Northern District of Illinois

ROCKFORD — An Iowa man has been sentenced to nearly eleven years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin in northwest Illinois.

CORDERO DAVIS, 36, of Dubuque, Iowa, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly and intentionally possessing nearly 900 grams of methamphetamine and more than 50 grams of heroin with the intent to distribute.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston on Thursday sentenced Davis to 130 months in federal prison.

On June 28, 2022, an officer with the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office stopped Davis’s vehicle.  Davis failed to produce any identification and then provided a false name and date of birth to the officer.  The officer confirmed Davis’s true identity and discovered that Davis’s driver’s license was suspended.  The officer also discovered an arrest warrant pending against Davis from Cook County, Ill.  The officer arrested Davis and discovered the controlled substances during a search of his vehicle.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus.

CHICAGO — A resident of the United Arab Emirates who orchestrated an $8 million cyber fraud scheme targeting several United States-based companies has been sentenced to more than eight years in a U.S. prison.

OLALEKAN JACOB PONLE, also known as “Mr. Woodbery,” and “Mark Kain,” 31, was living in the UAE in 2019 when he worked with co-schemers to engage in numerous business email compromise schemes.  The co-schemers used phishing links to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and then created false instructions directing employees of the victim companies to wire money to bank accounts opened by money mules at Ponle’s direction.  The fraudulent emails often claimed to be from the company or a known business contact and were nearly identical to prior legitimate emails sent over the company’s email account.  After unwitting employees wired money, in some cases millions of dollars, to the bank accounts, Ponle instructed the money mules to convert the proceeds to Bitcoin and send them to him.

As a result of Ponle’s scheme, victim companies suffered more than $8.03 million in actual losses and more than $51.3 million in intended losses.  One of the victim companies was based in Chicago, while others were located in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York, California, and elsewhere.

Ponle is a Nigerian national who was arrested in June 2020 by law enforcement in the UAE.  He was subsequently expelled from the UAE into the custody of the FBI and arrived in Chicago the following month.  He pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal wire fraud charge. 

U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman on July 11, 2023, sentenced Ponle to eight years and four months in federal prison.  Ponle was ordered to pay more than $8.03 million in restitution to the victim companies and forfeit numerous luxury items purchased with proceeds traceable to the fraud scheme, including a Rolls Royce Cullinan, Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz G-Class AMG G55, and Rolex and Patek Philippe watches.  Ponle previously forfeited to the government 151 bitcoin, which were also derived from proceeds traceable to the fraud scheme.  

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Dubai, UAE Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Melody Wells of the Northern District of Illinois represented the government.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for enticing at least nine girls in the Philippines to produce sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and send them to him.

KARL QUILTER, 58, pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of sexual exploitation of children.  U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall imposed the 30-year sentence after a hearing July 7, 2023, in federal court in Chicago.

Quilter admitted in a plea agreement that he communicated with the girls via Facebook, Viber, and Skype from 2017 to 2020.  Quilter referred to the minor victims as his “girlfriends” to manipulate and pressure them into sending specific types of photos and videos that he demanded.  Quilter also preyed on the victims’ financial difficulties, using money transfers to the victims’ families to entice the girls to take the sexually explicit images.  In a message to one 16-year-old victim in 2020, Quilter promised to send money to her family for medicine and food if she complied with his demands.  “If u do what I tell you… I will make sure u can buy food for 2 weeks and your medication,” Quilter said in the message.  “Think of your little sister that she can e[a]t for 2 weeks everyday 3 meals a day and u get well.”

Quilter traveled to the Philippines in 2017 and 2018 and explicitly referenced his plans to have sex with several of the minors when he next visited the country in December 2020.  Law enforcement arrested Quilter in Chicago in November 2020.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.

“Victim by victim, and message by message, defendant used social media and the internet to target and groom young Filipino girls,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Chung argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “This was not a one-time aberration, but rather a years-long pattern of predatory abuse and exploitation of minors.”

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.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison as part of an investigation that shut down a Missouri-to-Chicago firearms pipeline.

DERRICK CLAIBORNE, 47, trafficked fentanyl-laced heroin and illegally possessed three handguns in 2018.  Law enforcement searched Claiborne’s residence on Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood and discovered the three guns and the drugs.  U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr. imposed the sentence after a hearing July 7, 2023, in federal court in Chicago. 

Claiborne was one of four defendants convicted as part of an investigation led by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The probe revealed that Claiborne purchased three additional firearms from JAMES SAUNDERS after the guns had been transported from Missouri to Saunders’s residence in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood.  In addition to the three guns he sold to Claiborne, Saunders also sold multiple firearms to confidential informants who were cooperating with law enforcement.

Saunders pleaded guilty to federal firearm charges and was sentenced in 2019 to five years in federal prison.

Two Missouri residents who transported firearms to Saunders in Chicago were also convicted and sentenced as part of the investigation.  JUMONTA MOORE, 25, of Sikeston, Mo., and MARCUS INGRAM, 30, of Charleston, Mo., were each sentenced in 2019 to three years in federal prison.

Claiborne’s sentence and the results of the investigation were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of ATF, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared C. Jodrey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Niranjan Emani.

Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is a centerpiece of the Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force, the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force aimed at reducing gun violence.  As part of the Chicago Strike Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is also 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 has deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

“Firearms traffickers enable unlawful possession of guns and the violence that may follow,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable individuals or groups who traffic firearms into Chicago.”

“This case is an excellent example of how the Firearms Trafficking Strike Force, working together with the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, stops the flow of illegal guns into our neighborhoods,” said ATF SAC Amon.  “Prosecuting those responsible for trafficking these firearms makes our community safer.”

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a Grundy County, Ill. businessman of scheming to fraudulently raise at least $130 million from more than 500 investors.

KENNETH D. COURTRIGHT, 53, of Minooka, Ill., was convicted Friday on all seven wire fraud counts against him.  Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly set sentencing for Oct. 4, 2023, at 1:15 p.m.

Evidence at the two-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago revealed that Courtright owned and operated Today’s Growth Consultant, Inc., a Minooka, Ill.-based company that did business under the name The Income Store.  The company purported to build or acquire websites for investors.  From 2015 to 2019, Courtright schemed to defraud investors by falsely promising to provide them with a guaranteed income stream of either 50% of the advertising revenue generated by the websites or the monthly equivalent of at least 15% of the investor’s upfront fee.  Courtright backed these guarantees through fraudulent claims that his company was financially healthy.  In reality, the payment of returns to investors was primarily funded through money raised from new investors.

The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Yonan and Adam Rosenbloom. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided valuable assistance.

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted three leaders of a Chicago street gang on federal racketeering charges for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals and violently protected its perceived territory on the city’s South Side.

Convicted of racketeering conspiracy were ROMEO BLACKMAN, 27, TERRANCE SMITH, 27, and JOLICIOUS TURMAN, 31, all of Chicago.  Blackman and Smith were also convicted of multiple counts of violence in aid of racketeering.  The jury returned its verdicts Wednesday after a seven-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Blackman and Smith each face mandatory sentences of life in federal prison, while Turman faces a maximum sentence of 20 years.  U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey has not yet set sentencing dates.

A fourth defendant, NATHANIEL MCELROY, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge prior to trial.  McElroy is awaiting sentencing.

The defendants were indicted in 2018 after a joint federal and state investigation of a Chicago street gang faction known as the Goonie Boss/Goonie Gang.  The defendants and other Goonie members stole firearms to arm themselves, violently prevented witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement, and publicly boasted about gang activities on social media.  The jury found that members of the gang were liable for six murders while terrorizing the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, specifically:

• Blackman and Smith were liable for the murder of Stanley Bobo, 18, on Oct. 23, 2014, in the 1400 block of West 72nd Street.
• Blackman and Smith were liable for the murder of Krystal Jackson, 25, on Nov. 19, 2014, in the 6800 block of South Loomis Boulevard.
• Blackman was liable for the murder of Andre Donner, 26, on Dec. 13, 2015, in the 7200 block of South May Street.
• Blackman was liable for the murder of Davon Horace, 19, on Jan. 25, 2016, in the 7200 block of South May Street.
• Blackman was liable for the murder of Gerald Sias, 38, on May 26, 2016, inside a barber shop in the 1100 block of West 63rd Street.
• Turman was liable for the murder of Kenneth Whittaker, 34, on July 1, 2016, near an elementary school in the 7400 block of South Morgan Street.

The jury also found that Smith was liable for two attempted murders.

The convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albert Berry III, Maureen McCurry, and Paige Nutini.

“Combating violent street gangs is a top priority in our office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “We will use all lawful tools and resources at our disposal to dismantle those street gangs and disrupt the cycle of violence in Chicago and the surrounding areas.”

"Every Chicagoan deserves a safe place to live, and these convictions make it clear that serious crimes lead to serious consequences,” said FBI SAC Wheeler.

The investigation of the Goonie gang spanned several years and resulted in other charges against Blackman, McElroy, and numerous other alleged Goonie members or associates for various offenses, including:

• Blackman was charged along with RASHAD ANCHANDO, of Chicago, and KEITH GULLENS, of Streator, Ill., with stealing firearms from a licensed dealer in a smash-and-grab burglary.  Anchando pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in federal prison, while Gullens pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four and a half years.  Blackman pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
• McElroy and four others were indicted on federal firearms violations for scheming to “straw purchase” handguns in Michigan and re-sell them in Chicago.  All five defendants pleaded guilty.  One defendant is awaiting sentence, while the four others were sentenced to federal prison terms ranging from 16 months to seven years.
• CHRISTIAN SIVELS, of Chicago, is charged in state court with first-degree murder in the killing of David Easley on May 21, 2016.  Easley, 26, was shot and killed while walking in the 7000 block of South Carpenter Street in Chicago.  Sivels pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in Cook County Criminal Court.
• TREVANTE REED, of Chicago, is charged in state court with first-degree murder in the killing of Gerald Sias on May 26, 2016.  Sias was shot and killed while waiting inside a barbershop in the 1100 block of West 63rd Street in Chicago.  Reed pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in Cook County Criminal Court.
• JAVION BUSH, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the carjacking of an off-duty police officer on Oct. 18, 2018.  Bush was sentenced to 15 months in prison.  Upon his release from prison, Bush was charged with, and subsequently pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice by retaliating against a witness.  Bush is currently awaiting sentencing in the obstruction case.
• Convicted felon JAVONTE N. STOKES, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal firearm possession.  Stokes was sentenced to six months in prison.

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man of fraudulently obtaining more than $2.7 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

From April to November of 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 41, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.  The EIDL program was intended to provide loan assistance and grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses for legitimate businesses suffering the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.  As part of the scheme, Amuwo submitted to the SBA numerous applications for loans on behalf of businesses that he and others purportedly owned.  The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning the purported entities’ owners, employees, revenues, costs, and dates of establishment.  In an attempt to support his applications, Amuwo provided false business registration forms and bogus personal identifying information of the purported owners.

Amuwo caused the SBA to disburse at least $2.7 million in EIDL loans and grants into bank accounts that he and others controlled.  He used the money to make cash withdrawals, transfers, and purchases for his personal benefit.

After a trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Amuwo was convicted June 29, 2023, of all twelve wire fraud counts against him.  The jury also found that approximately $120,000 seized from accounts held by Amuwo should be forfeited to the government.

Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang set sentencing for Oct. 10, 2023.

The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA’s Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heidi Manschreck and Matthew Moyer.

CHICAGO — A federal drug trafficking investigation has resulted in charges against 13 individuals for allegedly trafficking fentanyl-laced heroin and cocaine on the West Side of Chicago.

The multi-year investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Chicago Police Department, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down an open-air drug market in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood.  Many of the defendants, including the group’s suspected leader, are allegedly members of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang.  In addition to federal drug charges, three of the defendants are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities.  One of the defendants was recently arrested while illegally possessing a loaded handgun on the Chicago Transit Authority’s Green Line train.

Law enforcement on Wednesday executed court-authorized searches of multiple locations in Chicago and the suburbs.  Law enforcement seized approximately ten firearms, two 50-round drum ammunition magazines, several extended ammunition magazines, more than a kilogram of cocaine, more than 250 grams of heroin containing fentanyl, and approximately nine vehicles that allegedly were used in furtherance of narcotics trafficking.

Charged with federal drug conspiracy are TERRANCE SANDERS, 40, of Aurora, Ill., SHAVELLE SIMS, 32, of Glendale Heights, Ill., TYRON PAULK, 36, of Bellwood, Ill., SAMUEL LOPEZ, 33, of Chicago, DEMECCO TARTT, 30, of Chicago, TARANCE BANKS, 30, of Calumet City, Ill., DEANDRE MADDOX, 34, of Chicago, DELAWRENCE ISON, 38, of Chicago, LAVELL GRIFFIN, 33, of Chicago, BRIAN WILLIAMS, 20, of Chicago, and RAHEEM SMITH, 30, of Bolingbrook, Ill.  Sanders, Paulk, and Smith are also each charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver are PARTGANAN BURCH, 36, of Chicago, and DEMORRIS HILL, 41, of South Holland, Ill.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday in federal court, Sanders led a drug trafficking organization that operated the open-air market in the 3400 block of West Chicago Avenue in Chicago.  Sanders and others utilized a “stash house” in the 1600 block of North Karlov Avenue in Chicago to store narcotics and prepare them for delivery to the open-air market, where they were then sold to customers, the complaint states.  Sims supervised the collection of narcotics proceeds and met with Sanders to re-supply the drug spot as needed, the complaint states.

Most of the 13 federal defendants were arrested Wednesday and have begun making initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  In addition to the federal charges, 19 other individuals were charged in state court as a result of this investigation.

The federal charges were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI in Chicago; Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of CPD; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS-CI in Chicago.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA).  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Mott and Chester Choi represent the government.

The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. 

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.

Sanders et al complaint

CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a suburban Chicago attorney to more than three years in prison for fraudulently enabling her brother to conceal more than $357,000 from creditors and the trustee in his bankruptcy case.

JAN R. KOWALSKI was a licensed attorney when she engaged in the fraud scheme in 2018 with her brother, co-defendant ROBERT M. KOWALSKI.  When Robert Kowalski filed for bankruptcy, he possessed hundreds of thousands of dollars in cashier’s checks payable to himself but which were the property of his bankruptcy estate.  Jan Kowalski helped her brother conceal the cashier’s checks, as well as money orders and other checks, by depositing them into her attorney trust account (IOLTA).  She then withdrew a portion of the funds in cash or for use in, among other things, real estate transactions for her brother’s benefit.  

When the bankruptcy trustee discovered the IOLTA account activity, Jan Kowalski attempted to conceal the scheme by fabricating documents and making materially false statements to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.  The funds concealed through the fraud scheme have yet to be recovered.

Jan Kowalski, 59, of LaGrange, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of concealing assets from a bankruptcy trustee.  In addition to the 37-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall ordered Jan Kowalski to pay $357,492 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General; Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General in Chicago; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; Catherine Huber, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Andrea Peacock, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General; Deborah Witzburg, City of Chicago Inspector General; and Kathryn B. Richards, Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Petersen, Brian Netols, and Kristin Pinkston, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.

A jury earlier this year convicted Robert Kowalski for his role in the bankruptcy fraud scheme with his sister, as well as additional embezzlement and tax fraud offenses.  Evidence at Robert Kowalski’s trial revealed that Robert Kowalski was a close associate of John Gembara, the former President of Washington Federal Bank for Savings, and that Robert Kowalski played a key role in an embezzlement scheme at the bank.  Washington Federal was based in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood until it was closed in December 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined that the bank was insolvent and had at least $66 million in nonperforming loans.

Robert Kowalski, of Chicago, is awaiting sentencing.  Numerous other defendants, including several high-ranking former bank employees, were charged as part of the federal criminal investigation into the failure of Washington Federal.

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for illegally possessing two loaded handguns and fentanyl-laced heroin in a Chicago suburb.

JARIEN SMITH illegally possessed the guns and drugs on Jan. 2, 2019, in a home in Westchester, Ill.  Smith resided in Wheaton, Ill., but used the Westchester residence as a “stash house” to store illegal narcotics that he supplied to other drug traffickers.  Law enforcement searched the Westchester residence and discovered Smith in possession of the two guns, the fentanyl-laced heroin, and various items used to cut, weigh, and package narcotics.  One of the guns was fully automatic and equipped with a 50-round, high-capacity drum magazine, while the other gun was equipped with laser sight and flashlight attachments to improve accuracy when firing at a target.

A law enforcement search of Smith’s primary residence in Wheaton, Ill., turned up nine cellphones, body armor, and a Rolex watch valued at $85,000.

Smith had previously been convicted of a felony in state court and was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.

Smith, 30, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm and drug charges.  U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman imposed a 70-month prison sentence Thursday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Illinois State Police, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misty N. Wright and Christine M. O’Neill represented the government. 

The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. 

The Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force also participated in the investigation.  HIDTA enhances and coordinates America's drug-control efforts among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in order to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences.

Holding illegal firearm possessors and drug traffickers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues in the Northern District of Illinois, particularly firearm and drug offenses.

An Illinois woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a conspiracy to murder her mother while they vacationed in Bali, Indonesia, in August 2014. 

According to court documents, Heather Mack, 27, originally from Chicago, and her boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, conspired to kill Mack’s mother while Mack and her mother vacationed in Bali. Mack arranged for Schaefer to travel to Bali using her mother’s credit card. After Schaefer arrived, Mack and Schaefer exchanged a series of text messages about how and when to kill Mack’s mother, which included a discussion about suffocating or beating the victim. Shortly after these text messages were exchanged, on Aug. 12, 2014, Schaefer entered her mother’s hotel room and, while Mack was present, brutally beat and killed Mack’s mother. Mack and Schaefer then placed the victim’s body into a suitcase and tried to leave the hotel in a taxi. When the driver of the taxi refused to accept their fare, Mack told hotel employees that she was going to go call her mother. Mack and Schaefer then fled the hotel and abandoned the suitcase containing the victim’s body in the taxicab. Mack and Schaefer were arrested by Indonesian police at another hotel in Bali the day after the murder.

In 2015, Mack and Schaefer were convicted in Indonesia of local criminal charges related to the murder. Mack was sentenced to 10 years in prison and released after serving seven years. Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison and currently remains imprisoned in Indonesia. In November 2021, upon arrival in the United States, Mack was arrested on U.S. federal charges relating to the murder. Schaefer was also charged in the U.S. indictment, and those charges remain pending against him.

Mack pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18 and faces a maximum penalty of 28 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois, and Special Agent in Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office made the announcement.

Senior Trial Attorney Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie Ursini for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case. 

Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, as well as the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago doctor has been sentenced to a federal prison term and fined $1 million for submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare and a private insurer.

JOHN A. GREAGER II, 75, of Hinsdale, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a health care fraud charge.  U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman imposed the fine and a 6-month prison sentence after a hearing Tuesday in federal court in Chicago.

Greager owned and operated Cancer Therapy Associates S.C., in Lombard, Ill.  From 2015 to 2021, Greager caused fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois falsely stating that mole-removal procedures had been provided to patients on multiple dates.  In actuality, Greager knew that those services were not provided as billed.  Greager had removed multiple moles on a single date, but the procedures were billed as though they were removed on separate dates to maximize reimbursement from Medicare and BCBS.  Greager admitted that he knew insurers paid more for moles removed on separate dates than multiple moles on a single date.  Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield ultimately paid Greager approximately $1.7 million as a result of his scheme.

To conceal his fraudulent conduct, Greager stored moles onsite at his office and delayed sending them for pathology testing.  As a result, the pathology reports made it appear as though Greager had removed the moles on separate dates.  Greager’s conduct delayed critical testing on moles that he removed for serious illnesses, including cancer.  Greager also created fake patient charts, including pre-operative and post-operative notes that indicated he performed mole-removal procedures on dates when he was not in Illinois.  Medicare conducted an audit of Greager’s patient charts, prompting Greager to instruct his staff to create false records to hide the fact that he committed health care fraud.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and Amy K. Parker, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Virginia Hancock.

CHICAGO — Four men have been indicted for allegedly abducting a suspected drug dealer in Chicago and holding him for ransom.

The four alleged kidnappers conspired in May 2018 to kidnap the suspected dealer, rob him of drugs and cash, and hold him for ransom, according to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The kidnappers, brandishing firearms, entered the suspected drug dealer’s residence and used restraints to bind him and others inside the home, the indictment states.  One of the kidnappers allegedly burned a victim’s arm with a hot object.  The kidnappers then searched the residence for drugs and cash and forced the suspected dealer to place calls to obtain ransom money, the indictment states.

Charged in the indictment with conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, and firearm offenses are CALVERT WILLIAMS, 34, of Chicago, DERRIUS BURNS, 30, of Bellwood, Ill., AHZAMI XHAMILTON, 27, of Chicago, and CHRISTOPHER GREGORY, 35, of Chicago.  The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. 

All four defendants are currently detained in law enforcement custody.  Burns, Gregory, and Xhamilton pleaded not guilty at their arraignments this week in federal court.  Williams will be arraigned at a later date.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting 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 Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Mitchell, Jimmy L. Arce, and Beth E. Palmer.

The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. 

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted the manager of a sweepstakes gaming company of participating in a bribery scheme with an Illinois state lawmaker.

JAMES T. WEISS, 44, of River Grove, Ill., was convicted on all counts against him: three counts of honest services wire fraud, two counts of bribery, one count of honest services mail fraud, and one count of making false statements to the FBI.  The jury returned its verdicts after a trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Oct. 11, 2023.

The convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. O’Neill and Sean Franzblau.

Evidence at trial revealed that in 2018 and 2019 Weiss paid thousands of dollars in bribes to then-Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo.  The bribes were paid from Weiss’s gaming company, Collage LLC, in the form of checks made payable to Spartacus 3 LLC, Arroyo’s private lobbying firm in Chicago.  In exchange for those bribes, Arroyo promoted legislation in the Illinois General Assembly related to the sweepstakes industry and advised other state lawmakers to support the legislation. 

In August 2019, Arroyo offered to have payments made to an Illinois state senator in return for the senator’s support of sweepstakes-related legislation.  On Aug. 22, 2019, Arroyo met with the senator at a restaurant in Skokie, Ill., and provided him with a $2,500 check from Collage as an initial bribe payment, with the expectation that the senator would receive similar payments for 12 months.  Arroyo told the senator, “This is the jackpot,” and then wrote the name of the senator’s nominee on the company’s check.  The nominee’s name was used for the purpose of concealing the illicit payment.

Arroyo, who represented the 3rd District in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2006 to 2019, pleaded guilty to his role in the bribery scheme and was sentenced in 2022 to nearly five years in federal prison.

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man on drug and firearm charges for allegedly possessing multiple guns while trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics in the Chicago suburbs.

An indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges OMARI ANDREWS, JR., with possessing an AR-15 rifle and three handguns in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.  Andrews allegedly distributed fentanyl and heroin in Westmont, Ill., Villa Park, Ill., Des Plaines, Ill., and Hillside, Ill., the indictment states.  In March, law enforcement searched his residence in Mt. Prospect, Ill., and discovered distribution quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as the firearms, all of which were loaded.

Andrews, 23, is detained in federal custody without bond.  His arraignment is scheduled for June 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The Skokie, Ill., Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro G. Ortega. 

Holding firearm and drug offenders accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – 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.

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.

andrews_jr._indictment.pdf

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children.

JAMES UMBAUGH, 57, admitted in a plea agreement that in 2018 he knowingly possessed, on his home computer, images of prepubescent minors, minors under the age of twelve, and toddlers engaged in sex acts.  Umbaugh possessed more than 7,900 images and videos of child pornography, including children engaged in sexually explicit conduct that Umbaugh obtained online.  Umbaugh further admitted that from 2016 to 2018 he acted as a moderator and administrator for chat rooms and websites that promoted the distribution of child abuse and child exploitation materials.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Philip G. Reinhard on Friday ordered Umbaugh to pay $18,000 in restitution to his victims.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love and Attorney James Burke of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section assisted with the investigation and prosecution.

ROCKFORD — A Whiteside County man has been sentenced to a federal prison term for embezzling from a labor organization.

BRENT TOPPERT, 43, of Morrison, Ill., was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston to five months in federal prison, to be followed by six months of home detention.  Toppert was also fined $5,000.

Toppert was the elected Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Local 238 of the Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America, a labor organization that represents members who provide security at a nuclear plant in Cordova, Ill.  Toppert pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year and admitted that from 2013 to 2018 he made several unauthorized withdrawals from SPFPA’s bank account, totaling $55,140.98, which he converted to his personal use.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Love and Vincenza Tomlinson.

“While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately criminal violations do occur,” said District Director Murray.  “When they do, it is the union and its members that are the victims.  Brent Toppert embezzled over $55,000 from SPFPA Local 238 that should have been used for its members’ benefit.  OLMS is committed to holding accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.” 

CHICAGO — A customer service representative for Southwest Airlines fraudulently created and sold travel vouchers worth more than $1.87 million, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago.

While working for Southwest at Midway Airport in Chicago, DAJUAN MARTIN used fictitious customer names to fraudulently generate the vouchers without the airline’s knowledge or approval, the indictment states.  Martin then sold the vouchers at below market value to co-defendant NED BROOKS and others in exchange for cash, the indictment states.  The vouchers, known as “Southwest Luv Vouchers,” were supposed to be used to compensate customers who had unfavorable travel experiences on the airline.

The indictment was returned Monday.  It charges Martin, 36, of Bolingbrook, Ill., with 12 counts of wire fraud, and Brooks, 46, of Chicago, with four counts of wire fraud.  Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Martin et al indictment

ROCKFORD — A Chicago man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison in connection with a series of retail store robberies in Illinois and Indiana.

In 2016, YASHMINE ODOM and his co-conspirators carried out two violent robberies, using force and pepper spray to coerce store employees while stealing laptops, iPads, smart watches, and cell phones.  During the robberies, Odom or his co-conspirators physically assaulted and restrained the employees.

On Dec. 10, 2016, Odom and his co-conspirators traveled to the Valparaiso Simply Mac store in Valparaiso, Ind., and forced store employees to the back of the store.  Odom stayed in the car as the getaway driver while his co-conspirators carried out approximately $50,000 worth of stolen merchandise. 

On Dec. 16, 2016, Odom traveled with eight co-conspirators to the Cherry Valley Simply Mac store in Cherry Valley, Ill.  Odom and his co-conspirators forced employees to the back of the store, pepper sprayed one of them, and stole two computers. 

Odom, 38, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy and robbery charges.  U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard imposed the four-year sentence Wednesday after a hearing in federal court in Rockford.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., 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. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for surreptitiously recording thousands of videos of nude boys inside YMCA lockers rooms.

For approximately two decades, MICHAEL PORTER surreptitiously recorded videos of nude boys inside the locker room at three Chicago-area YMCAs, where Porter was a member.  Porter placed a video-recording device inside of a bag and then strategically placed the bag on the floor of the locker rooms.  Porter sexually abused at least one of the boys, capturing the abuse on video.

During the investigation law enforcement seized from Porter six recording devices, seven cameras, 30 USB drives, hundreds of cassette tapes and DVDs, and two laptops.  Law enforcement discovered in his possession 46,563 images and 44,553 videos depicting child pornography, including approximately 2,245 videos produced by Porter.

Porter, 58, pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of production, receipt, and possession of child pornography.  In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis on Thursday ordered Porter to pay $63,500 in restitution to victims.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department.

“Michael Porter was a prolific manufacturer and collector of child pornography,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Totten and Elly M. Peirson argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Regardless of whether these images will ever surface again, the victims will live with the trauma imposed upon them by the defendant for the rest of their lives.”

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.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for enticing a 14-year-old girl to produce sexually explicit photos of herself and a younger sibling.

BRANDON T. HANAHAN, 26, of Bridgeview, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal child pornography charges.  U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the sentence Wednesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

Hanahan admitted in a plea agreement that in 2016 he communicated on Instagram with the 14-year-old girl and enticed her to take sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him.  Over the next several months, Hanahan repeatedly instructed and enticed the girl, who lived in California, to send him explicit photographs.  Hanahan also repeatedly asked the girl to send him sexually explicit photos of the girl’s younger sister, who was less than ten years old at the time.  The 14-year-old girl complied with Hanahan’s requests and sent him numerous photographs of herself and the sibling via Instagram private messaging.

Law enforcement searched Hanahan’s residence and discovered more than 200 images of child pornography on his electronic devices.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Orange County, Calif., Child Exploitation Task Force and the Santa Ana, Calif., Police Department.  The government was represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Malgorzata Tracz Kozaka.

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.

CHICAGO — A boat owner has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for conducting illegal charter operations on Chicago waterways.

CHRISTOPHER MIKE GARBOWSKI used a 40-foot powerboat known as “Sea Hawk” and “Anchorman” to conduct illegal commercial charter operations on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, including an area in downtown Chicago known by boaters as “the Playpen.”  Garbowski from 2017 to 2019 charged money to charter the boat to groups of passengers, such as bachelorette parties, even though he lacked the proper boating credentials and the U.S. Coast Guard had not inspected and certified his vessel.

The Coast Guard notified Garbowski about the federal regulations on multiple occasions, including at Monroe Harbor in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2017, when Coast Guard personnel boarded the boat moments before Garbowski was set to begin a five-hour charter for eight female passengers.  As the women were walking down the dock to board the boat, Garbowski called one of them on her cell phone and told her to lie to Coast Guard personnel by pretending they were friends with Garbowski.  On multiple occasions, Garbowski both verbally and in writing falsely denied to Coast Guard officials that he was operating a commercial charter service.

Garbowski, also known as “Christopher Michael Garbowski” and “Michael Gunnman,” 37, of Sterling Heights, Mich., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a felony charge of violating an order of the Captain of the Port.  U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin on Tuesday imposed the year-and-a-day sentence after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Neal R. Marzloff, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Central Field Office.  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Chapman.

“The Coast Guard regulations are designed to ensure the safety of passengers, crew members, and other vessels and individuals in the waterways,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “Our office will continue to hold accountable those who knowingly violate maritime laws and regulations.”

“Mr. Garbowski’s actions demonstrated consistent disregard for Coast Guard authority and federal regulations concerning passenger vessel safety, putting his unsuspecting, and paying, customers at risk,” said SAC Marzloff.

ROCKFORD — A former inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford in connection with the death of his cellmate. 

JAVIER GONZALEZ-VALENZUELA, 47, of Sonora, Mexico, is charged with second-degree murder and assault in connection with the Feb. 28, 2021, death of Shay Paniry, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Rockford.  Gonzalez-Valenzuela, who was Paniry’s cellmate at the time of the murder, was later released from Thomson but remained in law enforcement custody on an unrelated charge.  He pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the new charges and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Cassandra L. Quaglia.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and 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 maximum sentence for the murder charge is life imprisonment, while the maximum for the assault charge is ten years.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for robbing a downtown Chicago bank.

REGINALD DEBERRY and a co-defendant, IESHA BATCHELOR, robbed a Fifth Third Bank branch in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood on Nov. 22, 2019.  Deberry served as a lookout near the bank's entrance while Batchelor approached the teller, and, drawing on coaching from Deberry about what to say, said, “I want all the money… no one will get hurt.”  After receiving cash, Deberry and Batchelor fled from the area and divided the proceeds.

At the time of the robbery, Deberry was serving a term of court-supervised release for two prior federal bank robbery convictions.

Deberry, 60, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of bank robbery.  U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the sentence Tuesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

Batchelor, 31, of Chicago, also pleaded guilty to a bank robbery charge.  She was sentenced in March to a year in prison.

The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.

“The defendant has shown himself to be a recalcitrant outlier who has engaged in a remarkably consistent pattern of violent offenses throughout his adult life,” Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man admitted in federal court that he illegally possessed more than 3,000 videos and images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

MIGUEL ASCENCIOS, also known as “Allison Wou,” 55, of Burr Ridge, Ill., pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of receipt of child pornography.  The conviction is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum of up to 20 years.  U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman set sentencing for Aug. 22, 2023.

Ascencios admitted in a plea agreement that in 2017 and 2018 he used social media and a file-sharing service to receive and share computer files depicting child pornography.  Among the thousands of files he possessed were videos depicting the sexual exploitation of toddlers, the plea agreement states. 

Two ten-year-old children depicted in the images and videos have been identified as known child victims by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The Court at sentencing will determine the amount of restitution owed to victims.

The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Los Angeles Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Malgorzata Tracz Kozaka.

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.

CHICAGO — A woman has admitted in federal court that she used a series of threats and intimidation to bilk an elderly victim out of more than $1.6 million.

LEE TURNER, also known as “Ashley Turner,” 40, of Joliet, Ill., pleaded guilty on May 16, 2023, to one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to promote and carry on unlawful activity, namely theft and intimidation.  The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah set sentencing for Sept. 8, 2023.

Turner admitted in a plea agreement that from 2018 to 2021 she communicated numerous threats and fraudulent statements to the victim, who was in his seventies and had limited vision.  Turner’s communications threatened to expose the victim’s purported criminal activity, even though Turner had no knowledge of any such activity committed by the victim.  Turner took on false personas to convey false statements purportedly from others, including alleged gang members, individuals involved in organized crime, prosecutors, journalists, and corrupt law enforcement officers.

In one example cited in the plea agreement, Turner, using the alias “Big Joe,” sent a series of messages to the victim, claiming that the victim had to pay $30,000 to prevent law enforcement from raiding the victim’s residence and a relative’s residence.  On June 13, 2019, the victim paid Turner $30,000 to avoid the purported raids, the plea agreement states.  The money was one of dozens of similar payments, ranging in value from $5,000 to $66,000, that the victim made to Turner.  In all, Turner received $1,611,975 from the victim as a result of the scam, the plea agreement states.

The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI, and Eric Rossi, Chief of the Orland Park Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green.

ROCKFORD — A man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison in connection with a series of retail store robberies in Illinois and Indiana.

In 2016 and 2017, CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR and his co-conspirators carried out two violent robberies and one attempted robbery, using firearms and pepper spray to terrorize store employees and security guards while stealing laptops, iPads, smart watches, and cell phones.  During the robberies, Taylor or his co-conspirators physically assaulted and restrained the employees and security guards.

Taylor, 25, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to robbery and attempted robbery charges.  U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard imposed the ten-year sentence Wednesday after a hearing in federal court in Rockford.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., 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. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

Taylor admitted in a plea agreement that on Aug. 5, 2016, he attempted to rob a Best Buy store in Burbank, Ill.  Taylor drove a stolen vehicle to the store along with three co-conspirators.  Members of the group entered the store and attempted to steal two laptop computers.  The group fled in the stolen vehicle, crashing into numerous vehicles during their flight. 

On Dec. 16, 2016, Taylor traveled with eight co-conspirators to the Cherry Valley Simply Mac store in Cherry Valley, Ill.  Taylor’s co-conspirators forced the employees to the back of the store, pepper sprayed one of them, and stole two computers.  Taylor, who was waiting outside, punched an employee who was returning to the store as the robbery was occurring, and then took the employee’s cell phone. 

On Dec. 17, 2016, Taylor and his co-conspirators traveled to the Valparaiso Simply Mac store in Valparaiso, Ind., and entered the store with a gun.  The group disarmed a security guard, forced the employees and security guard to a back room, and tied them up using zip ties.  Taylor, along with his co-conspirators, carried out $69,500 worth of stolen merchandise. 

CHICAGO — A former procurement supervisor at the Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chicago has admitted in federal court that he pocketed kickbacks from the president of a medical supply company to steer the company product orders that the VA paid for but never received.

While serving as a supervisor in the medical center’s Central Supply department, THOMAS E. DUNCAN received thousands of dollars in kickbacks paid in cash and checks from DANIEL DINGLE, the president of a medical supply company based in the Chicago suburb of Dolton.  The checks were made payable to Helping Hands Properties LLC – a third-party entity managed by Duncan – and contained false and misleading memo entries in order to conceal and disguise the existence and purpose of the kickbacks.  In exchange for the kickbacks, Duncan used his official position at the VA to fraudulently initiate and approve purchases of products from Dingle’s company, knowing that many of the products would not actually be delivered to the VA.

The fraud scheme began in 2012 and continued until 2019.  In late 2018, after Duncan became aware that the VA Inspector General’s Office was investigating his conduct, Duncan created fake invoices from Helping Hands purporting to document work performed for Dingle’s company.  Duncan also told Dingle to falsely tell investigators that the payments Duncan received from Dingle’s company were for work performed by Helping Hands.

Duncan, 39, of Chicago, and Dingle, 52, of Riverdale, Ill., each pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of wire fraud, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set Duncan’s sentencing for Nov. 30, 2023.  Dingle’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

It is the government’s position that the defendants owe restitution of approximately $1,719,219 to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  The amount of restitution will be determined by the Court at the time of sentencing.

The guilty pleas were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Gregory Billingsley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Central Field Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck.

CHICAGO — An Indiana man has been charged with a federal firearm offense for allegedly unlawfully transferring a handgun to an Illinois resident.

COREY GRAY, 21, of LaPorte, Ind., is charged with one count of knowingly transferring a firearm to an individual who was neither a licensed dealer nor a resident of the same state as Gray.  A criminal complaint unsealed today in federal court in Chicago accuses Gray of transferring the firearm to the Illinois resident in the fall or winter of 2021.  At the time of the transfer, Gray knew that the purchaser was neither a licensed firearms dealer nor a resident of Indiana, the complaint states.

The Illinois resident to whom Gray transferred the gun died last month, the complaint states.  Last week, the gun was discovered by law enforcement in the possession of an individual in Chicago at the time of that individual’s arrest in connection with the murder of a police officer, the complaint states.

Gray was arrested this morning.  He made an initial appearance in federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz, who ordered Gray to remain held in federal custody pending a detention hearing on May 22, 2023, at 11:45 a.m.

The charge and arrest were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting 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 Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Schied represents the government.

The public is reminded that the complaint contains only a charge and 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 up to five years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

ROCKFORD — A federal grand jury in Rockford has charged two Kentucky men with fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars from investors and customers throughout the United States, including a business in Boone County, Ill.

The indictment charges MARK CARROLL, 47, of Lexington, Ky., and LUKE CURRY, 36, of Bowling Green, Ky., with six counts of wire fraud.  Carroll and Curry were each arrested last week in Kentucky.  Arraignments in federal court in Rockford have been scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa A. Jensen.

According to the indictment, Carroll and Curry in 2018 and 2019 created multiple limited-liability companies, including Catapult Marketing, LLC and Catapult Funding LLC, and thereafter fraudulently obtained millions of dollars from victims under false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.  The pair allegedly falsely offered a line of credit to victims in exchange for the victims’ initial deposits of about 20% of the loan facility, without actually funding the line of credit.  The indictment also alleges that Carroll and Curry fraudulently entered into private loan agreements with victims in which the defendants falsely promised to repay the principal and interest at maturity in exchange for the victims' loan funds, including guaranteeing rates of return.  According to the charges, Carroll and Curry did not pay the guaranteed rates of returns and did not pay the victims in accordance with the terms of their agreements.

The arrests and indictment were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Beckman and Lisa Munch.

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.  Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. 

The FBI is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims of the alleged fraud schemes associated with the defendants in this case.  The FBI is legally mandated to identify crimes it investigates.  Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under federal and/or state law.  Responses are voluntary but would be useful in the federal investigation and to identify you as a potential victim.  If you believe you are a potential victim who has not yet been contacted, please email finfraud2023@FBI.GOV or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.  Based on the response provided, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.

CHICAGO — A federal judge has ordered a Chicago doctor and his wife to pay more than $3 million in civil damages and penalties for unlawfully seeking and receiving kickbacks from a home health agency as payment for the doctor’s referrals of Medicare patients.  A federal jury in Chicago held them liable earlier this month.

DR. NDUDI ANIEMEKA owns Boycin Medical Clinic in Chicago, and his wife, OBIAGELI ANIEMEKA, serves as the clinic’s administrator.  In 2009 and 2010, the Aniemekas asked for and received money and other items of value from the home health agency, Grand Home Health, as payment for Dr. Aniemeka’s referrals of Medicare patients, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.  Grand then provided home health services to those patients and billed Medicare, in violation of the False Claims Act.  The Aniemekas personally took more than $80,000 in kickbacks from Grand in connection with Dr. Aniemeka’s referrals.

After a civil trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a federal jury earlier this month determined that the Aniemekas’ receipt of kickbacks caused 158 false claims to be submitted to Medicare, resulting in Medicare paying $425,976.32 on those claims.  On May 12, 2023, U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer entered judgment against the Aniemekas in the amount of $3,015,928.96, made up of $1,277,928.96 in treble damages and $1,738,000 in civil penalties, pursuant to the False Claims Act. 

The judgment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Chicago Regional Office.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate M. Flannery and Sarah J. North.

To combat fraud, the False Claims Act permits private individuals to sue for false claims on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.  The Act also allows the government to intervene or take over the lawsuit, as was done in this case, and to recover three times damages plus civil penalties of up to $11,000 for each false claim submitted during the fraud scheme.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 36 years in federal prison on charges of sexual exploitation of children.

U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard imposed the sentence Friday on NATHAN TAUCK, 32, and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release.  Judge Reinhard also ordered Tauck to pay $60,000 in restitution to his victims.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and R. Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Homeland Security Investigations.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus.

Tauck admitted in a plea agreement that in 2015 he knowingly persuaded and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material, which he then shared online via a social media application.  Tauck further admitted to possessing more than 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, three of which he shared on social media.

Shortly after committing the exploitation offense in Rockford, Tauck moved to Europe and later to China, where he worked as a teacher and engaged in the possession and distribution of child pornography.  While in China, Tauck exchanged sexual exploitation materials online with another individual, to whom Tauck indicated he was attempting to purchase an infant with the intent of sexually abusing the child. 

Tauck was detained in China and sent back to the United States in 2018 after Homeland Security Investigations collaborated with Chinese authorities.

ROCKFORD — A federal judge has sentenced a man to nearly five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded firearm in Rockford.

U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber on Tuesday sentenced CEDRIC MARKS, 35, to four years and nine months in prison.  Marks pleaded guilty last year to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

Marks admitted in a plea agreement that on Sept. 4, 2019, he possessed a loaded handgun in Rockford.  Marks was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for speeding.  He was asked to exit the vehicle after the officer detected an odor of marijuana.  Marks reached for a backpack in the vehicle, ignoring the officer’s request to stop, and then defeated the officer’s attempt to handcuff him.  Marks then ran, dropping the backpack.  He was ultimately arrested with a firearm that was loaded with five rounds of .38-caliber ammunition.  The backpack contained ammunition, cash, drugs, and drug paraphernalia.

Marks had previously been convicted of a felony and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting 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 & Explosives.  The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – 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.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford woman has been sentenced to federal prison for "straw purchasing” multiple firearms for a convicted felon whom she knew could not legally purchase the guns.

U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard on Wednesday sentenced FELICYA KNOX, 31, to five months in federal prison and seven months of home confinement.

Knox pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of misrepresenting to federally licensed firearms dealers that she was the actual transferee/buyer of three firearms, when, in fact, she was not the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms.  In a written plea agreement, Knox admitted that on multiple dates she knowingly made false and fictitious written statements to the firearms dealers, and later transferred the guns to a known felon whom Knox knew could not legally purchase or possess them.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  The Freeport Police Department and Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus.

Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is the focus of the Department of Justice’s Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force.  As part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.

Holding firearm offenders accountable through federal prosecution is also a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  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.

CHICAGO — The husband-and-wife operators of a suburban Chicago company schemed with a social worker to fraudulently obtain more than $1.16 million from Medicare, according to a federal indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois.

RICHARD W. PITTS and TAMMIE J. PITTS operated American Warriors, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation which purported to provide psychotherapy services to residents of senior living facilities in the Chicago area from 2019 to 2021.  The indictment alleges that the couple schemed with social worker CHARLO G. JORDAN to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for purported psychotherapy services that were not provided as stated in the claims.  The claims falsely stated that residents of the senior facilities had received one-hour, individual psychotherapy sessions, even though the defendants knew that such services had not been provided, the indictment states. 

As part of the scheme, Richard Pitts invited residents of the senior facilities to attend breakfast meetings, which often included guest speakers or group activities, as a way to identify Medicare beneficiaries whose information would then be used in support of the fraudulent claims, the indictment states.  When the Covid-19 pandemic began and American Warriors could no longer host in-person breakfasts, the company collected residents’ phone numbers for purported “telehealth” therapy and continued to bill Medicare for psychotherapy that was never provided, the indictment states.

In total, the indictment alleges that American Warriors received $1,164,624.61 as the result of fraudulent claims.

The indictment was unsealed Tuesday.  It charges Richard Pitts, 67, and Tammie Pitts, 53, both of Calumet City, Ill., and Jordan, 43, of Chicago, with health care fraud.  The defendants pleaded not guilty Tuesday during arraignments before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Chicago Regional Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Mulaney.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  Each count of health care fraud is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

CHICAGO — A Chicago-area woman has been charged in federal court with conspiring to “straw purchase” 19 handguns in Wisconsin on behalf of a convicted felon.  The felon was charged as part of the investigation with illegal firearm possession.

SONYA BROWN purchased the guns from licensed dealers at stores and gun shows in Wisconsin and falsely certified on federal forms that she was both a Wisconsin resident and the actual buyer of the firearms, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  In reality, Brown purchased the guns on behalf of a convicted felon with whom she resided in the Chicago area, the complaint states.  The felon – SIMONE DUNN – had previously been convicted of murder and other felonies and was not lawfully allowed to possess a firearm.  Dunn was on parole from the murder conviction when Brown purchased the guns for him earlier this year, the complaint states.

Brown, 49, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with conspiracy to violate federal firearm laws.  Dunn, 49, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with illegal firearm possession.  Both defendants were arrested Monday.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes scheduled Brown’s detention hearing for Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., while a detention hearing for Dunn was set for Thursday at 1:00 p.m.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek to have both defendants remain detained pending trial.

The charges were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting 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.  Substantial assistance was provided by the ATF Milwaukee Field Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Irene Hickey Sullivan.

“Straw purchasers enable the unlawful possession of firearms and the violence that too often follows,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “Our office is committed to stopping the flow of guns to individuals who cannot legally possess them.”

“When firearms are diverted from the legal market to the illegal market via trafficking schemes such as straw purchasing, it threatens the safety of our communities,” said ATF SAC Amon.  “ATF will continue to investigate these important cases in coordination with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners throughout Chicagoland to ensure prohibited persons do not possess firearms.”

Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is a centerpiece of the Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force, the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force aimed at reducing gun violence.  As part of the Chicago Strike Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is also 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 has deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The conspiracy charge against Brown is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, while the unlawful possession charge against Dunn is punishable by up to ten years.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

CHICAGO — Two men have been arrested on federal charges for allegedly robbing an armored truck at gunpoint in a Chicago suburb earlier this week.

DEVONTE DAVIS and DARRELL SINGLETON robbed the Brink’s armored truck on Tuesday morning in Homewood, Ill., according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The robbery occurred as two guards were picking up money from a bank inside of a grocery store in the 3100 block of 183rd Street in the Chicago suburb, the complaint states.  During the robbery, one of the robbers struck a guard in the head with a firearm, the complaint states.  Law enforcement on Tuesday afternoon located the defendants in a residence in Calumet Park, Ill., and took them into custody.

The government will seek to have both defendants remain detained pending trial.  Davis, 26, of Chicago, is scheduled for a detention hearing on May 8, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman.  Singleton, 18, of Chicago, waived his right to a detention hearing.  His case is scheduled for a status hearing on May 10, 2023, before Judge Weisman.

The complaint and arrests were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Chicago, Calumet Park Police and Fire Departments, Homewood Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Country Club Hills Police Department, Evergreen Park Police Department, Calumet City Police Department, Dolton Police Department, Alsip Police Department, Orland Park Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Lansing Police Department, and Illinois State Police.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elie Zenner and Kirsten Moran.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

The robbery charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a member of a violent Chicago street gang of participating in a racketeering conspiracy that included murder and attempted murder.  The multi-district investigation previously resulted in the convictions of 20 other defendants.

The jury on April 28, 2023, convicted MARDI LANE, 34, of Chicago, after a two-week trial in U.S. District Court.  Evidence presented at trial revealed that Lane was a member and known “shooter” of the LAFA street gang, which violently controlled territory in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.  The jury found that Lane in 2015 personally participated in a murder and multiple attempted murders.

The conviction is punishable by up to life in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., set sentencing for Dec. 8, 2023.

Twenty other defendants were previously convicted as part of the federal investigation.  The probe revealed that from 2008 to 2018, LAFA members committed multiple murders, attempted murders, robberies, and witness tampering, while trafficking cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, and MDMA in Chicago and Duluth, Minn.  LAFA members used violence and intimidation to protect the gang’s enterprise and keep rivals and witnesses in fear of retaliation.  Law enforcement during the probe seized 34 firearms, a machete and sheath, approximately a kilogram of cocaine, 78 pounds of marijuana, more than $190,000 in suspected illicit cash proceeds, designer clothing appraised at more than $300,000, Rolex watches, and numerous pieces of jewelry, including two necklaces containing 14-carat gold pendants with the initials “LAFA” written in diamonds.

Lane’s conviction and the results of the investigation were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Eric Carter, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Districts of Northern Indiana and Minnesota; the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; Illinois State Police; Cook County Sheriff’s Office; police departments in Orland Park, Ill., Evergreen Park, Ill., Bolingbrook, Ill., and Joliet, Ill.; the Minnesota-based Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force; Duluth, Minn., Police Department; St. Louis County, Minn., State’s Attorney’s Office; and FBI offices in Minneapolis, Minn., and Indianapolis, Ind.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mower, Siva Sundaram, and Simar Khera.

The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.

The 20 defendants previously convicted in this investigation are listed below.

• AKEEM ASAD, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to drug charges.  Awaiting sentencing.
• COTTRELL MACKEY, 29, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, including participating in a 2014 murder.  Awaiting sentencing.
• DIJON FOSTEN, 34, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, firearm, and drug charges.  Sentenced earlier this year to nearly 17 years.
• MARTEZ EASTER, 30, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy.  Awaiting sentencing. 
• REGINALD JONES, 29, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, including participating in a murder and attempted murder.  Awaiting sentencing.
• CAREY HINTON, 30, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy.  Sentenced in 2022 to 20 years, with a 40-month credit for time served in a related case.
• TONY PARKER, 28, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy.  Awaiting sentencing.
• QUENTIN LUCIOUS, 32, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy.  Sentenced in 2022 to 20 years and seven months, with a 76-month credit for time served in related cases.
• RAKIM ASAD, 30, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy, and a firearm offense.  Awaiting sentencing.
• HARRIETTE MCPHERSON, 50, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy.  Sentenced in 2022 to four years.
• DERRICK MCNEAL, 50, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy.  Sentenced in 2022 to six years.
• RASHAD UNDERWOOD, 46, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a drug charge.  Sentenced in 2021 to five years. 
• DEONTE BINGHAM, 42, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a firearm charge.  Sentenced in 2020 to four years and two months.
• KELVIN EVERETT, 42, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to robbery and firearm offenses.  Sentenced earlier this year to nine years and two months.
• GREGORY BLACKWELL, 33, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to robbery and firearm offenses.  Sentenced in 2022 to six years. 
• QUINCY WRIGHT, 41, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to robbery and firearm offenses.  Sentenced earlier this year to four years and five months.  
• JERRY PEOPLES, 46, of Chicago, was convicted by a federal jury in 2022 of robbery offenses.  Awaiting sentencing.
• RACHAD LUCAS, 42, of Calumet City, Ill., pleaded guilty to drug and firearm charges.  Sentenced in 2020 to five years and ten months.
• SINCERE BRANNON, 23, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a firearm charge.  Sentenced in 2022 to five years.
• ERNESTO MADRIGAL-GARZA, 34, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to an immigration offense.  Sentenced in 2022 to four years.

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted a former special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – a criminal investigative unit within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – on tax, structuring, and concealment offenses.

ANTHONY SABAINI, 41, of Naperville, Ill., was convicted on all counts against him: one count of structuring, one count of willfully engaging in a scheme to conceal a material fact in a matter within the jurisdiction of DHS, and five counts of willfully filing a false federal tax return.  The jury returned its verdicts this afternoon after a three-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  A sentencing date was not immediately set.

Sabaini was assigned to HSI’s field office in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.  Evidence at trial showed that Sabaini maintained a corrupt relationship with an HSI confidential informant (“CI”).  Sabaini tipped off the CI to sensitive law enforcement investigations and protected the CI from other federal law enforcement investigations conducted by the FBI and DEA.  In exchange for Sabaini’s protection, the CI paid Sabaini at least approximately $50,000.  The evidence showed that Sabaini stole money from HSI that was earmarked for investigative activity.  He also stole cash from drug dealers.  

Evidence at trial revealed that Sabaini deposited more than $250,000 in cash into a bank account for which he was the sole signatory.  He made the deposits through more than 162 transactions, with the amount of each deposit being less than $10,000.  The deposits were structured in an effort to evade federal reporting rules, which require financial institutions to notify the U.S. Department of the Treasury about transactions of more than $10,000.

The evidence also showed that Sabaini lied in official HSI memoranda in 2017 and 2018 to protect his corrupt relationship with the CI.  In the memoranda, Sabaini knowingly covered up material facts, including that the CI was a target of ongoing criminal investigations conducted by other law enforcement agencies, and that the CI had recently engaged in unauthorized criminal conduct that Sabaini knew would have affected his suitability as a paid HSI informant.

The tax convictions pertained to Sabaini willfully filing false federal tax returns that underreported his total income. 

A separate federal jury in 2021 convicted Sabaini’s partner, FERNANDO ZAMBRANO, of lying to investigators during the Sabaini probe.  Zambrano was a Palos Heights Police Officer assigned to an HSI task force.  Zambrano was sentenced to three months in federal prison.

The convictions of Sabaini were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Karen Whalen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General’s Chicago Field Office.  Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Jonathan Shih.

The structuring and concealment charges are each punishable by up to five years in federal prison.  Each tax charge is punishable by up to three years.

CHICAGO — The last remaining defendants in an international drug trafficking investigation have been found guilty of multiple drug trafficking charges by a federal jury in Chicago.

Evidence at trial revealed that between May 2016 and August 2017 ANTONIO CARRAZCO-MARTINEZ, 42, of Fort Valley, Georgia, also known as “El B,” JUAN MANUEL BARENAS-REYNOSO, 47, of Chicago, also known as “Chingon,” and NICOLASA BENITEZ DENOVA, 30, of Paige, Texas, also known as “Lio,” conspired with others to traffic cocaine and heroin from Mexico to the Chicago area.  Carrazco-Martinez, who was alleged to have been the leader of the group’s Chicago operations, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, as well as possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  Barenas-Reynoso and Benitez-Denova, who were alleged to have courier-related roles, were found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, as well as possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  Benitez-Denova was also found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 1 kilogram of heroin. Barenas-Reynoso was acquitted of an additional count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Throughout the multi-year investigation, an additional ten defendants were charged: 

• Pablo Anibal Vazquez-Duarte, also known as “Compa”, “Topo”, and “Troncan”, who is alleged to be the group’s leader in Mexico and remains a fugitive, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and distribution of a controlled substance.
• Leonardo Alfaro-Sandoval, 35, of Michoacan, Mexico, who remains a fugitive, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
• Ricardo Diaz-Deleon, 34, of Nueva Leon, Mexico, also known as “Diablo”, who remains a fugitive, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
• Scott London Johnson, 36, of Taylor, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine on July 12, 2022.   
• Melchor Cardenas, 30, of San Jose, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin. 
• Fermin Campos, 41, of Bolingbrook, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin.  He was sentenced to 56 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on February 24, 2022. 
• J’Anthony Lara, 25, of Austin, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on October 11, 2023. 
• Oscar Martinez-Galvan, 25, of Austin Texas, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. His charges were dismissed pursuant to a pretrial diversion agreement on July 29, 2021.
• Ignacio Cordova, 51, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin. He was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on June 4, 2021.
• Clyde Ford, 61, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. He was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge John R. Blakey on August 16, 2022.

The verdicts were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, Waukegan Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Chicago, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Chicago.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Alejandro Ortega, and Kirsten Moran.

The investigation was conducted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The principal mission of OCDETF is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations. 

CHICAGO — A federal jury has found four former Commonwealth Edison (“ComEd”) executives and associates guilty on all counts charged, including conspiring to influence and reward the former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives in order to assist with the passage of legislation favorable to the electric utility company, in addition to multiple bribery and record falsification charges.

The jury found the following defendants guilty of all charges:

• MICHAEL McCLAIN, 75, of Quincy, who worked as a lobbyist and consultant for ComEd after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1970s and early 1980s.
• ANNE PRAMAGGIORE, 64, of Barrington, who served as CEO of ComEd from 2012 to 2018, and later served as a senior executive at an affiliate of Exelon Corp., of which ComEd was a subsidiary.
• JOHN HOOKER, 74, of Chicago, who served as ComEd’s executive vice president of legislative and external affairs from 2009 to 2012, after which he worked as an external lobbyist for ComEd.
• JAY DOHERTY, 69, of Chicago, who owned Jay D. Doherty & Associates, which performed consulting services for ComEd from approximately 2011 to 2019.

Sentencing dates have not been set.  Count 1, charging the conspiracy, has a possible punishment of up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  Counts 2, 5, 6, and 8, charging bribery, have a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  Counts 3, 4, 7, and 9, charging record falsification, have a possible punishment of up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

The verdicts were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu, Diane MacArthur, Sarah E. Streicker, and Julia Schwartz. 

CHICAGO — Two Aurora residents have pleaded guilty to two counts each of forced labor and have been sentenced to six and a half years in prison by a federal judge in Chicago.

Per their plea agreements, between February 2019 and February 2020, SANTOS TEODORO AC-SALAZAR, 27, and OLGA CHOC LAJ, 34, who are both Guatemalan citizens, conspired to unlawfully enter the United States with two children who were not their own in order to more easily be allowed entry into the United States and to avoid prolonged detention by U.S. immigration authorities.  Once in the United States, Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj harbored the two children (ages 15 and 10 at the time) in a residence in Aurora by, among other things, failing to enroll the children in school, prohibiting them from leaving the residence except in limited circumstances, and instructing them to provide false information to third parties, including law enforcement authorities.  Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj also forced the two children to work as their domestic servants and childcare providers and would physically strike and threaten to strike the children if the children did not do as they were told.  Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj also forced the older child to work various paying jobs outside the Aurora residence and took nearly all of the earnings from the jobs the child worked.       

U.S. District Court Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the 78-month sentence, with a time served credit of 8-months, for Choc Laj on January 27, 2023, and imposed the identical sentence to Ac-Salazar on April 25, 2023.  In addition to the 78-month prison sentence, the Court also ordered Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj to pay $98,364 in restitution to the victims.

The sentences are announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Homeland Security Investigations; and Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Great Lakes Region.  Substantial assistance in the investigation has been provided by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Aurora Police Department, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri.

“This case outlines the extent to which many will go in order to enter and stay within this country, and the prevalence of child trafficking and labor trafficking occurring throughout our country on a daily basis” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “The abuses suffered by the victims in this case are unforgivable.  Our Office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting those who engage in all forms of trafficking and forced labor, and to bringing justice to the victims in these cases”.

“Those responsible for committing these heinous crimes sought to benefit financially by abusing the most vulnerable members of our community,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald.   “Homeland Security Investigations will continue to work with our partners to prioritize the safety of children across the state of Illinois and beyond.”

“Santos Teodoro Ac-Salazar and Olga Choc Laj trafficked two children who they forced to work for them against their will.  We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who engage in labor trafficking and involuntary servitude, particularly when children are involved,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for firearms trafficking and possession and sale of machine gun conversion devices, also known as a “switches,” which convert firearms into a fully automatic machinegun.

Per the indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, from January 24 and continuing until on or about March 30, 2023, ROGELIO CASTANEDA, 29, of Chicago, willfully engaged in the business of dealing firearms when he was not licensed to do so, and possessed and sold “switch” devices.  Specifically between February 7 and March 20, 2023, Castaneda is alleged to have sold four firearms and nine machine gun conversion devices to undercover ATF agents on four separate occasions.

The indictment is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Eric Carter, Acting Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary McDonnell.

Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is the focus of the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force.  As part of the Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is also a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy.  In the Northern District of Illinois, Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual 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.  The trafficking charge is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, while the possession of a machinegun carries up to 10 years.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

ROCKFORD — A California man was arrested on a charge of possession with intent to distribute 91 kilograms of cocaine.

RONALD COLEMAN, 43, was stopped on Interstate 88 near Morrison, Ill. by Illinois State Police while driving a semi-truck. During the inspection and investigation, the trooper utilized a narcotics-detection K9, “Roman”, to perform an exterior sniff of the semi-truck.  K9 Roman alerted to the presence of a controlled substance, leading to the search of the semi-trailer, where two suitcases were found containing approximately 91 kilograms of cocaine.  The investigation revealed that the driver was knowingly transporting the cocaine from California to the Chicago area for further distribution. 

Coleman faces a maximum potential penalty of up to life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

The charge was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Illinois State Police and the Blackhawk Area Task Force provided critical assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago high school track and field coach has been charged with possessing child pornography.

Per the complaint, beginning in the summer of 2022 and continuing until September of 2022, GLEN CLIFFORD MESSMER, 46, of Darien, an assistant track coach at High School A, interacted with at least two minors, Minor A and Minor B, in another State via the social media platforms Snapchat and Telegram.  Messmer convinced the two minors to produce child sexual abuse material, in at least one instance providing specific instructions as to how to produce the material he wanted.  The complaint alleges that Messmer paid Minor A and Minor B for the child sexual abuse material via CashApp. 

On April 25, 2023 law enforcement executed a search warrant at Messmer’s home and identified multiple image and video files that contained child pornography on a computer in the residence.  Messmer was arrested and had an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings on April 26, 2023.  Messmer is currently detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing before Judge Cummings. 

The charge was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Homeland Security Investigations.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Rosenbloom.

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and 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 charges are punishable by a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

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.  

CHICAGO — Nine individuals have been charged in Chicago, including eight alleged members of the Black P Stone Nation (“BPSN”) street gang, eight Chicagoans, and one suburban resident.  The nine defendants have been charged in federal court on an array of charges including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, firearms trafficking, and trafficking, distribution, and conspiracy to distribute drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, fentanyl-laced heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine.

• Steven Nash, also known as “Redd”, 56, is charged with firearms trafficking (counts 1 and 4), possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl (count 2), and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin (count 3).

• Marcus Taylor, 38, of Hinsdale, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

• Josephus Turner, also known as “Jamo”, 35, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely a mixture and substance containing heroin (count 1), distribution of a controlled substance, namely a mixture and substance containing cocaine base (counts 2 and 4), firearms trafficking (count 3), and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely 40 grams or more of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl (count 5).

• Calvin Bunting, also known as “White Boy”, 39, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely 40 grams or more of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl (count 5). 

• Antonio Washington, also known as “Itch” and “Britney”, 45, is charged with distribution of crack cocaine.

• Fernando Ramirez, also known as “Enterprise”, 67, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

• Alix Aurel, 47, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely, a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

• Andre Howard Jr., also known as “Baby Stone”, 35, is charged with possession of a weapon as a convicted felon.

• Joshua Broughton, ”Twiggz”, 33, is charged with possession of a weapon as a convicted felon.

Defendants Turner, Bunting, Aurel, Howard, Nash, and Broughton are alleged to be members of the Rack City faction of BPSN, which controls territory in the vicinity of W. 93rd St. and S. Halsted St. on the South Side of Chicago.  Washington and Taylor are alleged associates of the Rack City faction belonging to another faction of the PBSN.  All men have been charged via complaint with the exception of Howard, who was been charged via indictment.  During the course of the multi-year investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 62 firearms, approximately 6 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 500 grams of heroin/fentanyl, and approximately 250 grams of crack cocaine. 

All nine defendants are in law enforcement custody.  Arraignments will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The charges are announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Eric Carter, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Unit, the Internal Revenue Service, and Rosemont Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jimmy L. Arce and Patrick Mott.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The maximum terms of imprisonment for the charges range from 5 to 40 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

CHICAGO — The owner of a Chicago-area fence installation company, along with two Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) employees, have been charged in a bribery scheme.

As noted within the indictment, from approximately February to November 2017, ROBERT MITZIGA, 65, owner of Fence Masters, Inc. is alleged to have conspired with an executive of another company (Company A), BASILIO CLAUSEN, 51, of Crown Point, Indiana, who was employed by the CCAO as a residential field inspector, LUMNI LIKOVSKI, 47, of Burbank, who was employed by the CCAO as a director of taxpayer services, and Lavdim Memisovski, who was employed by the CCAO as a commercial group leader, to bribe the CCAO employees in return for reduced property assessments for properties owned by Fence Masters and Company A. Mitziga has also been charged separately with bribing Clausen, Likovski, and Memisovski; Likovski has been charged separately with accepting a bribe as a public official.  

Memisovski was charged separately by information on July 6, 2022 for conspiring to accept bribes.  He pled guilty to having engaged in a bribery scheme with the owner of a Chicago area construction company from 2016 to 2019.

Mitziga’s company, Fence Masters, and Company A had properties in Cook County that were being re-assessed by CCAO.  The two companies appealed the re-assessed values of their properties to the CCAO.  As agents of the CCAO, Clausen, Likovski, and Memisovski accepted bribes from Mitziga and the Company A executive in the form of golf outings, food, and drinks. In exchange, Clausen and Likovski circumvented the regular system of random assignment of appeals to route the appeals to Memisovski, who reduced the assessed values on the properties.

The indictment is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vikas Didwania and Richard Rothblatt.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The charges carry a possible sentence range of 5 to 10 years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

CHICAGO — The wives of convicted drug traffickers Pedro Flores and Margarito Flores have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

VIVIANNA LOPEZ, also known as “Mia Flores,” 42, and VALERIE GAYTAN, also known as “Olivia Flores,” 47, both confirmed in their plea agreements that from December 2008 until March 2020, they conspired with each other – as well as others – to conduct financial transactions involving drug proceeds, knowing the transactions were designed in part to conceal the nature of the proceeds.  Additionally, their plea agreements state that between at least May 2005 and December 2008, Margarito Flores and Pedro Flores operated a Chicago-based distribution cell for the Sinaloa Cartel and the Beltran Leyva Organization, which involved the transportation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and kilogram quantities of heroin per month to customers in Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Los Angeles, and Vancouver.  This drug trafficking activity generated hundreds of millions of dollars of proceeds from the sale of narcotics.

After their husbands’ cooperation began in November 2008, Lopez and Gaytan stored cash drug proceeds from their husbands’ drug operations, proceeds which they accessed and spent for the benefit of themselves and others until 2020.  The charges alleged that the money was spent on various items, including more than $165,000 in private school tuition for children of Vivianna Lopez and Gaytan, more than $99,000 in international and domestic travel by Vivianna Lopez and Gaytan, more than $80,000 for Vivianna Lopez’s residential rent, and approximately $11,000 in child support for a child of one of the incarcerated husbands.  Both have agreed to the government’s forfeiture request of $504,858.

Gaytan pleaded guilty on April 14, 2023 and Lopez plead guilty on April 20, 2023.  Laura Lopez also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on April 20, 2023.  Sentencing dates have not been set.  Each count carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. 

The plea agreements are announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Erika L. Csicsila.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been charged with child pornography charges for allegedly enticing four minors to produce sexually explicit images.

MICHAEL RAMOS, 46, of Chicago, is charged with four counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of an electronic device containing child pornography, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Ramos is currently detained in federal custody.  He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment before U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Tucker.

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 production count is punishable by a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years.  The possession count carries a maximum sentence of ten years.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

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.  If you or someone you know may have been a victim of Michael Ramos, email the FBI at: MICHAELRAMOSVICTIMS@FBI.GOV. All responses are voluntary, and all identities of victims will be kept confidential. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law.

CHICAGO — A consultant has been sentenced to more than four and a half years in federal prison for offering and providing bribes to City of Chicago officials in an effort to benefit his clients.

ROBERTO CALDERO, 70, of Chicago pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in September, 2022.  Caldero admitted in a plea agreement that in 2016, he offered and arranged for bribes to be provided to a City of Chicago alderman and a Chicago Public Schools employee in exchange for them taking official actions to benefit Caldero’s clients, who were seeking a custodial services contract at CPS, an honorary street name designation in Chicago, and the renaming of a parcel of property believed to be a Chicago Park District park.  The benefits Caldero offered the CPS employee included the prospect of future employment, champagne, discounted event space for a family event, and admission to an annual benefit for a museum.  To influence the alderman, Caldero arranged for campaign contributions to be made to political organizations affiliated with the alderman or his ward.  Unbeknownst to Caldero, the alderman was cooperating with the FBI.

U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger sentenced Caldero to 57-months on April 14, 2023.

The sentence is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Michelle Kramer and Amarjeet Bhachu.