafficking Firearms in Chicago
The defendants allegedly conspired to deal firearms without a license. The cases in Chicago are part of a larger, multi-district investigation that previously resulted in charges in the District of Colorado (click here to read a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado).
Federal Prison Inmate Sentenced to Life Term for Murdering Fellow Inmate Due to His Religious Faith
Brandon Simonson beat another inmate because he was Jewish. Simonson wanted to gain recognition and membership in a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Members and Associates of Violent Chicago Street Gang for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving 13 Murders
The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago.
Chicago Street Gang Member Sentenced to 34 Years for Murdering a Man and Threatening a Witness
Diontae Harper committed murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang on the South Side of Chicago.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Machine Gun in Chicago Park
The Glock handgun allegedly possessed by Eddie Arguelles was equipped with a conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch” or “auto sear,” allowing the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Street Gang Leader of Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders
Labar Spann was a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang, which terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, and drug dealing.
Federal Judge Sentences Man to More than Seven Years for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Carrier
Richard Thompson displayed a handgun and took the carrier’s USPS-issued Arrow Key. At the time of the robbery, Thompson was on pre-trial release for an unrelated criminal charge in state court.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Firearm Offenses
Kiar Evans fired shots through a window of a vehicle while attempting to get inside. He later carjacked another vehicle after pointing a gun at the driver.
Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official
An alleged ranking member of a Chicago street gang was charged with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Assaulting Federal Employee Outside Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago
The alleged assault occurred on a weekday afternoon as the victim, who is employed by the federal judiciary, was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building. Joshua Rowell approached the victim from behind and allegedly punched her on the side of her face, sending her stumbling into the street.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Felony Possession of a Dangerous Weapon During Standoff in Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago
Mario Santoyo allegedly put a knife to his throat and threatened to hurt himself in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building, causing a nine-and-a-half-hour standoff. Federal law enforcement used non-lethal force to take Santoyo into custody.
Child Exploitation / Human Trafficking
Chicago Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children
Armando Torres used social media to contact and persuade young girls, most of whom were younger than ten years old, to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
Rockford Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges
Alex Ledoux allegedly possessed images of child pornography on an electronic device. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Multiple Children
Richard Barnett falsely claimed to be 12 or 13 years old when he contacted young girls online and requested—and sometimes demanded—that they send him sexually explicit images of themselves.
Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Child He Met Online
Andrew Boltz enticed a Chicago-area girl into sending him sexually explicit images of herself. Boltz instructed the girl on what type of explicit conduct should be portrayed in the images.
Public Corruption
Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison After Corruption Conviction
Michael J. Madigan used his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after a nearly 11-week trial resulting in his conviction.
Consultant Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Conspiring to Falsify Records and Evade Internal Controls at Commonwealth Edison as Part of Scheme to Bribe Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan
Michael McClain and three others were convicted of conspiracy and other charges related to a bribery scheme. The other defendants included former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who was sentenced to two years; former ComEd Vice President John Hooker, who was sentenced to 18 months, and ComEd’s former outside lobbyist Jay Doherty, who was sentenced to a year.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Suburban Chicago Police Chief of Bribery and Obstruction of Justice
John Kosmowski, formerly the Chief of Police in Summit, Ill., accepted a bribe from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license.
City of Chicago Employee Indicted on Federal Tax Fraud Charges
Eric Sanders, a City of Chicago Department of Aviation employee who oversaw snow-removal operations at O’Hare International Airport, was indicted for allegedly accepting payments from a snow removal company and directing the money to nominees to conceal the payments and avoid paying taxes.
Former Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Three Others Indicted in Alleged Kickback Scheme
Devon Horton allegedly steered school district contracts to companies created by three friends and then received kickbacks from the contracts. Horton also allegedly engaged in an embezzlement scheme by improperly using a school district credit card.
Immigration
Undocumented Immigrant Charged with Illegally Re-Entering United States After Multiple Deportations
Salvador Guerrero-Lopez was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2004, 2011, and 2021 after criminal convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in California and narcotics distribution in Arkansas. Guerrero-Lopez was found to be in the U.S. in 2025.
Foreign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation
Santos Vasquez-Ortiz, who was deported from the United States in 2008, was allegedly unlawfully present in the U.S. when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill. He was later convicted of the offense in state court.
Undocumented Immigrant Sentenced to More than a Year in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation
Luis Chavez was deported from the United States to his native Mexico in 2015 after being convicted of firearm and attempted burglary offenses in Kankakee County, Ill. He was later found to be present in Kankakee County and was taken into federal custody.
Healthcare Fraud
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against 324 Individuals, Including 13 in Northern District of Illinois
The 13 defendants charged in the Northern District of Illinois allegedly participated in fraud schemes involving more than $1.83 billion billed to government programs and private health insurers. The schemes caused the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare, and other insurers to pay more than $865 million in fraudulent reimbursements.
Suburban Chicago Man Indicted on Federal Healthcare Fraud Charges
Shawn Bashir allegedly created fictitious therapy companies and then used them to submit more than $17.3 million in fraudulent claims to a private insurer.
Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare Fraud
Clarence W. Brown III allegedly billed a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services. Brown allegedly used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s.
Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims
The civil settlement resolved allegations that Walgreens illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and then sought payment for many of those prescriptions from Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act.
Financial Fraud
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Obtains Forfeiture of $214 Million in Proceeds from Alleged “Pump and Dump” Investment Fraud Scheme
The fraud scheme allegedly involved individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and falsely promising significant returns from investments in a certain company. The misleading promotion and subsequent coordinated trading by the defendants caused the stock price to artificially rise, at which point the defendants allegedly sold thousands of shares and made millions of dollars in profits. Federal law enforcement seized approximately $214 million in alleged fraud proceeds, allowing the government to return money to victim investors.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Orchestrating $14 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud
Robert Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that his purported digital asset, known as Meta-1 Coin, was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold.
Founder of Chicago Cryptocurrency Company Indicted in Alleged $10 Million Money Laundering Conspiracy
Firas Isa allegedly knowingly allowed criminals to use his cash-to-cryptocurrency exchange business to launder at least $10 million in proceeds from wire fraud and narcotics offenses.
U.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Alleged Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Graciela Venegas allegedly pocketed $51,776 in augmented work comp benefits to which she was not entitled.
Federal Indictment Charges Foreign National with Illegally Possessing Firearm in Chicago; Gun Used to Fire Shots Near Border Patrol Agents During Operation Midway BlitzRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A foreign national has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly illegally possessing a loaded handgun in Chicago last year.
HECTOR GOMEZ is charged with one count of illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a foreign national who has no claim to United States citizenship or lawful permanent residence.
The indictment accuses Gomez of brandishing a firearm at a victim on the afternoon of Nov. 8, 2025. Shortly thereafter, Chicago Police Officers found a handgun in Gomez’s lap as he sat in the driver’s seat of a black Jeep Wrangler in a parking lot in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, the indictment states.
Five hours earlier, at least two rounds were discharged from the same gun about two blocks from the parking lot, the indictment states. The rounds were fired in proximity of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents who were engaged in the performance of their official duties, the indictment states.
Gomez, 45, is a citizen of Mexico who had been residing in Chicago. He had previously been convicted of a felony and was removed from the United States on at least four separate occasions from 2008 to 2015.
The indictment was returned on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026, at 1:15 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly. Gomez is currently detained in federal custody without bond.
The indictment 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 Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill J. Bhalakia.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the District, particularly firearm offenses.
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 in the indictment is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
gomez_indictment.pdfMan Pleads Guilty to Destroying Rockford Restaurant by ArsonRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has pleaded guilty to maliciously destroying - by means of fire and explosive materials – the former "15th and Chris" restaurant in Rockford.
JAMES PURIFOY, 51, admitted in plea agreement on Tuesday that he intentionally started a fire inside of his restaurant. Purifoy was still inside the restaurant when he started the fire and suffered burn injuries. To hide his involvement from the police, Purifoy left the premises before police and fire personnel arrived to put out the fire. Purifoy admitted to making false statements to the police during a traffic stop after the fire and to making false statements when he was interviewed at the hospital by investigating agents. Additionally, Purifoy admitted to filing a fraudulent insurance claim, from which he received $305,400.
Purifoy faces a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years. The sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court in Rockford, guided by U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing is set for April 13, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
The guilty plea 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, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Rockford Fire Department and the Rockford Police Department assisted in this investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus.
Five Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearm Charges for Allegedly Trafficking Firearms in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Five defendants have been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly trafficking firearms in Chicago this year.
The cases in Chicago are part of a larger, multi-district investigation that previously resulted in charges in the District of Colorado (click here to read a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado).
The defendants in the Northern District of Illinois were charged in separate indictments with conspiring to deal firearms without a license:
U.S. v. Salas-Ferrer, et al., 25 CR 421
LUIS SALAS-FERRER, 29, of Chicago, allegedly sold three handguns in Chicago in May and June of this year. The indictment accuses JOSE VARGAS-RON, 29, of Chicago, of selling a handgun in the city in May of this year. Salas-Ferrer and Vargas-Ron have pleaded not guilty to the charges. They have been ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.
U.S. v. Romero-Sanchez, et al., 25 CR 424
ADRIAN ANDRES ROMERO-SANCHEZ, 24, MIGUEL ALEJANDRO CASTILLO-CEBALLOS, 26, and DAVID ANDRES HERMOSO-MAYOR, 23, all of Chicago, allegedly sold three semiautomatic rifles, a shotgun, and a handgun in May and June of this year. Castillo-Ceballos and Hermoso-Mayor also sold two semiautomatic rifles and three semiautomatic handguns in May of this year, the charges allege. In addition to the firearm sales, the indictment accuses Romero-Sanchez and Hermoso-Mayor of distributing ketamine and MDMA in Chicago this year. The three defendants are currently being held in law enforcement custody. Hermoso-Mayor has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Romero-Sanchez and Castillo-Ceballos have not yet been arraigned.
The indictments 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, LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and John R. Morris, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Detroit Border Patrol Sector. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Paul Schied.
“Our federal gun laws do not exempt foreign nationals or anyone else from being held accountable for illegally trafficking in firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We will work hand-and-glove with our law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute anyone who violates our firearm laws, even if that requires us to track down and apprehend defendants from out of state. When we say accountability to the full extent of the law, we mean it.”
The public is reminded that indictments contain only charges and 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.
salas-ferrer_et_al_indictment.pdf romero-sanchez_et_al_indictment.pdfChicago Woman Who Threw Incendiary Device onto Neighbors’ Porch Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison on Federal Hate Crime ChargeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago woman who threw an incendiary device onto her neighbors’ porch has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison on a federal hate crime charge.
On March 16, 2024, ANA M. HERNANDEZ threw a glass bottle containing oil and a washcloth—a device commonly known as a “Molotov cocktail”—onto her neighbor’s back porch in Chicago. The incendiary device started a fire on the wooden porch, but no one was injured. Hernandez admitted in a plea agreement that she threw the device onto the porch because the victims who resided there were of Venezuelan origin, and she wanted to convince them to leave the residence.
Later that day, Hernandez placed a handwritten note on the car of the victims’ landlord, who owned and resided in the building. Among other things, the note stated, “We do not want you in the neighborhood. Go back to your country. You can go the easy way or the hard way.”
Hernandez, 70, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal hate crime charge of unlawfully interfering with housing rights. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Hernandez to two 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. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Members and Associates of Violent Chicago Street Gang for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving 13 MurdersRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted six alleged members and associates of a Chicago street gang for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals, committed armed robberies and carjackings, and violently protected their perceived territory on the South Side of Chicago.
The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago. Among the violence charged in the indictment were shootings at passengers aboard a Chicago Transit Authority bus and at mourners attending the funeral of a rival gang member allegedly killed by Faceworld members. The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates used threats and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement, the charges allege. Faceworld members allegedly promoted their violent enterprise on social media, posting comments, photos, and videos to proclaim membership in the gang, taunt rivals, and boast about murders and other acts of violence. The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates also trafficked cocaine and heroin in Chicago and Iowa, the indictment states.
The indictment was unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. It charges all six defendants with racketeering conspiracy. Three of the defendants are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering. Arraignments were held Friday in federal court for three of the defendants, while three others will be arraigned on a later date. All six defendants are currently in law enforcement custody.
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. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Romeoville, Ill. Police Department, Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and John “L.J.” Pavletic.
Charged with racketeering conspiracy are Chicago residents DONTAE HARPER, 28, TYRONE FOY, 31, TYJUAN TAPPLAR, 25, ROBERT LEE THOMAS, 22, DAVION HARRIS, 28, and DEAVEAN MCCLURE, 26.
Racketeering conspiracy generally carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, but a life sentence is possible for certain underlying charged activities. Harper, Foy, and Tapplar also face a maximum of the death penalty if convicted of certain murders charged in the indictment.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and 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.
harper_et_al_indictment.pdfU.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Alleged Workers’ Compensation FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A United States Postal Service employee has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly collecting augmented workers’ compensation benefits to which she was not entitled.
In 2012, GRACIELA VENEGAS began receiving workers’ compensation benefits for an injury she sustained in the performance of her Postal Service duties. Venegas claimed her spouse as a dependent, which entitled her to receive augmented benefits. The couple divorced in 2013, and the ex-spouse then passed away in 2014.
An indictment returned on Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago alleges that Venegas fraudulently continued to claim the spouse as a dependent after the divorce and death. From 2013 to 2024, while employed by the Postal Service, Venegas fraudulently received monthly augmented workers’ compensation payments amounting to an additional 8 and 1/3 percent of her pre-injury monthly pay, the indictment states. In total, Venegas fraudulently pocketed $51,776 in augmented benefits to which she knew she was not entitled, the indictment states.
Venegas, also known as “Graciela Salgado,” 66, of Chicago, is charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of knowingly making a false statement to the U.S. Department of Labor. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while the false statement charge is punishable by up to five years. Arraignment is set for Jan. 6, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dennus Bishop, Special Agent in Charge of the Central Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service–Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diya Rattan.
“Workers’ compensation benefits provide a lifeline to workers who are injured on the job and unable to perform their duties,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Committing fraud upon this important program undermines the financial stability of the insurance system, increases costs for businesses and consumers, and harms truly injured workers. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to collect workers’ compensation benefits to which they are not entitled.”
“The U.S. Postal Service paid $1.5 billion in workers’ compensation costs in fiscal year 2024, and the majority of postal employees who collect compensation benefits have legitimate claims due to on-the-job injuries,” said SAC Bishop. “However, a certain percentage abuse the system and cost the Postal Service millions of dollars in fraudulent claims and enforcement costs. Today’s charges send a clear message that the USPS OIG and the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of this benefit program and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
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.
venegas_indictment.pdfFederal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Laundering Money for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a man of laundering illicit cash proceeds from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.
DAVID BERGER, 41, of Chicago, was found guilty of all three counts against him, including two counts of money laundering and one count of illegally structuring financial transactions. The jury returned its verdicts on Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The convictions are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for May 12, 2026.
Evidence at trial revealed that from 2018 to 2021, the Mexico-based drug trafficking organization transported cocaine in wholesale quantities from Mexico to sell in various U.S. cities, including Chicago. Members of the organization then transported millions of dollars in drug proceeds to the U.S. border and into Mexico. One of the ways they transported the money was on privately chartered jets, which were booked and paid for on their behalf by intermediaries, including Berger.
Berger received more than $300,000 in cash drug proceeds from the organization to pay for the bookings and cover his fee. Berger deposited the proceeds in automated teller machines in ways that were intended to avoid federal currency-reporting requirements.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Hanna Helwig.
Rockford Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and possessing firearms to protect his drug trafficking operation.
CORNELL FINLEY, 48, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly and intentionally possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and possessing two handguns in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Finley admitted in a plea agreement that he possessed the loaded guns in Rockford for the purpose of protecting his drug supply and his drug trafficking proceeds.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Finley to 156 months in federal prison.
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. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to Life Term in Connection with Murder of Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal prison inmate has been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in connection with the murder of his cellmate.
HOUSTON CLYDE, 28, formerly of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, stabbed his cellmate to death while the pair were incarcerated in November 2020 at the United States Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill. The fatal stabbing occurred while Clyde was serving a 17-year sentence for a 2016 murder in Tuba City, Ariz.
Clyde pleaded guilty earlier this year to a second-degree murder charge. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the life sentence 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, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Nothing is more abrupt or final than the taking of another’s life by a violent act,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “This murder extends beyond the taking of a life—it shattered the lives of those expecting the victim to return home from prison.”
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man on Terrorism and Arson Charges for Lighting Train Passenger on Fire and Setting Chicago City Hall Ablaze Days EarlierRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man on terrorism and arson charges for allegedly lighting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train and setting fire to Chicago City Hall three days earlier.
The indictment against LAWRENCE REED, 50, of Chicago, was returned on Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The charges in the indictment are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The indictment renews the terrorism offense for which Reed was initially charged last month. Reed allegedly approached a woman aboard a Chicago Transit Authority train on Nov. 17, 2025, ignited a bottle containing a liquid substance, and used it to light the victim on fire. The victim was engulfed in flames but was able to depart the train. She remains hospitalized with critical injuries.
The indictment for the first time charges Reed with arson for allegedly setting a fire to Chicago City Hall on Nov. 14, 2025. The indictment accuses Reed of maliciously damaging and attempting to destroy the building, which is located at 121 N. LaSalle St. in downtown Chicago.
Reed was arrested by Chicago Police officers on Nov. 18, 2025, and he remains detained in federal custody without bond. Arraignment for the charges in the indictment is scheduled for Dec. 19, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.
The indictment 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 & Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Transit Authority. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron R. Bond and Ronald L. DeWald.
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.
reed_indictment.pdfMan Indicted and Ordered Detained for Possessing Ammunition Recovered in Connection with Fatal Shooting in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing ammunition that was recovered in connection with a fatal shooting in Chicago has been ordered detained pending trial.
FABIAS SHIPMAN possessed the ammunition on the afternoon of Sept. 29, 2025, in an alley in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, according to an indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. The ammunition had been discharged in a shooting in the alley that day where one victim was killed and another victim was wounded, the complaint states. As a previously convicted felon, Shipman was not legally allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The federal indictment charges Shipman, 37, of Cook County, Ill., with one count of illegal possession of ammunition. The charge is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
Shipman was arrested on Oct. 16, 2025, and has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.
The indictment and detention order were 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 has been provided by the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dunne.
The investigation is being 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 single gun case in Chicago is processed through ATF’s CGIC on a daily basis. As recently reported, federal firearm indictments under the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) program are up 292% in the Northern District of Illinois compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025).
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.
shipman_indictment.pdfExecutive of North Carolina Construction Company Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Bid-Rigging ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The president of a North Carolina construction company pleaded guilty to conspiring to rig bids for maintenance, repair, and operations procurements for military installations in the United States.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Rockford, Illinois, Brett Sanborn, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, was the president of a construction company that provided goods and services to military bases through procurements administered by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Between at least 2017 and 2021, Sanborn conspired with other individuals and companies to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids for the procurements, which were awarded to subcontractors through a competitive bidding process.
“For $6 million, the defendant defrauded his own government and deprived the U.S. Army of the benefits of open and honest competition.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners will continue to relentlessly pursue bad actors — like the defendant and his co-conspirators — for their assault on taxpayer money dedicated to public projects.”
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue those who attempt to undermine the integrity of the Department of Defense procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “Collusion, bid-rigging, and other anti-competitive conduct schemes erode fair competition, waste taxpayer dollars, and jeopardize trust in acquisition systems. DCIS, alongside our prosecutorial partners, will continue to safeguard the Department’s contracting operations and hold accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt them.”
Sanborn and his co-conspirators exchanged emails, calls, and text messages in which they coordinated their bids and agreed in advance on the pricing that they would submit, then submitted those bids to create the illusion of competition. Sanborn and his co-conspirators referred to these artificial, intentionally losing bids as “comp” bids.
In the plea agreement filed today, Sanborn admitted that the volume of commerce attributable to him and related to the conspiracy was approximately $6 million.
Sanborn pleaded guilty to one felony count of restraining trade by conspiring to rig bids, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled in this case. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is investigating this case. The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section is prosecuting the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Street Gang Leader of Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple MurdersRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang of participating in a criminal organization that terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, witness tampering, and drug dealing.
After a six-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury on Monday convicted LABAR SPANN on all four counts against him, including racketeering conspiracy, two murders in aid of racketeering, and extortion. The jury found that Spann committed a total of four murders in a premediated manner as part of the racketeering conspiracy, including the killings of Willie Woods on April 17, 2003; Rudy Rangel on June 4, 2003; George King on April 8, 2003; and Maximillion McDaniel on July 25, 2000.
Spann, 47, of Chicago, faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin set sentencing for April 20, 2026.
The verdicts 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, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois Secretary of State Police Department, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Morrissey, Michelle J. Parthum, and Emily C.R. Vermylen.
The Four Corner Hustlers operated primarily in the Chicago neighborhoods of West Garfield Park and North Lawndale on the city’s West Side, as well as in the former LeClaire Courts public housing development on the city’s Southwest Side. According to evidence presented at trial, the gang dealt drugs and robbed and extorted rival dealers, while using violence and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement. The gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including multiple murders and armed robberies. During the trial, the jury heard testimony from other members of the Four Corner Hustlers, eyewitnesses to numerous crimes, law enforcement officers who responded to crime scenes, and expert witnesses who analyzed forensic and other evidence.
Spann was indicted in 2017 along with eight other members of the Four Corner Hustlers and two additional defendants. All the defendants have now been convicted.
Rockford Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison for distributing nearly 900 grams of methamphetamine.
JESSE HERBIG, 44, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine.
Herbig admitted that in 2022 he communicated with his drug supplier and arranged for a United States Postal Service Priority Express parcel which he knew contained methamphetamine to be shipped from Phoenix, Ariz. to an address in Rockford. The package contained approximately 891.6 grams of methamphetamine that was approximately 99% pure, a substance commonly known as “ice.”
U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 168-month prison sentence during a hearing today in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. Munch.
Rockford Bank Robber Sentenced to More than Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for the robbery of a Chase Bank in Rockford.
BERNARD WANDICK, 33, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the robbery of Chase Bank, 3699 N. Main St. in Rockford. Wandick admitted that on July 17, 2019, he entered Chase Bank wearing a medical mask and brandishing a firearm. Wandick pointed his firearm at several bank employees and demanded money from the tellers behind the counter before fleeing on foot with stolen cash.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 63-month prison sentence during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.
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 Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodora Anderson and Jessica Maveus.
Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm and Shooting Man in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun and using it to shoot a man multiple times in Chicago.
ANGEL SOSA illegally possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine on the evening of June 8, 2021, in the Noble Square neighborhood of Chicago. Sosa fired more than a dozen shots at a man near the intersection of North Noble and West Walton Streets. The man was seriously wounded but survived. Chicago Police officers arrested Sosa near the scene of the shooting, and he has remained in law enforcement custody since then.
Sosa had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including a firearm-related conviction in state court for which he was on parole at the time of the shooting.
Sosa, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On Dec. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold imposed the ten-year prison sentence.
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 Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Branka Cimesa.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Sending Threatening Letter to Spiritual Mission in Suburban ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Georgia man of sending a threatening letter to a spiritual mission in suburban Chicago.
In July 2023, JIMIL PARMAR mailed a letter to the Sant Nirankari Mission in West Chicago, Ill. The letter stated, “CANCEL US CANADA TOUR IMMEDIATELY SRS ATTACK PLANNED.” The threat coincided with the visit of the Mission’s spiritual leader, Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj, who was touring the United States and Canada that summer, including scheduled appearances in Chicago and Atlanta, Ga. At least four other Sant Nirankari Missions in the United States received identical letters that summer, and all of them were postmarked from the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Parmar, 33, of Lawrenceville, Ga., was found guilty on Wednesday of mailing a threatening communication. The jury returned its verdict after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The conviction is punishable by up to five years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly set sentencing for March 4, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.
The conviction 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 Atlanta Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kavitha J. Babu and Ramon Villalpando.
Rockford Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence on TIMOTHY GENTRY, 47, during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.
Gentry admitted in a plea agreement that on July 6, 2023, he sold a loaded handgun to a man in Rockford. Unbeknownst to Gentry, the buyer was cooperating with law enforcement. Gentry was previously convicted of multiple violent felonies in state courts and is considered an Armed Career Criminal under federal law.
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 & Explosive. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Suburban Chicago Police Chief of Bribery and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted the former Chief of Police in the village of Summit, Ill., of bribery offenses for corruptly accepting money from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license.
After a seven-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury found JOHN KOSMOWSKI, 57, of Lockport, Ill., guilty of bribery conspiracy, bribery, and obstruction of justice. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for March 27, 2026.
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 Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Ardam and Jared Hasten.
Evidence at trial revealed that Kosmowski conspired with a Summit building inspector—WILLIAM MUNDY—to accept $10,000 from a businessman in 2017. Kosmowski and Mundy accepted the money intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with the transfer of a liquor license to another person. Kosmowski received a cash payment from the businessman in 2017 and then gave Mundy a portion of it.
Mundy, of Summit, Ill., pleaded guilty prior to trial to bribery and tax offenses. He is awaiting sentencing.
The obstruction conviction against Kosmowski stemmed from a meeting he had with Mundy in which Kosmowski informed Mundy of the federal investigation into the bribe. During the meeting, Kosmowski sought to corruptly persuade Mundy to mischaracterize the purpose of the payment by falsely suggesting that it was a loan.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges for Allegedly Sexually Assaulting and Robbing WomenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A United States Customs and Border Protection officer has been indicted on federal civil rights charges for allegedly sexually assaulting and robbing multiple women in the Chicago suburbs.
An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges LUIS URIBE, 44, of Pingree Grove, Ill., with ten counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Uribe was arrested this morning. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment this afternoon in federal court. U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling scheduled a detention hearing for Dec. 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
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 Erin Silk, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Region of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
Uribe performed both customs and immigration duties for CBP in the Chicago area. As a CBP officer, Uribe had the authority to carry a firearm and make arrests for felony and other relevant offenses. The indictment accuses Uribe of acting under color of law when he sexually assaulted and robbed two women. Uribe allegedly brandished a firearm in at least one of the sexual assaults.
He also robbed and attempted to sexually assault two other women, the indictment states.
The robberies, sexual assaults, and attempted sexual assaults occurred in 2022 in Schaumburg, Ill., and Naperville, Ill., the indictment states.
If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Uribe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. 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.
Please contact this secure phone number if you have information about these crimes or if you have been a victim of Luis Uribe: (312) 239-7423. Your information is important. The phone service will be available in both English and Chinese. 如果您有相关信息或您曾受到此人伤害，请您立刻拨打我们的保密电话号码。您的信息很重要。(312) 239-7423.
uribe_indictment.pdfIllinois Precision Machining Company Agrees to Pay $421,234 to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Note: View settlement here.
Swiss Automation Inc. has agreed to pay $421,234 to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations relating to its failure to provide adequate cybersecurity for certain drawings of parts that the company machined and supplied to Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractors. Swiss Automation is an Illinois precision machining business that supplies alloy and metal parts to commercial and government customers in many industries, including DoD prime contractors and subcontractors.
The settlement resolves allegations that Swiss Automation caused the submission of false claims by not providing adequate cybersecurity to safeguard certain drawings of parts that the company machined and supplied to DoD prime contractors. Swiss Automation allegedly knew that the requirement to provide adequate security by implementing certain cybersecurity controls applied not only to DoD prime contractors, but also to subcontractors and suppliers to the prime contractors. The obligation to implement security controls specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) to protect certain DoD information has applied to DoD contracts, subcontracts, and similar contractual instruments since 2017 and will continue under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that DoD recently finalized.
“As cyber threats continue to evolve, suppliers to defense contractors must be vigilant and take the steps required to protect sensitive government information from bad actors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue our efforts to hold defense contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers accountable when they fail to honor their DoD cybersecurity commitments.”
“Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting government contractors to steal sensitive and valuable information in their possession,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Defense contractors in particular must maintain robust safeguards against these threats through stringent compliance with federal cybersecurity regulations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and agency partners to ensure that government contractors protect sensitive information and critical infrastructure in compliance with federal laws and regulations.”
“Protecting our nation’s security includes protecting its data. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, defense contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers must do their part to safeguard sensitive government information,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jason Sargenski, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “We will hold contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers accountable when they fall short of their cybersecurity obligations to the Department of Defense.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when a defendant has submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Jaime Gomez, a former quality-control manager at Swiss Automation, to receive $65,291 as his share of the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Gomez v. Swiss Automation Inc., No. 1:22-cv-4328 (N.D. Ill.).
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, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from DCIS, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Gregory Pearson of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Kelly for the Northern District of Illinois.
The claims resolved by the United States in the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Swiss Automation Settlement.pdfJoaquin Guzman Lopez—Son of “El Chapo” and a Head of Sinaloa Cartel—Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ, who succeeded his father—Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo”—as one of the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges.
Guzman Lopez, 39, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. The convictions carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman did not set a sentencing date. Guzman Lopez has been detained in U.S. custody since his arrest in July 2024.
The guilty plea is the result of close collaboration among federal prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois as well as those from the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and the Southern District of California, and law enforcement partners from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The guilty plea was announced by Pamela Bondi, United States Attorney General, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI in Arizona, Gregory Heeb, Acting Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, and Terrance Cole, Administrator of the DEA. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and IRS Criminal Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Michelle Parthum, and Michael Maione of the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sutton and Robert Miller of the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.
The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals—including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs)—and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs).
“The Sinaloa Cartel is a terrorist organization that has spent decades destroying American families through brutal violence and deadly drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Bondi. “Yesterday's guilty plea from El Chapo’s son is a major victory against the Sinaloa Cartel and underscores the Trump Administration’s historic, aggressive campaign to dismantle terrorist organizations that target the American people.”
“For decades, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has been at the forefront of the U.S. government’s relentless pursuit of drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as their top leaders,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Today, because of this Administration’s leadership, the U.S. State Department has designated many of these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations—a fact that has only further stiffened our resolve to track down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates. Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s guilty plea is the latest step in our efforts to bring to justice drug lords and other dangerous criminals who poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs and who otherwise engage in violence and corruption to carry out their and their enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.”
As heirs to the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Lopez stated in his plea agreement that he and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed their father’s leadership role following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York. Guzman Lopez admitted in the plea agreement that he acted as a logistical coordinator for the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms. Guzman Lopez used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, submersible vessels, and other means, the plea agreement states.
After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez and others laundered and transferred the illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico and elsewhere, the plea agreement states. Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, rival drug traffickers, and members of their own drug trafficking organization to protect the Sinaloa Cartel’s operation.
In addition to the drug offenses, Guzman Lopez also stipulated to committing an international kidnaping offense.
As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of a personal money judgment in the amount of $80 million, which represents proceeds traceable to the offenses.
“After the United States successfully prosecuted El Chapo, his son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, took up his father’s mantle and jointly led the ‘Los Chapitos’ faction of the Sinaloa Cartel—one of the world’s most notorious drug trafficking organizations—in its efforts to flood the United States with deadly fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Galeotti. “Under the leadership of Guzman Lopez and his associates, the Sinaloa Cartel spread violence and bribed public officials to protect its illicit business. The Criminal Division and our partners will not rest until we have fully dismantled the criminal cartels whose ruthless violence and lethal narcotics distribution threaten the safety and health of the American people.”
“Two down, two to go,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.
“The guilty plea by Joaquin Guzman Lopez is another example of how HSI is taking on the cartels and their transnational criminal networks and sending a clear message that we are going to hold them accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rede. “Dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel one arrest at a time has taken countless hours, but together HSI and our federal partners in the Homeland Security Task Force relentlessly focused efforts to stop this transnational criminal organization scourge by removing leaders from the helm. Today’s announcement exemplifies a whole-of-government approach to protecting our homeland that is yielding results.”
“The Guzmans have made a family business out of trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs,” said Acting Assistant Director Heeb. “Protecting Americans from the Sinaloa and other criminal cartels terrorizing and poisoning our communities is one of the FBI’s highest priorities and we will continue to work relentlessly to dismantle and disrupt these dangerous international criminal networks.”
“Under the Chapitos’ leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel has fueled the deadliest drug crisis in our nation’s history, manufacturing poison and profiting from the destruction of American lives,” said DEA Administrator Cole. “DEA stands committed to dismantle Sinaloa Cartel’s command and control, expose their criminal networks, and deliver justice for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to their greed. Joaquin Guzmán Lopez’s guilty plea marks another blow to the cartel’s ruthless operations. We will not stop until these narco-terrorists are held accountable and the American people are protected."
Guzman Lopez’s three brothers—IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ—were also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. On July 11, 2025, Ovidio Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in the Northern District of Illinois. Ovidio Guzman Lopez is awaiting sentencing. Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York. They are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests. The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions. [See the reward information here and here.]
The public is reminded that the charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
guzman_plea_agreement.pdfForeign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A foreign national residing in Illinois has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported.
SANTOS VASQUEZ-ORTIZ, a native of Guatemala, was unlawfully present in the United States when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill. He was later convicted of the offense in state court. Vasquez-Ortiz had been deported from the United States in 2008 and did not receive authorization from the U.S. government to return.
Vasquez-Ortiz, 41, pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Rockford to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the two-year federal prison sentence on Nov. 17, 2025.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago chiropractor has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for billing a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services.
CLARENCE W. BROWN III owned and operated Dr. CB3 Wellness, Inc. and Apex Integrated Medical Center, Ltd., both in Chicago. From 2016 to 2020, Brown submitted more than 6,000 fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Brown knew were not actually provided to patients. Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided when Brown was on international vacations or while his medical license was suspended.
Brown’s fraud scheme defrauded BCBS out of nearly $2.1 million. Brown used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s.
In 2024, a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Brown, 49, of Chicago, on all nine healthcare fraud counts against him. Last week, on Nov. 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Brown to five years and ten months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $2,088,884 in restitution to BCBS.
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 was motivated by greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andréa L. Campbell argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant made the calculated decision to engage in a three-and-half-year fraud that benefited him and his lofty aspirations.”
Former Administrative Professional for Chicago Company Admits Embezzling More than $615,000Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former administrative professional for a Chicago company has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge for embezzling more than $615,000 from the company.
CRYSTA LYON-HALBERT admitted in a plea agreement that she misappropriated the money from 2015 to 2023 while holding various administrative positions in the company’s Corporate Governance function and the Office of the Chief Executive Officer. Lyon-Halbert directed company funds to her personal bank account and made a series of unauthorized credit card purchases for her personal benefit, including storage rental space, rent payments, personal utility bills, car rentals, auto shop bills, clothing, furniture, and other items, the plea agreement states. Lyon-Halbert concealed her misappropriation by falsely representing that the credit card payments were directed to vendors that had provided services to the company, the plea agreement states.
Lyon-Halbert, 54, of Tinley Park, Ill., pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025, to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo set sentencing for Feb. 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
The plea agreement 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 Sean Hennessy.
lyon-halbert_plea_agreement.pdfFederal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Orchestrating $14 Million Cryptocurrency FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a Texas man of fraud for orchestrating a cryptocurrency scheme that bilked nearly 1,000 investors out of at least $14 million.
ROBERT DUNLAP, 54, of Houston, Texas, was convicted of two counts of mail fraud on Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt set sentencing for Feb. 17, 2026.
From 2018 to 2023, Dunlap worked with others to market and sell a purported digital asset called “Meta-1 Coin” through a “Meta-1 Coin Trust.” Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that the Meta-1 Coin was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold. Dunlap falsely claimed that an accounting firm had audited the gold and certified its value. The purported art collection was alleged to have included works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and other acclaimed artists. Dunlap used automated trading bots to cause the market price and trading volume of the Meta-1 Coin to be inflated on the “Meta Exchange,” which was a website created by Dunlap.
Dunlap created numerous legal, insurance, and other documents to conceal the fact that he did not possess the gold or art. His fraud scheme caused nearly 1,000 investors to lose at least $14 million.
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 Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Nutini and Jared Hasten.
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Charges Man with Federal Terrorism Offense for Allegedly Setting Passenger on Fire on Chicago TrainRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago today charged a man with a federal terrorism offense for allegedly setting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train earlier this week.
LAWRENCE REED, 50, of Chicago is charged with committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Reed is scheduled to make an initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally in federal court in Chicago.
According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Reed and the victim were passengers on a CTA train traveling through a subway in downtown Chicago at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2025. Reed approached the victim, who was seated with her back towards him, took the cap off a bottle of liquid and poured the liquid all over the victim’s head and body, the complaint states. The victim ran but Reed caught up with her, at which point he ignited the bottle and it fell out of his hand onto the floor, the complaint states. Reed picked up the bottle that was now on fire, approached the victim and used the bottle to light her on fire, the complaint states.
The victim was engulfed in flames but was able to depart the train. She remains hospitalized with critical injuries.
The investigation revealed that Reed had purchased gasoline at a Chicago gas station and filled it in a hand-held container approximately 20 minutes before the incident on the train, the complaint states.
Reed was arrested by Chicago Police officers on Nov. 18, 2025, in Chicago. He was taken into federal custody today.
The 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 & Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Transit Authority. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron R. Bond and Ronald L. DeWald.
“This horrific attack was not just a barbaric assault on an innocent woman riding a train, but an act of terrorism that strikes at the core of our American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will take immediate and resolute action to bring swift justice to the victim while safeguarding the public as well as the fabric of our society.”
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.
reed_complaint.pdfFounder of Chicago Cryptocurrency Company Indicted in Alleged $10 Million Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The founder of a Chicago cryptocurrency company has been indicted in an alleged $10 million money laundering conspiracy.
FIRAS ISA founded Chicago-based VIRTUAL ASSETS LLC, which did business as Crypto Dispensers, and served as its Chief Executive Officer. The company operated a cash-to-cryptocurrency exchange business, which included cryptocurrency ATMs at various locations throughout the United States, allowing individuals to convert cash, checks, or other monetary instruments into cryptocurrency. An indictment unsealed in the Northern District of Illinois alleges that criminals and, in some instances, fraud victims, sent at least $10 million in proceeds from wire fraud and narcotics offenses to Crypto Dispensers, Isa, or a co-conspirator. After the proceeds were sent, Isa converted or caused to be converted the cryptocurrency and thereafter transferred the cryptocurrency to virtual wallets to disguise the true source and ownership of the proceeds. The indictment alleges that Isa knew the money was derived from fraud.
Isa, 36, of Frankfort, Ill., and Virtual Assets LLC are each charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Isa and his company have pleaded not guilty to the charges. A status hearing in federal court in Chicago is set for Jan. 30, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, including the IRS Chicago Cyber Crime Unit, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley Tucker and Ramon Villalpando.
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.
isa_et_al_indictment.pdfCherry Valley, Ill. Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Cherry Valley, Ill. man has been sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm.
SEAN CLAEYSSEN, 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Claeyssen admitted in a plea agreement that between October and December of 2023, he knowingly and intentionally sold and distributed 664.6 grams of methamphetamine and 27.7 grams of cocaine. Claeyssen also admitted that he was in possession of a loaded firearm when he was arrested in December 2023.
On Nov. 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 204-month prison sentence.
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 Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Beloit, Wisc. Police Department provided assistance in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Rockford Man Sentenced to More than Seven Years in Prison for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
MARTEL WILLIAMS, 33, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Williams admitted in a plea agreement that on Dec. 1, 2023, he possessed a loaded semiautomatic firearm. Williams sold the firearm to a confidential informant.
On Oct. 30, 2025, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Williams to 87 months in federal prison.
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 Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Other DOJ Components Provide Update on Increased Federal Prosecutions and Ongoing Strategies to Combat Violent Crime in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today provided an update on increased federal prosecutions and strategies implemented to combat violent crime in Chicago and the surrounding area. This announcement comes after the government just reopened following the longest government shutdown in U.S. history as well as the largest ever enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois—commonly referred to as “Operation Midway Blitz”—a U.S. immigration enforcement operation launched by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This is a joint statement made with the other Department of Justice law enforcement components, namely, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
“Combatting the epidemic of gun crime and violence is a national priority for this Department of Justice, and it is a top priority of mine as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “It is for that reason that I have invested substantial resources into our Violent Crimes Section while demonstrating with action that we will strongly support our law enforcement partners and accept their most significant cases for federal prosecution. The results are not only a deepening of relationships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, but also a dramatic increase in our prosecutions and high-impact matters,” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued.
For example, this year, federal firearm indictments under the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) program are up 292% in the Northern District of Illinois compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025). The number of defendants charged in PSN firearm indictments is up 287% compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025). The PSN program is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders while bringing together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. One such problem is violence in Chicago’s downtown neighborhoods and public rail system. As such, in June of this year, U.S. Attorney Boutros announced an expansion of PSN to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city. The expansion implemented the program in parts of three Chicago Police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city and region, as well as on the CTA trains that bring residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two international airports. The expansion by U.S. Attorney Boutros 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.
In addition, firearm investigations in Chicago have been substantially bolstered by a game-changing resource from ATF—the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. Every single gun case in the Northern District of Illinois is processed through ATF’s CGIC on a daily basis. This swift and thorough review and intake process is made possible because the CGIC is an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and intelligence analysts to move quickly to investigate and prosecute violent crimes, and especially gun crimes.
The increase in federal firearm indictments corresponds to increased prosecutions as well as other high-impact cases across the various federal programs. Overall, federal criminal indictments in all program areas in the Northern District of Illinois in 2025 are up 45% (366 versus 252) compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025). The number of defendants charged in all program areas in 2025 is up 52% (494 versus 325) compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025).
“A fundamental duty of our Office is to tackle crimes across the various federal program areas that we service,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “That applies to narco-terrorism and terrorism cases, drug and gun trafficking organizations, public corruption, organized crime, money laundering, child-exploitation and human trafficking cases, cybercrimes, assaults on Postal Employees and other federal officers and personnel, as well as program fraud, healthcare fraud, and otherwise. We are committed to investigating and prosecuting federal criminal cases on behalf of all of our law enforcement partners to disrupt the cycle of ongoing crime in Chicago.”
The increased prosecutions are part of a turnaround that is occurring under U.S. Attorney Boutros, who inherited an Office that was down some 50 prosecutors. The Criminal Division had also dipped below 90 criminal prosecutors for the first time in decades. “The impressive results we have been able to achieve in 2025 as an Office have been accomplished with far fewer prosecutors and resources than the Office has experienced in decades,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “This is also true for the caseloads we are handling in our Civil Division. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our prosecutors in the Civil Division who are handling a heavy docket that is only growing heavier with fewer resources. After an extended government shutdown and many months of a hiring freeze, I am energized by the fact that we are hiring several dozens of new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal and Civil Divisions in the coming months. Many of our new hires will come with significant experience, including decades of federal and/or state prosecutorial experience from across the country and locally and will be able to hit the ground running,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I am very much looking forward to onboarding our new tough-on-crime prosecutors who will contribute mightily to the Office in the critically important work we do every day. I am very optimistic about our Office’s future, especially as we add to our already talented roster of attorneys and staff who work diligently every day to make our communities better.”
“Through the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC) partnership, we have made a significant impact on reducing violent crime in Chicago,” said Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division. “Increased federal prosecutions under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Boutros have been instrumental in ensuring that violent offenders are swiftly brought to justice. ATF will remain focused on its top priority: tackling violent crime and taking drivers of violence off our streets.”
“The FBI works to ensure that the threat of violent crime does not endanger the livelihood or safety of the hardworking people in this great city,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “Thanks to the outstanding collaboration within the network of law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in Project Safe Neighborhoods, our communities are safer and more well-resourced than ever. The FBI remains committed to developing proactive solutions and holding accountable anyone who seeks to compromise the safety of those who live in or visit Chicago.”
“The DEA Chicago Field Division will continue leveraging all resources at our disposal to combat drug-related violent crime,” said Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division. “Disrupting and dismantling violent drug trafficking organizations and their supply chains is crucial to keeping Americans safe. Alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the DEA will continue to relentlessly pursue accountability of violent drug traffickers inflicting harm upon our communities throughout Illinois.”
“Criminal violence of any kind—including assaults and attacks on federal agents and other government personnel—are unacceptable,” said LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. Marshals Service will investigate and seek to hold accountable people who break the law with violence. U.S. Attorney Boutros has been a strong and reliable partner in our efforts, and we look forward to continuing to closely work with him and his team.”
Suburban Chicago Man Charged with Making a Threat to Kill President TrumpRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been arrested for allegedly making a threat to kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.
TRENT SCHNEIDER, 57, of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., is charged with making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person. Schneider was arrested this morning and made an initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert in Chicago. Schneider was ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Nov. 6, 2025.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Schneider posted a video of himself on Oct. 16, 2025, on Instagram in which he stated, “I’m going to get some guns. I know where I can get a lot of [expletive] guns and I am going to take care of business myself. I’m tired of all you [expletive] frauds. People need to [expletive] die and people are going to die. [Expletive] all of you, especially you Trump. You should be executed.” The video also included a caption that stated, in part: “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 @realDonaldTrump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!!”
According to the complaint, a concerned citizen in Florida viewed the video and reported it to law enforcement.
The complaint and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lake County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor, Ill. Police Department.
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. The charge in the complaint is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
schneider_complaint.pdfFederal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Six Individuals on Charges of Impeding Federal Agent Engaged in Immigration Enforcement OperationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted six individuals for allegedly forcibly impeding and interfering with a federal agent who was engaged in immigration enforcement operations in a Chicago suburb last month. The indictment includes a conspiracy charge against all of the defendants arising out of the incident.
According to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the defendants were among a crowd of people who surrounded a government vehicle with the intent to hinder and impede the driver—a federal agent—from proceeding to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2025. The defendants and others allegedly crowded together in the front and side of the government vehicle, stood in its path, banged on the car and windows, and pushed against it to hinder and impede its movement. The conspirators broke one of the vehicle’s side mirrors and the rear windshield wiper and etched a derogatory message into the body of the vehicle, the indictment states.
“No one is above the law and no one has the right to obstruct it,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Federal agents perform dangerous, essential work every single day to enforce our immigration laws and keep our communities safe. When individuals resort to force or intimidation to interfere with that mission, they attack not only the agents themselves but the rule of law they represent. The Department of Justice will never tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable anyone who seeks to impede lawful federal operations.”
“All federal officials must be able to discharge the duties of their office without confronting force, intimidation, or threats,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “As we have warned repeatedly, we will seek to hold accountable those who cross the line from peaceful protests to unlawful actions or conspiracies that interrupt, hinder, or impede the due administration of Justice. The rule of law must always be upheld.”
Charged with conspiracy to impede a U.S. law enforcement officer and individual counts of impeding a U.S. law enforcement officer are MICHAEL RABBITT, 62, of Chicago; KATHERINE MARIE ABUGHAZALEH, 26, of Chicago; ANDRE MARTIN, 27, of Providence, R.I.; CATHERINE SHARP, 29, of Chicago; BRIAN STRAW, 38, of Oak Park, Ill.; and JOSELYN WALSH, 31, of Chicago. Arraignments are scheduled for Nov. 5, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain.
Deputy Attorney General Blanche and U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charges along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“The FBI has zero tolerance for forcible criminal conduct against law enforcement officers engaged in their lawful functions,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “Impeding federal officers performing their duties or conspiring to do so are criminal offenses. The people of Chicagoland deserve safe communities and peaceful streets and the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who undermine the rule of law through criminal activity.”
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A video recording of the incident can be viewed here. If you recognize other individuals in the video who may be impeding law enforcement, you are encouraged to contact the FBI Chicago Field Office by logging on to https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
rabbitt_et_al_indictment.pdfAlleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz”Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — An alleged ranking member of a Chicago street gang has been charged in federal court with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official involved in the immigration enforcement operation known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”
A criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges JUAN ESPINOZA MARTINEZ, 37, of Chicago, with one count of murder-for-hire. Martinez was arrested this morning. His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
According to the complaint, Martinez is a ranking member of the Latin Kings, a street gang that has engaged in acts of violence and other illicit activities in Chicago and elsewhere. Martinez stated in a Snapchat message, “2k on information when you get him” and “10k if u take him down,” the complaint states. Included in the message was a photo of the senior law enforcement official, who has recently participated in immigration enforcement operations in Chicago on behalf of the U.S. Border Patrol, an agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the complaint states.
The complaint and arrest were announced by Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.
“Placing a bounty on the head of a federal officer is an attack on the rule of law and on every American who depends on law enforcement to keep them safe,” said Deputy Attorney General Blanche. “This case is exactly what we mean when we say Take Back America - taking back every neighborhood and street corner from violent thugs and criminal gangs and returning them to the law-abiding members of our communities. The Department of Justice will never allow violent gangs or criminal networks to target those who protect our borders and our communities. We will use every authority, every resource, and every partnership at our disposal to bring anyone who threatens or harms our officers to justice - swiftly and decisively.”
“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is a line that can never be crossed,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “The defendant’s actions in this case demonstrate a profound contempt for human life and public safety. Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will hold defendants accountable for their grave criminal actions and ensure that no federal officer has to fear for their life for doing their job."
“The arrest of this ruthless and violent member of the Latin Kings, a criminal organization notorious for its cruelty and disregard for the law, highlights the steadfast commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and those who uphold justice,” said HSI SAC Scarpino. “Targeting a senior federal officer is a brazen and direct assault on the rule of law, and HSI will remain persistent in dismantling violent gangs like the Latin Kings that threaten public safety.”
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.
martinez_complaint.pdfFederal Complaint Charges Two Individuals with Using Their Vehicles to Assault, Impede, and Interfere with the Work of Federal Agents in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – Two individuals have been charged in federal court with using their vehicles to assault, impede, and interfere with the work of federal agents in Chicago.
According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, MARIMAR MARTINEZ and ANTHONY IAN SANTOS RUIZ used their vehicles to strike a vehicle being driven by an agent of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Saturday morning near the intersection of West 39th Street and South Kedzie Avenue on Chicago’s Southwest Side. Two other CBP agents were also in the government vehicle. After striking the agents’ vehicle, the defendants’ vehicles boxed in the agents’ vehicle, the complaint states. The agent was unable to move his vehicle and exited the car, at which point he fired approximately five shots from his service weapon at Martinez, the complaint states.
Martinez drove off but paramedics discovered her and her vehicle at a repair shop about a mile away. Martinez was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where she received treatment for gunshot wounds, the complaint states.
Ruiz also drove away after the collisions, but law enforcement located him and his vehicle at a gas station about a half block away, the complaint states. Both defendants remain in law enforcement custody, pending initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.
The complaint charges Martinez, 30, and Ruiz, 21, both of Chicago, with forcibly assaulting, impeding, and interfering with a federal law enforcement officer.
The federal charges were 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 public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
martinez_ruiz_complaint.pdfStatement of United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and Federal Law Enforcement Leadership in Chicago on Ongoing Criminal Immigration Enforcement OperationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and federal law enforcement leadership in Chicago today issued the following statements regarding ongoing criminal immigration enforcement actions in Chicago:
“As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, my office will enforce all federal criminal laws and protect our federal employees and property. Assistant U.S. Attorneys will staff the FBI-led command post on a daily basis to monitor real-time developments and take swift action as needed when criminal offenders assault, obstruct, or impede law enforcement personnel or destroy federal property. During this surge, we have filed federal charges against more than 12 individuals and continue to review cases for additional criminal charges. The people of Chicago deserve safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods, and we will deliver justice on their behalf.”
-Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
Federal law enforcement leaders in Chicago echoed U.S. Attorney Boutros’s statement:
“We speak with one voice when we say that we expect any protest or assembly in Chicago to remain peaceful. There is no place for violence against law enforcement officers, obstruction of justice, or destruction of federal property. Any criminal actions taken against the brave men and women in uniform will be met with swift criminal prosecution. Our agencies will continue to work closely with each other to execute federal law fully and completely.”
-Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI
-Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago
-Russell Hott, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Chicago
-LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
-Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
-Shane Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division
-LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Attorney Boutros also remarked:“As I have emphasized repeatedly (see here, here, and here), we are a law and order district. We vigorously prosecute crimes in all program areas. We will not hesitate to hold accountable those who attack and undermine the rule of law, including by resorting to violence and criminal mischief to interfere, obstruct, or impede the important work of the federal government as it is conducted in the Northern District of Illinois. The entire federal law enforcement partnership in Chicago also thanks Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall, all of the other judges in the Northern District of Illinois, and Clerk of Court Thomas G. Bruton for their leadership and hard work in ensuring that Chicago’s federal courtrooms remain open to handle the increased volume of criminal cases being presented before the Court for adjudication.”
-Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois