Northern District of Illinois

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly trafficking fentanyl in Chicago while on state pre-trial release for a felony drug charge in Cook County, Ill.

RISHONE RASPBERRY sold approximately 52 grams of fentanyl to an undercover federal law enforcement agent on May 27, 2026, according to an indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case.  The transaction occurred in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, the charges allege. 

At the time of the undercover federal drug deal, Raspberry was on pre-trial bond for a pending felony drug charge in Cook County, Ill. related to a drug transaction that allegedly occurred three weeks prior to this federal undercover drug deal.  In addition, Raspberry was serving a three-year term of probation for a 2025 felony drug conviction in Cook County.

Raspberry, 32, of Chicago, was taken into federal custody on July 7, 2026.  The federal indictment charges him with drug distribution.  On Monday, Raspberry pleaded not guilty to the charge during his arraignment in federal court in Chicago.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain granted the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s motion that Raspberry be detained pending his trial.  A status hearing was set for Aug. 13, 2026, at 9:15 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins.

The indictment and detention order were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Chmura.

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. 

CHICAGO — A convicted felon who participated in an exchange of gunfire outside a Chicago gas station has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison.

On the afternoon of May 27, 2022, MALIK WILLIAMS was standing outside of a gas station on the South Side of Chicago when he fired two shots toward a minivan that was driving nearby.  Individuals in the minivan returned fire, and a bystander who was filling up gas in his work van was shot in the leg.  The area was busy with traffic at the time of the shooting, and several individuals were present at the gas station, including a woman who was mere feet from Williams when he fired at the minivan.

Williams, 29, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a federal charge of illegal possession of ammunition.  Williams had previously been convicted of a felony offense. On July 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Williams to nine years in federal prison. 

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department assisted in the investigation.

“Defendant fired twice at the occupied minivan,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Schied argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Had his aim been true, he would have killed one or more people on purpose.  Everyone at that intersection that day is fortunate to be alive, including defendant.”

ROCKFORD — A Boone County, Ill. man has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine.

On Oct. 25, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at BRADLEY WALTERS’s place of business, Black Sheep Vintage, in Roscoe, Ill.  Inside the premises, officers located more than a kilogram of fentanyl pills, more than 100 grams of pure methamphetamine, more than four kilograms of methamphetamine pills, and other suspected controlled substances.  Officers also located a loaded pellet gun modeled to resemble a Glock firearm. 

A search warrant was obtained after law enforcement made several controlled purchases of drugs from Walters, including at his business the day before the execution of the warrant. 

Walters, 51, Caledonia, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. On July 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Walters to 24 years and four months in federal prison. 

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office participated in the investigation with the DEA. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd. 

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced today that the Trade Fraud Task Force (TFTF), launched in August 2025, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has surpassed $1 billion in civil and criminal recoveries, penalties, forfeitures, and publicly charged losses in less than one year. This milestone reflects a fundamental shift in the federal government’s approach to customs and trade enforcement, emphasizing rigorous criminal prosecution and civil enforcement under the False Claims Act (FCA).

“For too long, fraud actors have viewed customs violations as a mere surcharge or cost of doing business,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “By utilizing the Department’s full weight, we are making it clear that trade fraud is a serious economic crime. This billion-dollar milestone demonstrates that the United States and the National Fraud Enforcement Division will no longer allow the integrity of our country’s borders and markets to be compromised for illicit profit. This message should be heard loud and clear by all supply-chain actors.” 

The TFTF was established by DOJ and DHS to investigate and prosecute those who defraud the government through material misrepresentations to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including transshipment, mislabeling, and false declaration. Its mandate covers the entire supply chain, including importers, customs brokers, downstream distributors, industrial and commercial end-users, and other supply-chain actors who knowingly profit from merchandise imported contrary to law. Although the TFTF maintains broad enforcement authority,  the task force focuses on key revenue and enforcement priorities, including the evasion of Section 301 tariffs, antidumping duties (AD), and countervailing duties (CVD), the eradication of forced labor from global supply chains that seek to exploit U.S. markets, and the prosecution of criminal violations concerning imported goods that threaten public health and safety. By prioritizing clear, high-impact enforcement actions within established legal frameworks, the TFTF ensures swift accountability and a level playing field for law-abiding American businesses.

“Ensuring that the global supply chain remains a level playing field for law-abiding American businesses is a critical component of CBP’s mission,” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. “By pairing CBP’s operational reach with DOJ’s prosecutorial authority, we are dismantling the networks that seek to bypass our laws and undermine our economic security. Every day, CBP confronts criminal networks that exploit our supply chains, endanger American families with unsafe goods, threaten the integrity of our consumer and industrial markets, and undermine confidence in international commerce. Our message is clear: those who seek to exploit America’s trade system will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”

“Through the Trade Fraud Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations is actively protecting American families and businesses from the dangers and consequences of illegal trade practices,” said Homeland Security Investigations Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon. “HSI combines investigative expertise and global partnerships to confront criminal networks that threaten fair trade and the security of our nation’s economic interests. By holding offenders accountable, we build trust in the products people rely on every day and support a fair marketplace for honest businesses.”

U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES CHARGES IN TWO SIGNIFICANT CHICAGO TRADE FRAUD CASES

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois (NDIL) today announced charges against multiple defendants in significant customs duty evasion schemes involving the false declaration of countries of origin for gold jewelry. The Trade Fraud Task Force (TFTF) has selected NDIL as its lead prosecutorial partner. These Chicago cases contributed to the TFTF surpassing the $1 billion milestone in enforced trade fraud matters.

Raj Kohli and Veena Kohli, who operate Surya International, Inc., a gold jewelry importer and wholesaler in South San Francisco, California, were charged in U.S. District Court in Chicago with falsely declaring that the gold jewelry they imported into the United States had originated in Singapore and not its true country of origin—India and United Arab Emirates. The charges allege that from approximately August 2020 through May 2024, the company, together with foreign manufacturers and other United States entities, imported and brought into the United States approximately 563 separate entries of gold jewelry that were falsely declared as having been manufactured in Singapore and in doing so avoided paying customs duties of between 5.5% and 5.8% of the declared value of the imported gold jewelry. The gold jewelry had an estimated total value of more than approximately $693 million, thus causing the avoidance of more than approximately $38 million in United States customs duties.

Separately, Narain Gulabani who owned and operated Barkha Wholesale, Inc., a gold jewelry importer and wholesaler in Naperville, Illinois, was charged in U.S. District Court in Chicago with falsely declaring the country of origin for imported gold jewelry. The charges allege that, from approximately May 2016 and October 2021, Gulabani, together with foreign manufacturers and other United States entities, imported or caused to be imported into the United States approximately 242 separate entries of gold jewelry that were falsely declared as having been manufactured in Oman or Singapore and in doing so avoided paying customs duties of between 5.5% and 5.8% of the declared value of the imported gold jewelry. The gold jewelry had an estimated total value of more than approximately $240 million, thus causing the avoidance of more than approximately $13.6 million in United States customs duties.

These charges are part of a broader federal effort to combat trade fraud schemes that undermine fair competition, harm domestic industries, deprive the United States of substantial revenue, and ultimately hurt the American taxpayer.

Gold jewelry and objects seized by law enforcement in May 2022.

CRIMINAL AND CIVIL ENFORCEMENT

The TFTF has a nationwide mandate to investigate and prosecute trade fraud and related cases, from coast-to-coast. Any offense involving the importation of an object may be inquired of and prosecuted in any district from, through, or into which the imported object moves. Moreover, federal law criminalizes down-chain activities involving merchandise entered contrary to law when done with knowledge of the illegal entry. As a result, the port of entry is only the starting point for these actions, which may also be prosecuted in the district that feels the impact of the trade fraud. 

The TFTF has secured major victories across a diverse range of industries. Recent high-impact matters include:

• Perfectus Aluminum (May 12, 2026) (CDCA): U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-led criminal investigation resulted in the collection of $549.5 million through a FCA settlement concerning massive scheme to evade antidumping and countervailing duties on aluminum extrusions.

• Boise Cascade (April 27, 2026) (SDFL): HSI-led criminal investigation resulted in a $6.3 million fine and guilty plea for Lacey Act violations where the company demonstrated willful blindness toward illegally imported birch plywood.

• Ceratizit USA (December 18, 2025) (EDMI): $54 million FCA settlement to resolve allegations of knowingly failing to pay duties on tungsten carbide products imported from China.

• Royal Sovereign (April 28, 2026) (DNJ): $8 million criminal fine and restitution ordered after failure to report to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission dangerously defective imported air conditioners allegedly linked to more than 40 fires and one death.

• MGI International (December 12, 2025) (DNH): HSI-led criminal investigation leading to resolutions against a global plastic resin distributor and its former executive concerning misrepresentations of the goods’ country of origin to avoid paying Section 301 duties.

CBP ENFORCEMENT

In addition to the civil and criminal enforcement efforts that led to this historic milestone, CBP continues to exercise its enforcement authorities to address trade violations. So far this Fiscal Year, CBP has assessed more than $2.1 billion in commercial trade penalties and debarred 35 parties from doing business with the federal government. These actions complement DOJ’s enforcement mechanisms and strengthen CBP’s mission to protect our national and economic security by preventing fraud, waste, and abuse.

THE TRADE FRAUD RESOURCE GUIDE

The DOJ and the DHS today released A Resource Guide to Trade Fraud Enforcement (the Guide). As the first joint comprehensive framework of its kind, the Guide is a historic and seminal roadmap for cross-border compliance and enforcement priorities. The Guide provides critical information to enterprises of all sizes and addresses a wide variety of topics, including who and what is covered by customs regulations and anti-trade fraud laws and the different types of civil and criminal resolutions available in trade fraud enforcement. On these and other topics, the Guide takes a multi-faceted approach toward setting forth the statutory and regulatory requirements and providing insights into the enforcement practices of the DOJ and DHS.

Since January 2025, the Department has brought trade fraud enforcement actions all over the country as shown in the map below: 

“When companies commit trade fraud, the prosperity and safety of American workers, families, and communities are put at risk,” said the DHS Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security, Aris Kourkoumelis. “To level the playing field and protect the American people, DOJ and DHS have forged the Trade Fraud Task Force and have produced this Resource Guide which provides the private sector with a transparent, comprehensive manual on trade fraud enforcement.”

GLOBAL TRADE & COMMERCE ENFORCEMENT SECTION

The Department is announcing the creation of the Global Trade & Commerce Enforcement Section (GTCES) within the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The GTCES’s mission is to investigate and prosecute criminal import, trade, and other fraud offenses that undermine American industries, evade external revenue collection, threaten consumers’ health and safety, finance foreign adversaries, promote forced labor through illegal trade practices, and violate United States laws and regulations governing domestic and foreign commerce.

A FOUNDATION OF PARTNERSHIP

The success of the GTCES and TFTF is built upon unprecedented cooperation between Main Justice, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and law enforcement partners. 

“It has been a tremendous honor to work closely with the Department and its leadership to envision what the Trade Fraud Task Force could be, and then to convert concept into reality,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros of the Northern District of Illinois. “Helping stand up the Task Force from the ground up has been a vision of mine for nearly 20 years, dating back to when I was a federal prosecutor in Chicago bringing what has still stood as the largest criminal trade fraud cases of their kind and doing so against a stacked deck. It is deeply satisfying to know that we were decades ahead of our time and that our strategy from years ago has now been adopted at the highest levels of the Department and is being implemented across the whole of government. It is a great privilege and responsibility for the Northern District of Illinois to be selected as lead prosecutorial partner for the Trade Fraud Task Force. With our expansive venue and my decades of experience in this space, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office intends to be the tip of the spear when it comes to robust and vigorous enforcement of our nation’s trade, forced labor, and other related laws. There should be no doubt, the key roads for trade fraud enforcement lead from, to, and through Chicago past, present, and future.”

The Department extends its gratitude to the 35 TFTF masthead U.S. Attorneys’ Offices: District of Arizona, Eastern District of Arkansas, Northern District of California, Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Columbia, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois, Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana, District of Maryland, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Missouri, District of Nebraska, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Middle District of North Carolina, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin. 

The Task Force also acknowledges the indispensable contributions of its law enforcement and agency partners, including CBP, HSI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration.

The Department-wide Corporate Enforcement Policy provides concrete benefits to incentivize companies to voluntarily disclose discovered misconduct, cooperate with our investigations, and timely and appropriately remediate the wrongdoing. 

The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Department’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for making a true threat to kill multiple public officials, including President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.

On Oct. 21, 2025, TRENT SCHNEIDER posted a video of himself on Instagram in which he stated, “People like me have suffered real [expletive] crimes from [expletive] judges, doctors, lawyers, police. They all should be killed.  All of them should be executed for what they’ve done . . . I’m going to get some guns.   I know where I can get a lot of [expletive] guns and I am going to take care of business myself.  I’m tired of all you [expletive] frauds.  People need to [expletive] die and people are going to die.  [Expletive] all of you, especially you Trump.  You should be executed.” 

On the same day, Schneider appeared at the Lake County, Ill. courthouse and told the judge presiding over Schneider’s pending foreclosure case that he would burn the courthouse down.

A federal jury in Chicago earlier this year convicted Schneider, 58, of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., of making a true threat in interstate commerce to injure a person.  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman sentenced Schneider to three years and two months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Jim Morley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Lake County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor, Ill. Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hanna Helwig and Paige Nutini.

“As I have repeatedly stated since becoming U.S. Attorney, threats against public officials are an attack on our democracy and must be met with swift and serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is working in lockstep with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute criminal threats of violence, including political violence.  Those who cross the line into such conduct and activity will not find safe haven in the Northern District of Illinois.”

“Safeguarding the President of the United States and all our protectees is the U.S. Secret Service’s top priority, as this case demonstrates,” said Acting SAIC Morley.  “Political violence has no place in civil society, and we will vigorously pursue threats against our protectees.  I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois for its diligent prosecution in this important case.  I also thank our law enforcement partners at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor Police Department for their support and collaboration throughout this investigation.”

ROCKFORD — A man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for robbing a United States Post Office in Rockford last year.     

On May 27, 2025, ANTHONY JOHNSON walked approximately one block from his residence in Rockford to the Post Office, where he reached for a firearm in his waistband and told the clerk to give him all the money in the cash register.  After stealing approximately $219, Johnson ran back to his residence, crossing private backyards on his way.

Johnson, 59, of Rockford, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of robbing money from the United States.  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Johnson to six years and eight months in federal prison and ordered him to pay full restitution to the U.S. Postal Service.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

“Robbing a Post Office with a gun is a violent offense that places innocent human lives in immediate, terrifying danger,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The U.S. Postal Service serves a critically important government function, and its employees must be allowed to perform their duties for the American people safely and securely.  Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize cases that involve threats, violence, and intimidation against federal officials. The federal law enforcement apparatus in Chicago will pursue, apprehend, and convict those who choose to compromise the safety of our public servants.”

“The safety of our postal employees and postal infrastructure is paramount,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Bucciarelli.  “Letter carriers, clerks, and other postal employees serve our communities, and violence against them affects us all. This conviction serves as a warning that targeting the U.S. Postal Service will result in federal law enforcement relentlessly pursuing those responsible until they are brought to justice. We thank the Rockford Police Department and the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication and partnership in securing this conviction.”

CHICAGO – A man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for submitting—and teaching others how to submit—false Covid-relief loan applications on behalf of themselves and others who paid kickbacks to him and his co-schemers.  Under the leadership of United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has been taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud.

JAMES TOWNSEND schemed to fraudulently obtain more than $2 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). In 2021, Townsend submitted and caused to be submitted more than 100 applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on behalf of dozens of sole proprietorships purportedly operated by Townsend and others.  The applications contained numerous false statements and misrepresentations regarding the purported proprietorships’ operations, including the number of employees, gross revenues, and payroll expenses.  In reality, the applicants did not operate sole proprietorships, nor did they employ any individuals or incur operational expenses such as payroll.  For each successful fraudulent loan, Townsend and his co-schemers received kickback payments from the loan applicants.

Townsend pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal wire fraud charge.  On June 24, 2026, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Townsend to four years in federal prison and ordered him to pay full restitution.

Townsend also recruited and directed co-defendants SARAH STOKES 37, of Crestwood, Ill., and AMANDA HELLER, 40, of Crestwood, Ill., to find putative borrowers, complete and submit fraudulent applications on their behalf, and then share the proceeds.  Stokes and Heller each pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge. Stokes was sentenced in November 2025 to 18 months in federal prison.  Heller’s sentencing is set for Oct. 28, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Boutros announced Townsend’s sentence along with Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. 

“Defendant’s crime was serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Rosenbloom argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Townsend’s case.  “He defrauded the government of millions of dollars meant to help regular Americans survive a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.”

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”).  The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.  The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been convicted on federal murder-for-hire charges for plotting to kill two potential witnesses in his cousin’s murder trial.

In the summer of 2024, CHRISTOPHER YATES sought the killings of two individuals he believed would testify against his cousin, who was set to go to trial in Cook County for allegedly fatally shooting a woman in 2020. Yates recruited two individuals to carry out the killings of the witnesses and provided them with a handgun and ammunition.  Yates told them, “I want them both off the board. Both of them got to [expletive] go.” 

Yates provided them with $250 in cash and said he could offer more money later as payment for the killings.  “Whatever you charge, I’m working on that,” Yates told them.

Yates, 41, was arrested on July 31, 2024, before the killings could be carried out. He has remained detained in federal custody since then.

After a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury convicted Yates on June 29, 2026, of two counts of murder-for-hire and one count of unlawful transfer of a firearm and ammunition.  The unlawful transfer charge is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison, while each murder-for-hire count is punishable by up to ten years. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Oct. 28, 2026.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations. Substantial assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirsten Moran and Megan Donohue. 

CHICAGO — A former accountant for a gold jewelry exporter in the United Arab Emirates has been sentenced to ten months in federal prison for conspiring to avoid United States Customs duties on gold jewelry shipments imported by a suburban Chicago company.

RAVI KAPADIA conspired with the owner of a UAE exporter and others to fraudulently import gold jewelry from certain countries, including India, and avoid the payment of customs duties by falsely declaring that the jewelry originated in Oman. When agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection inquired about one of the UAE company’s shipments bound for the Northern District of Illinois and asked for information about the jewelry’s country of origin, Kapadia and others created and obtained false documentation to substantiate that the jewelry was purportedly manufactured in Oman.  The false documentation included the creation of a list of purported employees with fictitious roles and salary information.  The false documentation was then furnished to CBP.

Kapadia, 46, a citizen of India who most recently resided in Jersey City, N.J., pleaded guilty in October 2025 in U.S. District Court in Chicago to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States and enter goods by means of false statements.  On June 26, 2026, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Kapadia to ten months in federal prison and ordered him to pay restitution to the United States.  Kapadia was held accountable at sentencing for evading more than $1.89 million in U.S. Customs duties from June 2019 to April 2020.

The conviction subjects Kapadia to removal from the United States.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.

The Department of Justice recently selected the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to be the lead prosecutorial partner to the Trade Fraud Task Force, which vigorously pursues enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade federal customs, trade, and adjacent laws.  When U.S. Attorney Boutros served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago from 2008 to 2015, he led what still stand as the Department of Justice’s largest-ever criminal trade fraud prosecutions, spanning 27 corporate and individual defendants across multiple indictments, with losses totaling approximately $260 million.

“Trade fraud, like the conspiracy perpetrated in this case, deprives the United States government of vital revenue and undermines consumer confidence,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Trade compliance is critically important to not only our region’s economic security and public safety, but also that of our entire nation’s. I can assure the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be strongly committed to holding parties accountable for evading applicable duties and tariffs, which undermine the rule of law, harm American industry, and create a two-tier pricing structure: higher prices for buyers and sellers unwilling to transact in illegally-entered goods and cheaper prices for those willing to do so or who are otherwise indifferent.”

“Protecting the integrity of our nation’s borders and trade systems is a core mission for Homeland Security Investigations,” said HSI SAC Scarpino. “This case demonstrates HSI’s commitment to working alongside our partners to identify and disrupt complex schemes that threaten the U.S. economy and undermine lawful commerce. We will continue to pursue those who attempt to defraud the government and ensure that individuals and businesses are held accountable for violating federal customs laws.”

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”).  The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.  The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

CHICAGO — After being convicted by a federal jury, a man has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for threatening and assaulting a Chicago restaurateur to collect a debt.

JAWAD FAKROUNE loaned approximately $405,000 to the restaurateur to develop and open a new restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and to pay certain taxes.  In November 2024, Fakroune began to threaten the restaurateur about repayment of the loan.  On the evening of Nov. 25, 2024, Fakroune confronted the restaurateur and threatened him over the manner and nature of the repayments.  Fakroune choked, kicked, and punched the restaurateur, while continuing to demand money and repeatedly threatening the lives of the restaurateur and his family.

A jury in federal court in Chicago earlier this year convicted Fakroune, also known as “Angelino Escobar” or “Anjelino Escobar,” 46, on both extortion counts against him.  On June 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced Fakroune to 78 months in federal prison.  Fakroune is a foreign national who recently resided in the Chicago area. 

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Marta Grijalva, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.

“The offenses of conviction reflect defendant’s violent nature, danger to the community, and lawlessness,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Business disputes are resolved in courts of law—not through violent confrontations in public restaurants.”

CHICAGO — A foreign national has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for conducting a “tech support” fraud scheme that victimized senior citizens in the United States.

While residing in his native India in 2020 and 2021, KARTIK SAINI and co-schemers falsely represented to individuals in the United States that they were tech support or security employees of large companies, such as Google, Apple, or Citibank.  Saini or a co-schemer falsely informed the victims that their computers had been hacked and that their bank accounts had been compromised.  Saini or a co-schemer then convinced the victims to transfer significant funds to various bank accounts, claiming the companies would safely hold the money while the purported cyber hack was investigated by law enforcement.  In reality, those bank accounts were controlled by Saini and his co-schemers, who used the accounts to steal the victims’ money. 

In addition to the tech support fraud, Saini also convinced some of his victims to transfer cryptocurrency or gift cards to him or his co-schemers.  In all, Saini defrauded at least four victims with an intended loss of more than $1.2 million.  One of the victims, a Chicago resident, suffered a loss of more than $746,000, which reflected a large portion of her retirement savings.

Saini, 33, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Aug. 26, 2024, where he arrived from India.  He pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago in March 2026 to a wire fraud charge.  On June 25, 2026, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Saini to six years and a month in federal prison and ordered him to pay full restitution to his victims.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

“Defendant’s scheme caused significant financial loss and emotional trauma to victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “A significant sentence of incarceration will send a message to those would-be participants in these types of schemes, including those located in India, that those who defraud American citizens from abroad will face a meaningful term of imprisonment.”

CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that 179 individuals were charged across 140 newly-filed cases as part of the massively successful Operation New Dawn, a first-of-its-kind “badgeless” enforcement initiative in Chicagoland that focused on a single mission for roughly 60 days: to set aside barriers and focus exclusively on disrupting violence in the Chicago and Rockford areas by arresting the worst of the worst offenders, who would then face federal criminal prosecution.  This Operation is described as “badgeless” because multiple federal agencies came together under the banner of the United States flag as opposed to the shield of any agency.  Doing so created shared accountability and unified, mission-minded, anti-violence work in the Northern District of Illinois starting in the spring and continuing into the summer in special recognition of our nation’s 250th birthday. U.S. Attorney Boutros constructed Operation New Dawn using an innovative federal law enforcement approach to fighting violent crime that had not been done before in the District: eleven federal agencies worked arm-in-arm as one cohesive, unified partnership to arrest dangerous criminals responsible for serious offenses, including robberies, kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, firearms trafficking, firearm offenses, drug trafficking, immigration violations, child exploitation, and various other federal violent crimes. 

The results of this new approach exceeded all expectations: Since roughly May 1, 2026, 179 criminal defendants were charged in federal court across 140 newly-filed criminal cases; 305 fugitives were apprehended and brought into custody, many of whom had previously been charged with serious criminal offenses; and 24 children, many of whom were kidnapped, were located and safely returned home.

“It is my view that to combat violence, federal law enforcement must move at the speed of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The remarkable success of Operation New Dawn resoundingly proves that point.  Chicago’s federal anti-violence apparatus united under one banner—the United States flag and not the shield, badge, banner, or logo of any agency—to make their presence felt on the streets of Chicago and make it known that they are a force to be reckoned with in the battle against violence.  As the name New Dawn embodies, it’s the dawn of a new federal law enforcement era when it comes to combating violent crime in the Northern District of Illinois and being responsive to the people of the District, who want to be and feel safe.  During Operation New Dawn, federal law enforcement engaged in rapid, targeted, and responsive interventions that interrupted violence in real time.  Our law enforcement goal was singular: to tackle the scourge of violence that has gripped this incredible, American city for too long.”

U.S. Attorney Boutros wishes to personally thank Robert Cekada, Director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who flew from Washington, D.C. to Chicago to jointly announce the tremendous results of Operation New Dawn.  The ATF Chicago Field Division has been an extraordinary partner in the fight against violence in Chicago.  In addition, U.S. Attorney Boutros also wishes to thank all eleven of the Special Agents in Charge (SACs), other law enforcement agency heads, and all their various leadership teams for their exceptional and strong partnership in this “whole of federal law enforcement” Operation.  The leadership, resources, and energy they brought to Operation New Dawn were truly outstanding.  Those thanks are extended to Christopher Amon of ATF; Todd C. Smith of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Douglas S. DePodesta of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Matthew Scarpino of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Diego Grimaldo of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force (GLRFTF); Marta Grijalva of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI); Arturo E. Hernandez of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Central Field Office; LaDon Reynolds of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); Nicholas Bucciarelli of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Frank Padula of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago (ICE). The Chicago Police Department provided strong, sustained support and assistance throughout Operation New Dawn.

“The significance of Operation New Dawn, in which eleven federal agencies agreed to come together with one common mission, is truly historic and a powerful and manifestly visible testament to how united the federal law enforcement community is in Chicago,” stated U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “I couldn’t be prouder of the work of our Assistant U.S. Attorneys—many of whom I personally hired within the past year-plus—and our law enforcement partners who literally endured violent attacks and attempted robberies by criminals who apparently didn’t get the message that a new era of federal crime fighting in Chicago started more than a year ago when I became U.S. Attorney. Recognizing that crime doesn’t stop or operate at normal hours, federal prosecutors, agents, Office and agency leaders, and others, worked many long days, nights, weekends, and holidays to make Operation New Dawn a success.  But it was worth it, because it’s our way to uniquely give back to the country in celebration of the 250th birthday of the greatest nation ever to be formed.”

Although many notable cases could be singled out, a selection of significant charges from Operation New Dawn are highlighted in these “Top 5” reports from ATF, FBI, HSI, and DEA. These cases involve serious violent offenses, including murder, carjacking, fentanyl trafficking, firearms trafficking, and child sex offenses.  The cases are representative of the type of significant federal arrests that were made and charges that were filed under Operation New Dawn to remove dangerous offenders from our neighborhoods.

“Law enforcement has always been, and always will be, a team sport,” said Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division.  “The success of Operation New Dawn reflects the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the trust, commitment, and collaboration among our Chicago federal law enforcement partners.  Together, we made a meaningful impact by removing shooters and other violent offenders from our streets making Chicago safer for all.” 

“Operation New Dawn demonstrates the power of coordinated law enforcement efforts to address the interconnected threats of violent crime and drug trafficking,” said Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division.  “Through the Homeland Security Task Force and in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies combined intelligence, resources and expertise to target individuals and criminal networks that threaten public safety.  Reducing violent crime remains one of DEA’s top strategic priorities, and the significant drug seizures resulting from this operation underscore the close relationship between violence and drug trafficking activity.  By working together to disrupt criminal organizations, remove dangerous drugs from our communities, and hold offenders accountable, we are enhancing public safety while advancing our commitment to a Fentanyl Free America.”

“Operation New Dawn served as an opportunity for the public to see the relentless and talented work by the men and women of the FBI Chicago Field Office,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office.  "These successes showcase the sophisticated and brave work done by the FBI every day.  The FBI remains committed to keeping our communities safe, removing violent criminals from our streets, and disrupting the networks criminals use when attempting to harm the people law enforcement is sworn to serve and protect.  The FBI’s operational period protecting this city knows no end date, and we are proud to continue to work with our partners and the public to ensure those who live and work in Chicago are free from threats or harm.”

“Operation New Dawn is a testament to what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite to fight against violent crime,” said Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of HSI.  “HSI is proud to have played a critical role in this unprecedented anti-violence initiative, leveraging our investigative expertise to disrupt violent criminal networks, dismantle drug trafficking organizations, and protect vulnerable children in the greater Chicago area.  The results of this operation demonstrate the power of unified action and the dedication of HSI agents to safeguarding our communities.  As we mark our nation’s 250th birthday, HSI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure the safety and security of every resident in our great city.”

“Violent crime has no place in one of America’s greatest cities,” said Marta Grijalva, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office.  “IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to stand alongside our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle the criminal organizations that bring violence into our neighborhoods.  By exposing the financial networks that fuel violent crime, we help dismantle the organizations that profit from fear and make our communities safer.”

The public is reminded that charges are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced charges filed in the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas against eight alleged members of designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) for murders, kidnappings, and firearms offenses. All eight defendants charged in these Homeland Security Task Force operations are illegal aliens believed to be from Venezuela who illegally enter the United States between December 2021 and April 2024. One defendant charged in Northern Texas is now in custody in Colombia for unrelated charges.  

“Eight TdA members illegally entered the United States between 2021 and 2024 and are alleged to have committed horrific crimes, including murdering a father in front of his teenage daughter,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This should never have happened in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. In the 18 months since President Trump stopped this madness, designating Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, we have charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with egregious violent crimes – murders, sex trafficking, kidnapping – along with weapons and drug trafficking, robbery, and widespread financial crimes. This work requires an all government, all law enforcement approach, which is precisely what has happened under the leadership of President Trump.”

TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities.

As alleged in court documents, in the United States, TdA is organized into subsets or cells based on geographic area of operation. Each regional cell typically has one or more leaders who are responsible for, among other things, managing the criminal enterprise’s activities in the territory, collecting money from other members and associates to finance gang activities and crimes, directing day-to-day management of the region, and planning and ordering acts of violence against rival gang members, associates, and other victims. The leaders of these subsets or cells report to, receive directives from, and distribute criminally-derived assets and proceeds to TdA leaders throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 300 members and associates of TdA across 28 districts.

“President Trump‘s historic leadership designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has given this FBI and our law-enforcement partners the tools we need to wipe out their operations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Now, every single day across this country, we are decimating their presence in America - dismantling and disrupting over 2,700 violent gangs, a 365% increase, with a 500% increase in Tren de Aragua arrests since 2024. Today, thanks to tremendous work from FBI Chicago, FBI Dallas, and our partners as part of the FBI’s nationwide violent crime initiative Summer Heat 2.0, eight more alleged TdA members who entered the United States under the previous administration have been indicted or arrested and will face justice for their crimes.”

“The complaint against these three TdA members should leave no doubt that the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their members and associates accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of TdA, which very deservedly has been designated by President Trump and his Administration as a terrorist organization. Our shared goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle TdA and not allow it to gain a foothold in the United States or Chicagoland. This Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, many families in the Chicago area will celebrate with loved ones because the whole of federal government in Chicago is taking violent crime seriously and in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. The result is that the scourge of violence that has gripped Chicago for too long is beginning to see relief.”

“On this 250th anniversary of the birth of our great nation, I am reminded of how lucky we are to enjoy the many freedoms that our country provides. Which is why, as U.S. Attorney, I am laser focused on ensuring that North Texans can enjoy freedom and safety in all our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “This indictment of TdA gang members is a significant step to ensure that this dangerous transnational gang does not oppress, intimidate or harm our fellow North Texans. Let this serve as a warning to all TdA members: you will not gain a stronghold in the Northern District of Texas.”

“Violent transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua pose a significant and ongoing threat to the safety of our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “This indictment is a testament to the dedication of our agents and the strength of our partnership through the Homeland Security Task Force. By working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement, HSI continues to disrupt violent criminal organizations and protect communities across the United States.”

Case summaries are below:

Northern District of Illinois

On June 29, 2026, three alleged members of the transnational criminal organization, TdA, were charged in the Northern District of Illinois with participating in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder a man in Chicago.

The criminal complaint charges Josue Pacheco Torres, 26, Julian Pachano, 19, and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, also known as “Goofy,” 20, with kidnapping conspiracy and committing a kidnapping that resulted in death. The three defendants are believed to be Venezuelan nationals. Pachano was arrested late last night, while Torres was arrested early yesterday morning. Monasterio Briceno was already in law enforcement custody.

According to the complaint, the defendants conspired to kidnap a man who was walking near Meyering Park on the South Side of Chicago on May 18.  The victim was forced into a car and initially driven to a Chicago apartment. The defendants and other co-conspirators later transported the victim — while his wrists were bound together behind his back — to an abandoned building in Chicago, the complaint states. 

The following night, the victim’s mother contacted Chicago Police to request a wellness check at the abandoned building. The mother told police that she had been directed to the building by an individual with whom the mother had been communicating on the online messaging application WhatsApp. According to the complaint, Chicago Police entered the building and found the victim deceased inside the bathroom of an abandoned unit. The victim, who was discovered facedown with his wrists bound behind his back, had been shot multiple times and had also suffered blunt force injuries to his head, arms, neck, hands, and torso, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, the conspiracy to kidnap and murder the victim was carried out in connection with the defendants’ involvement in TdA. Since 2024, law enforcement in Chicago has been investigating acts of violence, including murders and shootings, involving suspected members of TdA and its splinter faction, Anti-Tren.

Additionally, at the time of the murder, Pacheco Torres was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet as a condition of his pretrial release in a criminal prosecution pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

The charges and arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of HSI Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Office provided valuable assistance in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju, Simar Khera, and Michael Spitulnik for the Northern District of Illinois and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jun Xiang, Katelan Doyle, and Andrew K. Chan are prosecuting this case.

Northern District of Texas

On June 30, 2026, a grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned charges against five alleged members of TdA. All five defendants are citizens and nationals of Venezuela.

The defendants Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, also known as “Murry” and “Munra,” 36; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, also known as “El Ingeniero” and “El Negro,” 39, were indicted on racketeering charges involving murder, kidnapping, and other violent offenses.

Each defendant is charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring and agreeing with one another, and with others, to conduct and participate directly and indirectly in the conduct of the affairs of the TdA enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, which consisted of multiple acts involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, and bank fraud. Each defendant is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering for allegedly kidnapping three individuals on or about August 24, 2024, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in TdA. Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly aiding and abetting each other in committing the murder of one of the individuals who was kidnapped on or about August 24, 2024. Additionally, Zambrano Bolivar is charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI Dallas Field Office, and Chief of Police Kevin McCoy of the Farmers Branch, Texas Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate and Caroline Poore for the Northern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jacob Operskalski, Kelly McGann, Stefani Hepford, and Josie Thomas are prosecuting this case.

If convicted, the defendants in both the Northern District of Illinois and the Northern District of Texas face up to life in prison. Pacheco Torres, Monasteria Briceno, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano also face the possibility of the death penalty.

These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTFs Chicago and Dallas comprise of agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), HIDTA, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas.

These cases are also part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

A complaint and indictment are merely allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

An alleged member of the criminal cyber hacking group Scattered Spider has been arrested in Finland and extradited to the United States to face federal criminal conspiracy charges in the Northern District of Illinois.

A criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday charges Peter Stokes, 19, a dual citizen of the United States and Estonia, with conspiracy, computer intrusion, and fraud. Stokes was arrested by Finnish authorities in April pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice and extradited to the United States last week. He made an initial appearance on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago and was ordered to remain in law enforcement custody.

“The criminal complaint charges Peter Stokes with membership in Scattered Spider, a hacking group that has been involved in over 100 network intrusions, resulting in more than $100 million in ransom payments and millions more in damages to the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The charges unsealed today are the result of years of work by the Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, and the FBI. We will continue to partner to ensure that cybercriminals cannot evade the reach of the United States.”

“The malicious attacks from Scattered Spider caused widespread disruption to businesses and organizations throughout the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “As Co-Chair of the White Collar, Cyber, and Crypto Subcommittee of Acting Attorney General Blanche’s Advisory Committee, I am acutely aware of the significant and growing threat posed by brazen cyber criminals. These charges underscore our unwavering commitment to keeping pace with technologically savvy criminal actors and holding accountable those who seek to profit from cyber intrusions, including those located in foreign jurisdictions who do harm to American businesses and victims.”

“Scattered Spider has repeatedly targeted U.S. companies, extorting employees, inflicting millions of dollars in losses, and disrupting essential operations,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Through strong domestic and international partnerships, the FBI will continue to identify, disrupt, and hold cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they are located.”

According to the complaint, Scattered Spider, also known as “Octo Tempest,” “UNC3944,” and “0ktapus,” is a group of criminal cyber actors that has targeted numerous corporate victims in the United States by gaining access to companies’ employee accounts through fraudulent pretenses, encrypting the companies’ data or exfiltrating it to remote servers, and then extorting cryptocurrency from the companies to regain control over their data or prevent the dissemination of the data.

Among other offenses, the complaint alleges that Stokes and other co-conspirators breached a luxury jewelry retailer’s computer system, exfiltrated data from the company, and made a ransom demand of approximately $8 million in cryptocurrency in May 2025. The retailer’s security personnel successfully evicted the threat actors from the company’s computer network and no ransom was paid. The retailer nonetheless suffered a loss of at least $2 million due to business disruption, investigation, and mitigation of the threat.

The FBI Chicago Field Office investigated the case. The FBI’s Copenhagen Law Enforcement Attaché Office assisted. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne L. Rose of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Ann Marie Ursini for the Northern District of Illinois. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Finnish authorities to secure the extradition of Stokes. The Department of Justice also acknowledges and appreciates the assistance of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation in this matter.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.

This action is part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI’s sustained enforcement response to that threat.

A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

CHICAGO — An alleged member of the criminal cyber hacking group Scattered Spider has been arrested in Finland and extradited to the United States to face federal criminal conspiracy charges in the Northern District of Illinois.

A criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges PETER STOKES, 19, a dual citizen of the United States and Estonia, with conspiracy, cyber intrusion, and fraud offenses.  Stokes was arrested by Finnish authorities in April pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice and extradited to the United States last week.  He made an initial appearance on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago and was ordered to remain detained in law enforcement custody.

According to the complaint, Scattered Spider, also known as “Octo Tempest,” “UNC3944,” and “0ktapus,” is a group of criminal cyber actors that has been involved with more than 100 network intrusions, resulting in more than approximately $100 million in ransom payments and millions of dollars in damages to the victims.  The group has targeted numerous corporate victims in the United States by gaining access to companies’ employee accounts through fraudulent pretenses, encrypting the companies’ data or exfiltrating it to remote servers, and then extorting cryptocurrency from the companies to regain control over their data or prevent the dissemination of the data. 

The complaint against Stokes describes a cyber intrusion in May 2025 against a luxury jewelry retailer.  Stokes and likely other co-conspirators breached the retailer’s computer system, exfiltrated data from the company, and made a ransom demand of approximately $8 million in cryptocurrency, the complaint states.  The retailer’s security personnel successfully evicted the threat actors from the company’s computer network and no ransom was paid.  The retailer nonetheless suffered a loss of at least $2 million due to business disruption, investigation, and mitigation of the threat.

The charges and extradition were announced by A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The FBI’s Copenhagen Law Enforcement Attaché Office and the FBI Las Vegas Field Office assisted.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Ann Marie Ursini of the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne L. Rose of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Finnish authorities to secure the extradition of Stokes.  The Department of Justice acknowledges and appreciates the assistance of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation in this matter.

“The criminal complaint charges Peter Stokes with membership in Scattered Spider, a hacking group that has been involved in over 100 network intrusions, resulting in more than $100 million in ransom payments and millions more in damages to the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Duva.  “The charges unsealed today are the result of years of work by the Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, and the FBI.  We will continue to partner to ensure that cybercriminals cannot evade the reach of the United States.” 

“The malicious attacks from Scattered Spider caused widespread disruption to businesses and organizations throughout the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “As Co-Chair of the White Collar, Cyber, and Crypto Subcommittee of Acting Attorney General Blanche’s Advisory Committee, I am acutely aware of the significant and growing threat posed by brazen cyber criminals.  These charges underscore our unwavering commitment to keeping pace with technologically savvy criminal actors and holding accountable those who seek to profit from cyber intrusions, including those located in foreign jurisdictions who do harm to American businesses and victims.”

“The responsibility of protecting our nation's security and welfare extends beyond our borders, over international territories, and most critically, in the cyber universe,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “Thanks to our international partnerships and cross-agency collaboration, the FBI successfully identified a known Scattered Spider actor alleged to have targeted hardworking Americans and critical infrastructure.  The FBI will stop at nothing to ensure that Americans are free from attacks and danger, wherever it may be lurking.”

This action is part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people.  Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase.  Operation Riptide is the FBI's sustained enforcement response to that threat.

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

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to eight years in prison for robbing a U.S. Postal Service carrier in Chicago.

The robbery occurred on March 18, 2022, in the 700 block of South Claremont Avenue in Chicago.  The carrier was delivering mail when HENRY L. MOORER approached on foot and demanded postal property from the carrier.  Moorer then pulled a semiautomatic handgun from the pocket of his sweatshirt and displayed the butt of the firearm.  The carrier raised his arms in the air as Moorer grabbed the postal property from the carrier and walked away.  Moorer then fled the area in his vehicle.

At the time of the robbery, Moorer was on electronic monitoring for an unrelated criminal case in the Circuit Cook of Cook County.  He was arrested in March 2024 and has remained detained in law enforcement custody since then.

Moorer, 33, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to a federal robbery charge.  On June 18, 2026, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. sentenced Moorer to eight years in federal prison, to be served concurrently with a criminal sentence Moorer is serving for an unrelated state court conviction.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. 

“Robbery is a serious, dangerous crime that threatens public safety,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Schwartz argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “The danger attendant to all robberies is heightened in cases where—like defendant—the robber possesses a firearm.  This traumatized the victim Postal worker and could have escalated into a situation posing serious physical harm to the Postal worker and the public.”

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly eight years in federal prison for fraudulently arranging utility services to be provided to 2,000 properties in exchange for fees.

DAVID W. BROWN offered to arrange electricity and natural gas services for residential and commercial properties in the Chicago area in return for fees.  After finding property owners and tenants willing to pay him, Brown opened new accounts for utility services at their addresses, knowing that neither he nor the purported customer intended to pay for it.  Brown knew it would typically take from 90 days to several months for the utility companies to disconnect service for lack of payment, allowing the addresses to receive free services for significant periods of time.  

Brown opened the accounts using false customer names and identifying information to deceive the service providers.  Once a utility company initiated the process to terminate service, Brown often continued the service by fraudulently opening new accounts in the names of different false customers at the same address.

Brown typically received payments ranging from $50 to $150 every few months from the property owners and tenants who received the services.  From 2017 to 2024, Brown caused Commonwealth Edison, Nicor Gas, and People’s Gas to fraudulently provide at least $8.5 million in services to more than two thousand residential and commercial properties in the Chicago area.

Brown, 56, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a federal wire fraud charge.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt sentenced Brown to 92 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay approximately $8.5 million in restitution to Commonwealth Edison, Nicor Gas, and People’s Gas.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. 

“Defendant’s scheme caused significant losses to local utility service providers,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “The fees collected by defendant demonstrate that his primary motivation was to benefit himself.”

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been charged with transporting child pornography on a flight from Chicago to Mexico.

THOMAS NEAL, 42, possessed images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone when he flew from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on June 17, 2026, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  Upon arrival, Neal was selected for secondary screening by Mexican border authorities, at which time the authorities observed images on Neal’s phone that constituted child pornography, the complaint states. Mexican border authorities secured Neal’s phone and other luggage, which included two laptops and six electronic storage devices, and placed him and the luggage on a flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, the complaint states.

Upon arrival in Houston, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents reviewed Neal’s phone pursuant to their border search authority and observed hundreds of files that constitute child pornography, the complaint states.  Neal is currently employed as a teacher at a high school in the Northern District of Illinois, the complaint states.

The complaint charges Neal with one count of transportation of child pornography.  The charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in a federal prison and a maximum of 20 years. 

Neal is currently detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing on June 29, 2026, at 12:30 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes in Chicago. 

The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of HSI.  Substantial assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth.

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

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.

A Chicago man has been arrested in connection with the planned violent attack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House earlier this month.

Alexander Iniguez Mercado, 20, of Chicago, was allegedly an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups that included members who appeared to communicate with others regarding the planning of a violent attack targeting the UFC event at the White House on June 14, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Seven other individuals from multiple states have been charged in connection with the planning of the violent attack. More information about the other defendants charged as part of this investigation is here and here.

According to the indictment against Mercado, the day before the UFC event, a special agent from the FBI spoke with Mercado by telephone. The agent informed Mercado that he was calling to discuss online threats regarding the UFC event, and he asked whether Mercado planned to travel to Washington, D.C., to help with the attack, the indictment states. Mercado allegedly denied those plans and advised the agent that he did not want to meet with the agent. Mercado then uninstalled the Signal application on his phone, which caused the data on his phone relating to those messages to become unavailable, the indictment states.

Mercado is charged with obstruction of justice. If convicted, the maximum penalty is 20 years in prison. Mercado was arrested on Thursday. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Chicago today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes for the Northern District of Illinois.

“Obstructing justice in a law enforcement investigation into a planned violent domestic attack is a profoundly serious offense,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The investigation in this case involved serious threats to public safety, including the safety of President Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America, other members of government, as well as the many attendees and athletes who attended the event at the White House. Any obstructive conduct to interfere with this investigation undermines the integrity of the justice system as well as the rule of law. The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will pursue all appropriate charges against those who act to obstruct law enforcement investigations because safeguarding the public depends on the full, unhindered pursuit of the evidence.”

“The FBI’s most important responsibility of protecting the American people means that our personnel work 24/7/365 to evaluate the ever-changing threat landscape and disrupt acts of violence before they occur,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. “Thanks to the partnerships on the FBI Chicago’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, to include the relentless work by the U.S. Secret Service, this attack was successfully foiled before any innocent people were gravely injured or killed. While the FBI will continue to use every available resource to hold accountable those who seek to terrorize our community, we urge the public to join us in this effort by immediately calling 9-1-1, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submitting to tips.fbi.gov if they encounter any suspicious or threatening behavior, in-person or online.”

“The safety and security of the President of the United States and all those under our protection is the U.S. Secret Service’s highest priority,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James Morley of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Chicago Field Office. “We approach this mission with dedication and vigilance in the current heightened threat environment. Successfully carrying out our protective mission is strengthened by strong partnerships. I want to thank the FBI for its steadfast collaboration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois for its relentless pursuit of justice.”

The FBI and USSS are investigating the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is prosecuting the case with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

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

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been arrested in connection with the planned violent attack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House earlier this month.

ALEXANDER INIGUEZ MERCADO was an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups that included members who appeared to communicate with others regarding the planning of a violent attack targeting the UFC event at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2026, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  Seven other individuals from multiple states have been charged in connection with the planning of the violent attack.  [See here and here for more information about the other defendants charged as part of this investigation.] 

According to the indictment against Mercado, the day before the UFC event, a Special Agent from the FBI spoke with Mercado by telephone.  The agent informed Mercado that he was calling to discuss online threats regarding the UFC event, and he asked whether Mercado planned to travel to Washington, D.C., to help with the attack, the indictment states.  Mercado allegedly denied those plans and advised the agent that he did not want to meet with the agent.  Mercado then uninstalled the Signal application on his phone, which caused the data on his phone relating to those messages to become unavailable, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Mercado, 20, of Chicago, with obstruction of justice.  The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. 

Mercado was arrested on Thursday.  He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Chicago today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes.

The indictment and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and James Morley, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

“Obstructing justice in a law enforcement investigation into a planned violent domestic attack is a profoundly serious offense,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The investigation in this case involved serious threats to public safety, including the safety of President Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America, other members of government, as well as the many attendees and athletes who attended the event at the White House.  Any obstructive conduct to interfere with this investigation undermines the integrity of the justice system as well as the rule of law.  The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will pursue all appropriate charges against those who act to obstruct law enforcement investigations because safeguarding the public depends on the full, unhindered pursuit of the evidence.”

“The FBI’s most important responsibility of protecting the American people means that our personnel work 24/7/365 to evaluate the ever-changing threat landscape and disrupt acts of violence before they occur,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “Thanks to the partnerships on the FBI Chicago’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, to include the relentless work by the U.S. Secret Service, this attack was successfully foiled before any innocent people were gravely injured or killed.  While the FBI will continue to use every available resource to hold accountable those who seek to terrorize our community, we urge the public to join us in this effort by immediately calling 9-1-1, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submitting to tips.fbi.gov if they encounter any suspicious or threatening behavior, in-person or online.”

“The safety and security of the President of the United States and all those under our protection is the U.S. Secret Service’s highest priority,” said Secret Service Acting SAC Morley.  “We approach this mission with dedication and vigilance in the current heightened threat environment.  Successfully carrying out our protective mission is strengthened by strong partnerships. I want to thank the FBI for its steadfast collaboration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois for its relentless pursuit of justice.”

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

CHICAGO — An Illinois investment advisor has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling clients in a Ponzi scheme.

PAARIS KOPSAFTIS operated Illinois-based Blackwater Assets, Inc.  From 2020 to 2025, Kopsaftis fraudulently solicited and obtained money from victims based on false representations about the intended use of the investments and the performance and value of the investments, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Kopsaftis falsely told the victims that he would invest the money for their benefit, when, in reality, Kopsaftis knew he intended to use some of their funds for personal use, including paying his own bills, the indictment states.

Kopsaftis allegedly engaged in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors.  The indictment alleges that Kopsaftis concealed his fraud by creating and providing false documentation to his victims reflecting that their investments were worth more than they actually were.

Kopsaftis, 42, of Charlotte, N.C., and formerly of Illinois, is charged with four counts of wire fraud.  He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing has been set for July 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Securities Department of the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten.

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

CHICAGO — An illegal alien with a violent criminal record has been sentenced to ten months in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported seven times.

JEFRY ESTRADA-PASTRANA, a native of Honduras, was unlawfully present in the United States on Jan. 20, 2026, when he was arrested in Chicago.  Chicago Police officers arrested Estrada-Pastrana after he failed to appear in court related to a Cook County criminal case involving theft and forgery.

Estrada-Pastrana was previously deported from the United States on seven occasions.  During the times in which he was illegally present in the United States, Estrada-Pastrana was convicted of criminal offenses including robbery and aggravated fleeing.

Estrada-Pastrana, 37, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal.  On June 16, 2026, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall imposed the ten-month prison sentence and ordered that it be followed by three years of court-supervised release.  The conviction subjects Estrada-Pastrana to removal from the United States.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Frank Padula, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Chicago.  Substantial assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland ​​Security Investigations.  The government was represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diya Rattan.

CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced criminal charges against two Chicago-area defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid.  The charges filed in federal court in Chicago are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Healthcare Fraud Takedown.  The charges continue the trend of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago as well as the Midwest Strike Force moving with speed, intentionality, velocity, and impact to bring criminal healthcare fraud prosecutions, especially against gatekeepers, that dismantle significant schemes that syphon taxpayer funds from Medicare and Medicaid.  As part of those efforts, in the summer of 2025, U.S. Attorney Boutros stood up the Office’s first-ever Healthcare Fraud Section, which since its inception has charged some $2.135 billion in healthcare fraud in the Northern District of Illinois. 

One of the Chicago-area defendants is charged with participating in a scheme to defraud Medicare out of approximately $240 million in reimbursements for over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits that were either never provided or never requested by Medicare beneficiaries, all within a span of less than six months.  The other Chicago-area defendant is charged with orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Illinois Medicaid program out of more than $75 million for purported behavioral health counseling and therapy services that were never provided.

“Healthcare fraud causes billions of dollars in losses to the federal government and private insurers and all too often involves the exploitation of patients through unnecessary or unsafe medical tests and procedures,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “That’s precisely why, last year, I created a standalone Healthcare Fraud Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago—to bring greater focus, velocity, and impact to our efforts in this critical program area.  Since becoming U.S. Attorney on April 7, 2025, my Office has charged more than $2.135 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the Northern District of Illinois and throughout the United States and even transnationally.  In addition, our Healthcare Fraud Section and its team of federal prosecutors work closely with the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, to bring important and consequential cases such as the significant charges announced today.  Under my leadership, healthcare providers, gatekeepers, and others who criminally cheat the system will be vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished to the full extent of federal law.  I am quite proud of the work that federal prosecutors and agency partners in Chicago have accomplished in the healthcare fraud space in such a short period of time.”

The Chicago-area cases announced today by U.S. Attorney Boutros are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges filed throughout the country against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.  Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history.  In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with a more than $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme.  The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today’s national enforcement action involved a whole-of-government approach, including:

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.

• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to more than $73 million, more than 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.

• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.

• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The two Chicago-area defendants were charged in the Northern District of Illinois: 

• AMIRALI BHIMANI, 42, of Naperville, Ill., was charged in a criminal information with three counts of healthcare fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare through the submission of fraudulent claims for over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits that were never requested or provided.  Through the alleged scheme, Bhimani caused laboratories to bill Medicare approximately $342 million for the purported provision of test kits to beneficiaries who did not consent to receiving the kits and did not receive the kits, of which approximately $240 million was paid to the laboratories.  Specifically, as alleged in the information, Bhimani sold Medicare beneficiary information to laboratories so that those laboratories could bill Medicare for purportedly providing the beneficiaries with Covid-19 test kits.  Bhimani and others provided one or more of the laboratories with fake recordings of phone calls, in which the Medicare beneficiaries purportedly agreed to receive the test kits, the charges allege.  The source of the recordings allegedly informed Bhimani that they were generated using artificial intelligence.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kelly M. Warner of the Midwest Strike Force.

• DANIEL ROBINSON, 51, of Palos Park, Ill., was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of healthcare fraud and one count of money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Illinois Medicaid through the submission of fraudulent claims for behavioral health counseling and therapy services that were never provided.  As alleged in the complaint, since January 2024, Robinson’s company, ODA Solutions, Inc., has billed Illinois Medicaid more than $92 million and has been paid approximately $75 million.  Robinson, as Founder and CEO of ODA Solutions, allegedly directed others to create fake medical records and then bill for counseling services that were not provided, including for beneficiaries who had died.  As alleged in the complaint, Robinson transferred approximately $45 million of the fraudulent proceeds to several brokerage and other business bank accounts and used more than $7 million of the fraudulent proceeds to purchase luxury items including real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and a yacht.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Finch of the Midwest Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Pinkston of the Northern District of Illinois.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, HHS-OIG, and the FBI, with assistance from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to investigate and prosecute the cases filed in federal court in Chicago.

The cases involved in the National Takedown are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.  In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.  

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.  The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The public is reminded that an indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a suburban Chicago chiropractor on healthcare fraud charges for billing a private insurer for nonexistent services.

SEUNG HAN LIM owned and operated Movement Health and Rehab, also known as Motu Chiropractic and Motu Chiromassage, in Libertyville, Ill.  From 2016 to 2019, Lim submitted fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Lim knew were not actually provided.  Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided on dates when either Lim or the patient were not in Illinois. Other claims submitted by Lim were for services purportedly rendered by another chiropractor in Lim’s practice to Lim and Lim’s family members, even though Lim knew that those services had not actually been provided.

When Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois attempted to audit the bogus claims, Lim prepared false patient medical records and other documents and submitted them to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.  As a result of the scheme, Lim and his clinic fraudulently billed more than $600,000 to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for services not rendered.

Lim, 42, of Lincolnshire, Ill., was convicted on 13 counts of healthcare fraud.  The jury returned its verdicts on June 12, 2026, after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  U.S. District Judge Franklin W. Valderrama set sentencing for Oct. 22, 2026.  Each healthcare fraud count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Nutini and Caitlin Walgamuth.

CHICAGO — A former suburban Chicago police officer has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for conspiring to steal cash and drugs from occupants of vehicles during traffic stops.

ANTOINE LARRY was serving as a patrol officer for the Phoenix, Ill. Police Department when he conspired with another officer to corruptly solicit cash and drugs from the occupants of vehicles during traffic stops.  Larry and his partner selected their victims based on circumstances arising from the stops.  If the motorist was at risk of being detained or having their car towed and the officers believed they wouldn’t report corruption, Larry and his partner solicited cash bribes in exchange for reduced charges, not towing the car, or letting the individual go without citations.  The officers then falsified police reports to conceal their corruption.  The criminal conspiracy began in at least 2020 and continued until 2022.

A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago earlier this year convicted Larry, 50, of Bolingbrook, Ill., on conspiracy, extortion, and attempted extortion charges.  On June 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Larry to five years and three months in federal prison.

The other officer—JARRETT SNOWDEN, of Lansing, Ill.—pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge prior to trial and admitted his role in the scheme.  Judge Kness set Snowden’s sentencing for Oct. 27, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

Larry’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. 

“Antoine Larry was a police officer, sworn to uphold the law, who instead brazenly abused his power,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ramon Villalpando argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “When law enforcement officers commit crimes—especially the type committed by defendant— public confidence in law enforcement as an institution is undermined.”

Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division moved to intervene in a lawsuit challenging a program by the City of Evanston, Illinois, that distributes cash payments and financial assistance for housing solely to black persons, and their descendants, and not to similarly situated persons of other races. The United States’ proposed complaint in intervention alleges that the city’s actions violate the Equal Protection Cause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Fair Housing Act. 

“Under the pretext of paying reparations for events more than 100 years ago, the City of Evanston has chosen to distribute millions of dollars in cash and housing benefits to people because of the color of their skin or the color of the skin of their parents, grandparents, or great grandparents,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There are sound ways for a city to remedy past discrimination or direct resources to its most vulnerable citizens and neighborhoods. Simply handing out money based on race, however, is not the answer. It is race discrimination, pure and simple. And it is illegal.”

“The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that government actions classifying citizens by race are presumptively unconstitutional,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Constitution demands that the government treat citizens as individuals, not as members of a racial class. Distributing public funds based on an individual's ancestry or race divides the citizenry and establishes the very hierarchy the Equal Protection Clause was designed to dismantle.”

In 2019, the city adopted the “Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program.” Under this program, black persons who lived in the City of Evanston as an adult at any time between 1919 and 1969, as well as their children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren, can receive $25,000 in the form of cash payments, which the recipient can use for any purpose, or financial assistance for purchasing, repairing, or maintaining a primary residence in the city. The city has not identified any specific acts of discrimination that violated the constitution or a statute that these payments are intended to remedy. Nor does the city require any evidence that recipients or their ancestors experienced discrimination when they lived in the city. Race alone determines whether a current or former resident or their descendant receives $25,000 in cash or financial assistance for housing. To date, the city has paid over $5 million and it plans to distribute millions more as funds become available.     

In 2024, descendants of persons who had lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, but who were not black, filed a lawsuit, Flinn, et al. v. City of Evanston, No. 24-cv-4269 (N.D. Ill.), challenging their exclusion from the city’s program as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court denied the city’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March 2026. That same month, the United States opened an investigation of the program under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Fair Housing Act. The city refused to cooperate in the United States’ investigation. The United States now seeks to intervene in the lawsuit. 

The United States alleges that the program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It also alleges that by offering and providing financial assistance for housing because of race, the city has violated the Fair Housing Act.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for trafficking firearms and drugs.

In the fall of 2024, EFRAIN JACOBO sold methamphetamine, cocaine, and seven firearms in a series of transactions in Joliet, Ill.  Unbeknownst to Jacobo, the buyers were undercover law enforcement officers.

On Dec. 17, 2024, Jacobo shared tracking information with the undercover officers for a truck containing meth that was traveling to Illinois from Texas. At Jacobo’s direction, the truck arrived at a shipping facility in Bolingbrook, Ill., the following day. Law enforcement searched inside the truck and discovered more than 150,000 grams of meth.  A subsequent search of a storage facility leased by Jacobo in Wheeling, Ill., turned up more than 1,800 grams of fentanyl. 

Jacobo, 44, of Prospect Heights, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm and drug charges.  On June 11, 2026, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Jacobo to 16 years in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Bolingbrook, Ill. Police Department provided valuable assistance.

“Defendant plainly was a powerful and high-level drug dealer,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Stern argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Drug sellers of any illegal narcotics have a negative impact on society.  They help fuel a drug trade that can devastate lives, families, and communities.”

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than 33 years in federal prison for operating an online chat group that shared large amounts of child pornography.

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN operated and led a group chat on the instant-messaging mobile application Kik. Martin moderated the chat and enforced the rules.  The primary rule was that if members wanted to stay in the group, they had to constantly share photos and videos of child pornography.  For example, when a prospective user wanted to join the group, Martin wrote, “Send what you got.  Anything young is fine for group trade . . . Send youngest.”  If group members were slow to share child pornography, Martin would pressure them to do so, writing, “If you don’t send [images to the group] you will be removed [from the group].”  Martin was also a prolific sharer and trader of child pornography in his group chat.

Martin, 46, of Markham, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal charges of transportation of child pornography.  On June 11, 2026, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Martin to 33 years and nine months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  

“Defendant’s offense is extremely serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Defendant’s facilitation of the sharing of hundreds of images and videos of young children being abused helped to drive the creation of those images and videos, and the creation of future images and videos of other abused children.”

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678.  The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CHICAGO — Two individuals have been charged in federal court with attempted robbery after they were shot on Tuesday while allegedly attempting to rob federal agents during an undercover investigation in a Chicago suburb.  The alleged getaway driver from the attempted robbery was charged with forcibly assaulting a federal officer after allegedly driving a car into a law enforcement vehicle while attempting to flee.  A fourth individual was charged with trafficking a firearm as part of this investigation.

With each one pointing a firearm at law enforcement, AMIR A. FAGAN and DEMOND EDWARDS attempted to rob two ATF officers during an undercover operation on Tuesday evening near a residence in Country Club Hills, Ill., according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  According to the complaint, the undercover officers and a confidential informant arrived at the residence to purchase firearms in an ongoing firearms trafficking investigation.  While the officers and informant waited outside the residence, Fagan and Edwards allegedly arrived in a car with other individuals.  Fagan, Edwards, and a third individual exited the car and allegedly pointed firearms at the officers and informant.  A separate team of ATF agents quickly arrived at the scene and fired shots towards Fagan and Edwards, striking Fagan.  The alleged getaway driver, CHASHONN TONEY, allegedly rammed the car into an ATF vehicle while attempting to flee.

Edwards ran from the scene on foot but was located by another officer about two blocks away.  A physical altercation ensued, with Edwards allegedly striking the officer multiple times in the face and body.  In response, the officer shot Edwards, wounding him, the complaint states. 

The complaint charges Fagan, 19, of Harvey, Ill., and Edwards, 18, of Markham, Ill., with attempted robbery, while Toney, 18, of Robbins, Ill., is charged with forcibly assaulting a law enforcement officer. The alleged firearms trafficker—TEVIN CURLEE, 29, of Country Club Hills, Ill.—was charged as part of this investigation with unlawfully possessing and transferring a machine gun, according to a separate complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Curlee sold a handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device to undercover law enforcement officers on June 3, 2026, in Crestwood, Ill., the complaint against Curlee states.  The defendants' initial appearances in federal court in Chicago are pending.

The complaints were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office.  The government in the Fagan, Edwards, and Toney case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Fiedler, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Andres Almendarez represents the government in the Curlee case.  The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.

“Our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are constantly displaying heroism that makes us all proud,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Every day, these brave officers step into uncertainty with a resolve to protect others, often at great personal risk.  Their courage allows our communities to thrive and be better, and exemplifies the highest ideals of public service.  Attacks on these heroic men and women in law enforcement will not be tolerated, and our Office will pursue every available measure under the law to hold dangerous criminals accountable when they dare strike at law enforcement and our way of life.  I am also proud of the Chicago Assistant U.S. Attorneys and supervisors who immediately jumped into a volatile and fast-moving situation to work with our law enforcement partners to bring immediate charges against these defendants.”

“The attempted armed robbery of our undercover agents highlights the risks law enforcement officers face every day while working to protect our communities and disrupt violent crime,” said ATF SAC Amon. “I want to recognize the professionalism, courage, and swift actions of the agents and officers involved in this incident, and we are grateful that all law enforcement personnel are safe.  I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, FBI, and the many suburban police departments that immediately responded to assist and support the investigation.”

“The FBI possesses the specialized skills and vast resources needed to conduct investigations across a wide range of threats from counterintelligence to counterterrorism, cybercrime, public corruption, violent crime, and more," said FBI SAC DePodesta.  "Our personnel work around-the-clock lending our talent, resources, and expertise to law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.  The FBI remains committed to rooting out violent crime, especially when committed against law enforcement, and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.” 

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

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for illegally possessing two firearms and injuring a law enforcement agent who was attempting to arrest him.

On the morning of Jan. 31, 2022, members of a DEA Enforcement Group, accompanied by Homeland Security Investigations agents and an officer from the Posen, Ill. Police Department, attempted to execute an arrest warrant for ANDREW VESELY outside of his residence in Posen, Ill.  Vesely had two outstanding felony arrest warrants—one for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and the other for criminal trespass to a motor vehicle—and he was also suspected of stealing multiple Jeep Grand Cherokees, one of which was parked outside the residence. 

When Vesely walked out of his home and approached a rear alley, four officers moved to apprehend him.  Vesely jumped into the Jeep and managed to start the engine before a DEA agent reached into the open driver’s door and grabbed Vesely by the front of his coat to stop him from fleeing.  Vesely put the Jeep into drive as he and the agent struggled for control of the car.  As the Jeep began to move forward, Vesely’s backpack fell onto the ground in the alley.  The agent lost his grip and was flung into several garbage cans as Vesely sped off.

Vesely drove out of Posen at a high rate of speed and into the neighboring town of Markham.  Officers from the Markham Police Department, who had been alerted by a dispatcher, chased Vesely on a major throughfare at more than 100 miles per hour through several traffic signals.  Vesely crashed the Jeep into an embankment and was captured while attempting to run off.

The backpack that had fallen in the alley contained a semiautomatic handgun and a spare magazine, both loaded with armor-piercing rounds.  The backpack also contained a car-key programming device, 31 car-key fobs, and other tools suitable for stealing cars.  Law enforcement later searched the room where Vesely resided in the home and discovered another loaded semiautomatic handgun, three loaded magazines, a bullet-proof vest, police scanner, 25 key fobs, and another car-key programming device.

Vesely, 25, of Posen, Ill., pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of forcibly resisting, impeding, and interfering with an Officer of the United States government and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  On June 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Vesely to four years and four months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of HSI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Posen, Ill. Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Hogan, Jr.

“Violence in general, and most certainly violence against law enforcement officers tear at the very fabric that holds our communities together,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Violence offends our way of life and undermines the safety and trust that we all depend on to achieve the pursuit of happiness.  As I have repeatedly stated since becoming United States Attorney, criminal attacks on law enforcement constitute a direct assault on the rule of law as well as our justice system and will be met with swift, firm, and unequivocal legal consequences.”

“The sentencing in this case sends a clear message that violence against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated,” said DEA SAC Smith.  “DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our communities from drug trafficking and violent crime.  We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their commitment to ensuring accountability in this case.”

CHICAGO — An eighth defendant has been charged in federal court with robbery and kidnapping offenses for allegedly participating in a violent home invasion in Winnetka, Ill.  The defendant, ANDREW FRANKLIN, 19, of Chicago, was arrested on June 3, 2026, and has been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond.

Andrew Franklin and seven co-defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping in connection with the alleged home invasion, which occurred on the afternoon of March 8, 2026, according to a second superseding indictment that was ordered unsealed in federal court after Andrew Franklin’s arrest. The seven co-defendants were previously arrested and have also been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond.  For one of those defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed a U.S. Magistrate judge’s order of release on bond to a U.S. District judge, who ordered the defendant to remain detained without bond.

According to the charges, DASHUN BROWN, 24, of Chicago, posed as a food delivery driver to cause an individual in the residence to open the front door.  Armed with loaded firearms, Andrew Franklin, Brown, TYRESE FENTON-WATSON, 23, of Chicago, DAVID FRANKLIN, 24, of Chicago, and JALEN CHAMBERS, 24, of Bourbonnais, Ill., forcibly entered the residence.  Brown, Fenton-Watson, David Franklin, Chambers, and Andrew Franklin kept an individual in the residence captive for approximately an hour and used firearms to physically restrain the victim, the charges alleged.   The perpetrators also restrained a child who arrived home while the violent home invasion was in progress, the charges alleged.  The captors allegedly demanded access to a safe, computer, and online accounts holding cryptocurrency.

The conspirators fled the residence after about an hour in the home, later meeting up with ISAIAH DUKES, 28, of Los Angeles, Calif., KHIELL DUKES, 30, of Elgin, Ill., ANTHONY RAMSEY, 22, of Chicago, and additional co-conspirators who were waiting nearby and had been communicating with the captors while they were inside the residence, the charges alleged.

Andrew Franklin’s arrest and the unsealing of the second superseding indictment were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Brian O’Connell, Chief of the Winnetka Police Department. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Chicago Police Department, Northbrook, Ill. Police Department, Glencoe, Ill. Police Department, and Orland Park, Ill. Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin, Jessica Ecker, and Jessica Maveus.

Kidnapping conspiracy is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while robbery conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years.  The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CHICAGO — A former property director for the Chicago Housing Authority was given more than $421,000 in kickbacks from the owner of a construction company in exchange for steering that owner more than $4.8 million in construction and renovation work at CHA properties, according to an indictment returned today in federal court in Chicago. 

The indictment accuses RYAN ROSS, formerly a Director in the CHA’s Property and Asset Management Department, of receiving the kickbacks in 2023 and 2024 from VANESSA RHODES, the President of Bell’s Better Buildings, Inc., a Chicago company that did business as Twenty Eleven Construction, Inc.  In exchange for the kickbacks, Ross used his official position as a Director at the CHA to fraudulently award construction, renovation, and other work to Twenty Eleven Construction and another company affiliated with Rhodes, the indictment states. As part of the scheme, Ross and Rhodes also caused Rhodes’s husband to falsely represent himself to CHA property managers as an employee of the affiliated company who would purportedly complete the work on CHA units, the indictment states. 

Ross and Rhodes concealed the fraud scheme, including Ross’s financial interest in the CHA work he awarded to Twenty Eleven Construction and the affiliated company, by submitting false documents to the CHA, including proposals, scopes of work, and invoices, the indictment states.  Ross spent some of the kickback money to purchase a vehicle for himself and pay for repairs and renovations on his home, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Ross, 50, of Bolingbrook, Ill., and Rhodes, 47, of Chicago, with eight counts of honest services fraud, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled. 

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Machelle Jindra, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and Kathryn Richards, Inspector General of the CHA.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Prashant Kolluri and Hanna Helwig.

“Corruption in the awarding of public housing contracts undermines trust, distorts competition, and diverts already scarce resources,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Holding individuals accountable when they exploit their positions for personal gain is essential to protecting the integrity of our public institutions, ensuring that taxpayer funds are properly safeguarded, and making sure that everyday people in need of public housing assistance get the support they are entitled to under the programs.  I urge anyone with knowledge of misconduct in the procurement of public contracts to report it to law enforcement; your vigilance is critical to protecting the fairness and transparency our taxpayers and everyday citizens deserve.”

“Ryan Ross and Vanessa Rhodes allegedly took advantage of a position of public trust to engage in a kickback scheme to enrich themselves,” said HUD-OIG SAC Jindra.  “Their scheme corrupted the fair and competitive contracting process and undermined the confidence in the integrity of HUD-funded programs.  HUD-OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable individuals who misuse public office for unlawful personal enrichment.

“Since the beginning of this investigation, the CHA-OIG has worked side‑by‑side with federal law enforcement to hold Ross and Rhodes accountable for their egregious corruption,” said CHA IG Richards.  “They hijacked a program meant to repair and preserve Chicago’s already scarce public housing, diverting public funds to enrich themselves.  We are grateful to HUD-OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for aggressively pursuing this case and helping us expose and eliminate fraud in CHA programs.”

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

CHICAGO — An Illinois investment advisor has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling at least three clients in a Ponzi scheme.

JOHN MYERS operated Illinois-based Sterling Capital Investments, LLC.  From 2022 to 2025, Myers fraudulently solicited and obtained money from three victims, including a husband and wife from Michigan, based on false representations about the performance and value of the investments, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Myers provided false documentation reflecting the investments were worth more than they were, when Myers knew the value had actually decreased due to his trading losses, the indictment states.  Myers engaged in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors, the indictment states.

Myers, 41, of Chicago, is charged with four counts of wire fraud.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago is set for June 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten.

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

CHICAGO — An illegal alien with an extensive criminal record has been sentenced to more than a year in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported on multiple occasions.

MANUEL ALBERTO CORTES CUAN, a native of Mexico, was unlawfully present in the United States on June 17, 2025, when he was arrested in Lyons, Ill.  Police received a report that a vehicle identified in an ongoing theft investigation was located in a residential area of Lyons.  When police approached the vehicle and attempted to detain Cortes Cuan, he vigorously resisted arrest, causing injuries to himself and two police officers. 

Cortes Cuan was previously deported from the United States on five occasions.  Each deportation occurred after Cortes Cuan sustained criminal convictions while unlawfully present here.  The prior offenses of convictions included theft, escape, trespassing, aggravated assault, and aggravated DUI.

Cortes Cuan, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal.  On June 3, 2026, U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt sentenced Cortes Cuan to 14 months in federal prison.  The conviction subjects Cortes Cuan to removal from the United States.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lyons, Ill. Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that sold heroin, cocaine, and other drugs through online stores on the dark web.

TOMMY SPAULDING sold the drugs on dark web vendor stores known as AVALANCHE and ETHER_MART.  AVALANCHE sold heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and MDMA, while ETHER_MART specialized in heroin.  Each store used a unique packaging style to distinguish itself.  Spaulding managed the vendor stores’ finances, including distributing money to others to purchase the drugs and helping to operate the stores. In 2018 and 2019, Spaulding was responsible for distributing more than seven kilograms of heroin and more than a kilogram of cocaine, among other narcotics.

Spaulding, 42, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiracy and drug trafficking offenses.  U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the nine-year prison term on May 29, 2026, during a sentencing hearing in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Chicago Police Department.

“The organization and structure of the vendor stores maximized the quantity of narcotics the defendants could distribute, and the stores were very successful,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “All it took was a few clicks, and defendants counted on the simplicity, ease, and temptation of the online market to maximize their illicit sales and drug profits.”

Four other defendants were charged as part of this investigation.  LAUREN LUCANSKY, 40, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge and was sentenced in August 2025 to seven years in federal prison. Among other duties, Lucansky procured the drugs for the vendor stores, processed customer orders, and mailed narcotics to customers.  NATHANEL BUTTERFIELD, 47, of Chicago, who procured the use of a condo in Chicago’s River North neighborhood to package drugs and then mailed them to customers, and RICHARD MARTINEZ, 41, of Chicago, who fulfilled customer orders for drugs, each pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy charge and are awaiting sentencing.  MICHAEL BENTLEY, 37, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to operating a dark web store known as ALLGOLDEVERYTHING.  On Feb. 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings sentenced Bentley to five and a half years in federal prison.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin.

DEMARGIO TRIPP, 36, pleaded guilty earlier this year to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin in the Rockford area in 2024 and 2025.  Tripp also admitted that in May 2025 he possessed cocaine and other narcotics that he intended to sell to others.  

On May 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Tripp to 192 months in federal prison.  Judge Johnston found that Tripp qualified as a “career offender” under federal law due to multiple drug trafficking convictions in state and federal courts.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division.  The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance.

“Distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances is a serious and dangerous offense,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “As a drug dealer, defendant is a direct cause of these problems.”

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than 26 years in federal prison for distributing drugs through a dark web marketplace known as the “Nemesis Market.”

DARREN HUGHES operated a vendor store offering free samples of methamphetamine on the Nemesis Market, one of the world’s largest dark web markets. When an undercover law enforcement agent contacted the vendor store, Hughes agreed to mail the law enforcement agent a free sample of meth from California to Chicago.  Thereafter, on five occasions in 2023, Hughes sold the law enforcement agent meth and fentanyl pills in exchange for cryptocurrency. Hughes was arrested in Redwood City, Calif., in June 2023 after agreeing to sell additional meth to undercover agents in Chicago.  Local police searched the vehicle Hughes was driving and discovered, among other items, approximately 672 grams of meth, a loaded “ghost gun” with no identifiable serial number, and various narcotics paraphernalia. 

Law enforcement shut down the Nemesis Market in 2024 after a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional investigation.  From 2021 to 2024, Nemesis Market processed more than 400,000 orders, including more than 55,000 orders for stimulants, including meth, cocaine, crack cocaine, and other controlled substances, and 17,000 orders for opioids, including fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. 

A federal jury in November 2025 convicted Hughes, 39, of San Jose, Calif., on drug trafficking charges.  On May 26, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Hughes to more than 26 years in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA, Nicholas Bucciarelli, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  Substantial assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Redwood City, Calif., Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Kelly, Michael Maione, and Hayley Altabef.

“Having been part of the original multi-agency, multi-Office Task Force that took down the Silk Road almost 13 years ago, I know firsthand the seriousness of criminals operating on dark web marketplaces,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Criminals selling poison on the dark web often act with impunity and brazenness because they mistakenly believe that they are beyond the reach of federal law enforcement.  The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will identify, investigate, and prosecute drug traffickers regardless of where they operate—and, even if they operate on the dark net.”

“Today’s sentencing announcement reflects the strength of coordinated law enforcement partnerships, through the Homeland Security Task Force, and DEA’s continued commitment to targeting drug traffickers operating in both the physical and digital worlds,” said DEA SAC Smith.  “This investigation brought together DEA, FBI, CBP, USPIS, IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners at Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area to identify, track and dismantle a dark net drug trafficking operation responsible for distributing dangerous narcotics across the country.  DEA will continue leveraging investigative tools to follow the money, identify criminal networks and hold traffickers accountable wherever they operate.”

“The sentencing of Darren Hughes sends a clear message in how critical a role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners play in protecting American consumers from illegal narcotics being shipped via the U.S. Mail,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Bucciarelli.  “Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives.”

“Drug dealers once relied on street corners; today, they use the internet to reach customers worldwide,” said IRS-CI SAC Jobes.  “Dark web marketplaces may seem anonymous, but no platform is beyond law enforcement’s reach.  Darren Hughes used the internet to profit from addiction and distribute dangerous drugs.  IRS Criminal Investigation special agents worked with our law enforcement partners to follow the financial trail, expose his crimes, and hold him accountable.  Whether drugs are sold on the street or online, we will continue identifying traffickers, disrupting their operations, and bringing them to justice."

CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today issued a rare Special Report confirming what he has already stated publicly in response to intense press interest and inquiries:  He has never appeared before any grand jury hearing or deliberating evidence on any matter since becoming U.S. Attorney on April 7, 2025. 

As addressed in the Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros’s only appearances in the federal grand juries of the Northern District of Illinois were to welcome grand jurors when first impaneled, and thereafter, his only other appearances were in his official capacity as the Chief Legal Advisor to federal grand juries where he addressed generally the role, function, and importance of the grand jury in our constitutional system of government and laws.  In the latter context, U.S. Attorney Boutros appeared only after informing the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, who supervises all federal grand juries in the District, that he would be doing so.  Then, his appearances as Chief Legal Advisor to the grand juries consisted of him providing brief general comments about the important role of the grand jury under the U.S. Constitution, and the need for grand jurors to be fair and impartial. His comments coincided with the reading of a letter from the Chief Judge to the various grand juries; U.S. Attorney Boutros has not seen, read, or heard the contents of the Chief Judge’s letter.

As a condition to issuing today’s Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros obtained court-ordered authorization for the release of grand jury materials and minutes.  Today’s Special Report is being made available to the public in the public interest as well as the interest of justice in light of wide-ranging speculation about U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros’s appearance in what some have dubbed the “Broadview 6” grand jury, which is the panel of grand jurors from the Special June 2024 Grand Jury hearing evidence on that specific matter.  That speculation was created on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in open court, when counsel for the one of the defendants in United States v. Rabbitt, et al., 25 CR 693 (Perry, J.) stated in relevant part in open court before going into closed session that:  “We have a belief that the U.S. Attorney had personal contact with this grand jury. We have not been provided with that transcript. I believe there’s an update on that. If that did occur, we would like that as well.”  Rabbitt, et al., Transcript, 05/26/2026, p. 22, lns. 13-16. 

The Special Report conclusively shows that a transcription error by the court reporter transcribing the audio recording of the grand jury minutes from October 23, 2025, inadvertently and mistakenly stated “USA (inaudible),” instead of “AUSA Bond,” with the latter being a reference to Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Bond, the Chief of the Office’s Narcotics Section, who had appeared before the same grand jury on a different, unrelated matter on October 9, 2025.  Thus, the grand jury minutes from October 23, 2025, reflect a classic case of mistaken identity, namely, that “USA (inaudible)” appeared before that grand jury on a matter when in fact, Chief of Narcotics Aaron Bond appeared before the same grand jury on a different matter on October 9, 2025.  Steps are being taken to attempt to correct the relevant minutes.

The full Special Report can be read here.

# # # #

Note: The Special Report consists of grand jury materials that would otherwise be subject to grand jury secrecy pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e), including highly secretive grand jury “minutes,” which are those portions of a grand jury session where an Assistant U.S. Attorney speaks to grand jurors about the law or sometimes the application of the law to the facts, without a witness present.  Prior to publishing these materials in the Special Report, U.S. Attorney Boutros obtained court-ordered authorization from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to fourteen years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and illegally possessing a firearm.

RISHAWN JONES admitted in a plea agreement that in May 2024 he possessed controlled substances in various locations, including his vehicle and a storage unit.  The storage unit also contained a 9-millimeter pistol.  This crime was committed while Jones was serving a term of court-supervised release following a prior federal prison sentence for distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime—a fact that the Court found to be an aggravating factor in sentencing Jones. 

Jones, 40, pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and more than 500 grams of cocaine, and illegally possessing a firearm.  On May 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Jones to 14 years in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd. 

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun on a Chicago train while he was on court-supervised release from a prior drug trafficking conviction.

GERALD PITTMAN was arrested on July 28, 2025, aboard the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line train while drinking a beer, smoking, and holding a red shopping bag that contained a loaded handgun.  Pittman had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

One of Pittman’s prior felonies was a federal drug trafficking conviction, for which Pittman was on court-supervised released at the time of his arrest on the Blue Line.

Pittman, 39, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. On May 19, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani sentenced Pittman to 30 months in federal prison. Following this term of incarceration, Pittman must serve an additional six months in federal prison for violating the terms of his court-supervised release from the drug trafficking case. That brings the total term of Pittman’s period of incarceration to three years.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department.

Shortly before Pittman’s arrest and federal prosecution, U.S. Attorney Boutros expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the CTA, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city.  The expansion represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation.

The federal investigation was conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago.  The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement partnership that focuses exclusively on investigating and prosecuting violent offenders who utilize firearms in commission of their crimes in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.  Every firearm-related case in Chicago is processed through the CGIC on a daily basis.

“Defendant did not possess a gun in a private residence; he was carrying it in a shopping bag while riding on the L, where gun violence has risen at an alarming rate in recent years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Gun-wielding riders like the defendant have caused an increasing share of Chicagoans to fear for their lives when riding Chicago’s public train system.  Indeed, defendant’s offense—carrying a gun on a CTA train while impaired—is the type of behavior driving violent crime on public transportation, instilling fear in innocent transit patrons, and scaring countless others away from riding trains that are meant to serve everyone in this city.”

CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced a series of sweeping internal reforms to the Office’s grand jury practices and disclosures that took effect yesterday.  The remediation plan, which represents the most substantial and significant internal changes to the Office’s grand jury procedures in decades, will streamline the Office’s grand jury processes and disclosures.  The new process moving forward will be more transparent, effective, and impactful while greatly reducing the likelihood of mistakes and errors.

The important reforms, which took effect yesterday for all grand jury presentations in the Northern District of Illinois, establish clear and unequivocal expectations and rules for federal prosecutors related to grand jury disclosures and the timing of those disclosures.  Among the many changes in the remediation plan are increased and expanded education about grand jury presentations, including extensive, deep-dive training from national experts outside the Office.  U.S. Attorney Boutros and the Department of Justice have also taken swift action related to internal personnel matters.

“One of the benefits of being the first Chicago U.S. Attorney to have previously been Chair of White Collar in private practice is that I have represented and advised as my own personal clients some of the largest public and other companies and their audit committees, boards, C-suite executives, and others in highly sensitive and bet-the-company government and internal investigations,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Everybody who has handled high-stakes corporate cases knows that in addition to the importance of thorough, honest, and objective investigations, there must also be remediation, reforms, and process improvements to allow organizations to accept responsibility and make sure that the same mistakes don’t happen again.  What I have formulated and thereafter implemented on Tuesday of this week are among the most sweeping reforms to address root-cause issues in the Northern District of Illinois’s federal prosecutorial practices and procedures, especially as they relate to the grand jury and grand jury disclosures.  They also make the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office among, if not the leading district in the country on grand jury disclosures.  These remediations should also be deeply curative and put to rest once and for all the divergent practices that have existed across the Office for decades, including from one Assistant U.S. Attorney to another as well as from one generation to the next.  That’s because these are clear, bright line rules that everyone must abide by, which should streamline and simplify the decision-making and disclosure process, as opposed to bedevil it.  It also should all but eliminate points of contention between federal prosecutor and defense counsel as it relates to these grand jury issues.” 

After learning of certain conduct by the government in the grand jury during a recent case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office immediately moved to dismiss the indictment in that case and proactively initiated an immediate review of other grand jury presentations that could have been impacted in a similar fashion.  The inquiry has included both a root cause analysis into the Office’s practices and procedures generally, as well as an exam of any cases by the AUSAs who went into the grand jury in that case that could have been impacted by similar conduct.  The Office’s review is far along but remains ongoing.  In addition, the Office has proactively reached out to the defendants’ attorneys in other cases handled by those AUSAs and has agreed to give them the “minutes” from the grand jury sessions in those cases.  “Minutes” from a grand jury session include the highly secretive portion where AUSAs, as legal advisor to the grand jury, speak to grand jurors about the law—and sometimes the application of the law to the facts—without a witness present.

The reforms announced today, many of which are being implemented for the first time anywhere in the country, will transform and modernize the Office’s procedures, while continuing to adhere to the longstanding tradition that a prosecutor serves as “one of the most beneficent forces in our society,” as then-Attorney General (and later Supreme Court Justice) Robert H. Jackson shared in his seminal 1940 address, “The Federal Prosecutor.” Attorney General Jackson remarked that the prosecutor’s “powers have been granted to our law-enforcement agencies because it seems necessary that such a power to prosecute be lodged somewhere. This authority has been granted by people who really wanted the right thing done—wanted crime eliminated—but also wanted the best in our American traditions preserved.” 

In announcing his reforms to the Office, U.S. Attorney Boutros thanked the Office’s Assistant U.S. Attorneys for all that they do for the people of the Northern District of Illinois: “Thank you for your hard work.  Thank you for being on the front lines keeping our communities safe, making sure our victims are heard, protecting the public fisc, and working to hold accountable those defendants who commit serious crimes, all while doing so in the very best traditions of the Office and the Department. After all, the motto of the Department is ‘Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur,’ meaning, ‘Who prosecutes on behalf of Justice.’”

~~~~

This statement is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, that are enforceable at law by any party, in any criminal, civil, or administrative matter. This statement does not purport to offer legal advice nor is it intended to substitute for the advice of legal counsel. It does not in any way limit the enforcement intentions or litigating positions of the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, or any other U.S. Attorney’s Office or component of the Department, or any other U.S. government agency or department.

CHICAGO — A man who transported $9 million in illicit cash proceeds for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.

RICARDO TELLO transported bulk cash proceeds for Mexico-based drug traffickers who had distributed cocaine to numerous cities in the United States.  Tello picked up at least approximately $9 million from various locations and delivered the money via plane or car to others in the Chicago area.  He received about $3,500 per pickup.  On one occasion in November 2019, Tello delivered nearly $300,000 to an undercover law enforcement officer in Hillside, Ill. 

Additionally, Tello used his logistics company to support the Mexico-based drug traffickers by exporting nearly 50 loads of plastic sheeting that had been used to smuggle at least 450 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. 

The drug trafficking organization was allegedly led by OSWALDO ESPINOSA, of Mexico.  Espinosa’s organization allegedly used warehouses, garages, and stash houses in Chicago to receive and store the cocaine and cash.  Tello, Espinosa, and sixteen others were charged in federal court as part of this investigation.  Ten of the co-defendants have pleaded guilty and admitted their roles in the trafficking operation.  Espinosa is believed to be in Mexico, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. 

Tello, 39, of Mission, Texas, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to drug distribution and money laundering charges.  On May 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso imposed the six-year prison term and ordered Tello to forfeit $297,699.50 in cash and a Cessna 182P aircraft to the U.S. government. 

Tello’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Michael J. Pfeiffer, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Rosenbloom and Hanna Helwig.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for cyberstalking and harassing former romantic partners.

VINCENT STORME threatened and harassed six women after they ended their relationships with him.  Storme stalked his victims both online and in person, with the harassment and threats often extending to the victims’ families, employers, and friends.

In one instance, Storme accessed and searched a former girlfriend’s phone without her knowledge and then published a semi-nude photograph of the victim that could be seen by her family, friends, and co-workers.   Storme also created a website and social media accounts bearing her name and used the accounts to further embarrass and harass her.

While on bond in this case, police arrested Storme for stalking another victim by following her home in his car.  Another victim reported that after breaking up with Storme, he often arrived at her home unannounced.

Storme, 38, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of accessing a computer without authorization in furtherance of a criminal and tortious act.  On May 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the four-year prison term and ordered Storm to pay a total of $11,318.39 in restitution to three of his victims.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. 

“With each relationship and each victim, defendant’s methods grew more prolific,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill J. Bhalakia argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Computer intrusion and cyberstalking will not be tolerated by the criminal justice system.”

CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has returned an indictment charging a man with using a deadly or dangerous weapon, specifically, his vehicle, to assault a federal immigration agent during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago.

DIEGO EMMANUEL REYES, 21, of Chicago, is charged with assaulting impeding, intimidating, and interfering with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer using a deadly and dangerous weapon, namely, his vehicle, according to an indictment returned on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  On Oct. 4, 2025, Reyes allegedly rammed his sport utility vehicle into the rear of a vehicle driven by the ICE agent, who was engaged in the performance of his official duties on the Southwest Side of Chicago, and upon doing so, accelerated his SUV forward pushing the agent’s vehicle.  Video of the incident can be viewed here.

Given the enhanced penalty for using a deadly or dangerous weapon, the charge in the indictment is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn McCarthy.

“What this defendant did on October 4, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, during Operation Midway Blitz was a dangerous and brazen act of violence against a federal agent as well as an attack on the rule of law," said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Federal agents perform risky, essential work every single day to enforce our federal laws and keep our communities safe.  The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will never tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable those who seek to assault, impede, intimidate, or interfere with lawful federal operations.  I applaud our federal prosecutors and the federal agents and supervisors with the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for having the fortitude, determination, and grit to see this important case through the grand jury where it can now be adjudicated to its fullest in a court of law.”

“The Chicago Field Office has zero tolerance for anyone impeding federal officers engaged in their lawful functions," said FBI SAC DePodesta.  "The people of Chicago deserve to be safe and free from harm.  The FBI is committed to using every available resource against those who undermine the rule of law and jeopardize the peace in our community.”

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief loans and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. 

In 2020 and 2021, ABSALOM HALL engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), one of the sources of relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.  Hall submitted multiple PPP loan applications that contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about his purported businesses, including gross revenue, payroll needs, and operational expenses.  As a result of the fraudulent applications, Hall obtained approximately $85,401 in PPP loans.

Hall also engaged in tax fraud by presenting himself as a tax preparer operating a purported business called “Lootland Tax Prep.”  Even though Hall did not have an IRS-issued tax ID number to prepare federal income tax returns for others, he nonetheless accepted compensation from clients in exchange for preparing their federal income tax returns.  Hall did not report any income derived from this business on his 2021 or 2022 individual income tax returns.

Hall, 37, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to wire fraud, tax, and money laundering charges.  On May 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins imposed the three-year prison sentence, entered a judgment against Hall of $85,401, and ordered him to pay $30,866 in restitution to the IRS.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Nicholas Bucciarelli, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus.

"Absalom Hall exploited a program designed to help Americans survive an unprecedented crisis,” said IRS SAC Jobes.  “At a time when families and small businesses were fighting to stay afloat, Hall chose greed over integrity and stole from a system built to provide relief and stability.  Even as the pandemic fades further into the past, IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to identifying and bringing to justice individuals who abused these emergency programs for personal gain.  Americans deserve accountability for those who treated a national emergency as an opportunity to enrich themselves.”

CHICAGO — A former engineer for an Illinois company has been sentenced to federal prison for manufacturing and selling counterfeit versions of his employer’s products and engaging in other fraud schemes.

SHAUN BROUWER worked as a mechanical engineer for an Illinois-based manufacturer of high-performance network infrastructure solutions, including network jacks.  Brouwer stole proprietary information from the company and paid three vendors in China to manufacture jack modules and other products and falsely brand them as authentic products of Brouwer’s former employer.  Brouwer then arranged for the counterfeit products to be sold online.

Brouwer also sold approximately 11,267 authentic jack modules and other products that his employer had sent him after Brouwer falsely represented that he would use them at trade shows. Brouwer admitted in a plea agreement that he sold a total of approximately 160,039 counterfeit and authentic products without the company’s authorization, causing a loss to the company of approximately $986,519.

Brouwer further acknowledged that he asked a vendor in China to create fake payment documents to lower the perceived value of some of the counterfeit items in order to avoid attracting attention from U.S. customs officials and avoid paying additional customs duty fees.

As part of his schemes, Brouwer also fraudulently applied for and received a loan under the Covid-relief Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  In 2020, Brouwer received a $20,832 PPP loan for a purported side business and dispersed more than $10,000 of it to the online marketplace in China for counterfeit goods.

Brouwer, 47, of Cedar Lake, Ind., pleaded guilty in December 2025 to a federal mail fraud charge.  On May 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings sentenced Brouwer to 18 months in federal prison.  Judge Cummings found in mitigation that, among other things, Brouwer promptly waived indictment, accepted responsibility, and pleaded guilty to a criminal information.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, which vigorously pursues enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade or otherwise undermine federal customs laws.  The Department of Justice recently selected the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to be lead prosecutorial partner on the Trade Fraud Task Force.  In addition, on April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”).  The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.  The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to the statutory maximum of 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun.

DIRK HUGO was arrested on May 1, 2024, after he was found in a parking garage in Arlington Heights, Ill., possessing a loaded handgun in his waistband and wearing a bulletproof vest.  The prior month, Hugo was involved in an assault at a Glenview, Ill. motel during which he allegedly struck a man’s head with a gun.  Hugo had previously been convicted of multiple felony firearm offenses in state court and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Hugo has remained in law enforcement custody since his arrest.

A jury in federal court in Chicago last year convicted Hugo, 49, of Arlington Heights, Ill., of illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon.  On May 12, 2026, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold sentenced Hugo to 15 years in federal prison, which was the statutory maximum sentence that could be imposed for this criminal conviction.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

“As defendant’s criminal record makes clear, he absolutely refuses to give up his firearms despite decades of being told that he cannot possess a gun,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie C. Stern and Simar Khera argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Defendant’s refusal to give up his guns combined with his violent tendencies are a dangerous enough combination; but when defendant’s absolute disdain for the law and his failure to acknowledge his own misconduct is added, it showcases an individual who is an extreme danger to the community.”

ROCKFORD — A federal jury in Rockford has convicted a former employee of the Federal Correctional Institute in Thomson, Ill. of sexually abusing two male inmates.

After a three-day trial, the jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford on Wednesday found DANNY L. SPYKER, 42, guilty of two counts of knowingly engaging in sexual acts with two inmates.  Each count is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani set sentencing for Sept. 14, 2026.

According to evidence presented at trial, Spyker worked as a cook supervisor in March 2024 when he knowingly engaged in sexual acts with two inmates.  At the time, both victims were in official detention in the prison and under the custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority of prison employees, including Spyker.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matt Loux, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Regional Office of the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Kim and Andrew M. Rosati.

CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois today announced the formation of a first-of-its kind Program that both encourages and incentivizes individuals to voluntarily report and/or self-report criminal wrongdoing for non-violent offenses and fully cooperate with the government in its investigation and any subsequent prosecution of other offenders.  The Individual Self-Disclosure Program applies exclusively to individuals and does not overlap with the Department of Justice’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy of March 10, 2026.  Any corporate disclosures will be governed by the DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement Policy. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office implemented the Individual Self-Disclosure Program to provide greater certainty and equal-access transparency to individuals and their counsel as to what they can expect in exchange for their full, truthful, and complete reporting of criminal wrongdoing and subsequent cooperation.  Those who fully and voluntarily self-report criminal wrongdoing that is previously unknown to the government will have the opportunity to secure one of three tiers of potential benefits: (1) letter immunity; (2) a deferred or non-prosecution agreement; or (3) criminal prosecution with substantial sentencing relief.  An individual who receives a deferred or non-prosecution agreement under the Program must agree to disgorge any proceeds from the criminal activity through forfeiture or other means and pay restitution to victims consistent with the individual’s role in the offense and applicable law.

The Office will maintain its prosecutorial discretion to determine on a case-by-case basis whether an individual who reports wrongdoing merits one of the three tiers of benefits.  As set out in the Program, among the factors that the Office will consider are whether the criminal conduct had previously been made public or was previously known to law enforcement; whether the individual disclosed the criminal conduct voluntarily and not in response to a government inquiry or imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation; the completeness and timeliness of the disclosure; and the individual’s role and participation, if any, in the wrongdoing.  There are additional considerations that the Office will factor in its assessment, as is outlined in greater detail in the Program.

The Program supersedes the Northern District of Illinois’s Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program for Organizational Misconduct announced on Sept. 16, 2024.

“One of the key hallmarks of effective leadership is constantly striving for progress and innovation,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “When I began serving as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on April 7, 2025, I embarked on a deep, root-cause analysis of what was working and what was not working in the Office.  In fraud and other adjacent program areas, I determined fairly quickly that an overhaul of our self-disclosure program was needed. From there, I personally rolled up my sleeves and got to work reimagining a program that would lead to individual voluntary disclosures, be responsive to the defense bar and its concerns, protect the sanctity of prosecutorial discretion, and be fair and reasonable to individuals who make the difficult decision to come forward with information.  Drawing upon some 25 years of experience in the criminal law field, including nearly ten years as Co-Chair of White Collar, eight years as a federal prosecutor in Chicago handling sophisticated white-collar prosecutions, 16 years of teaching criminal law at the University of Chicago Law School, including debating self-disclosure policies with colleagues and thought leaders, as well as authoring some 160 articles and two books on various white-collar, corruption and adjacent topics, I put ‘fingers to keyboard’ on re-envisioning an individual self-disclosure program that not only works, but also  comports with Administration priorities.  For the first time in the Northern District of Illinois, individual wrongdoers now know upfront with transparency and much greater certainty whether and how they can be rewarded when they self-disclose wrongdoing, fully cooperate with our investigation, and remediate the misconduct. Incentivizing individuals to come forward and do the right thing will result in a better outcome for victims and a just result for the citizens of our District.  Although we expect this new self-disclosure Program to substantially increase our intake of fraud and other adjacent investigations, make no mistake: our Office will continue to vigorously pursue criminals who elect to roll the dice and not come forward and self-report their criminal activities.  The defense bar now has a unique tool at their disposable that we hope will be used with great frequency.  As such, for those individuals who make the decision not to self-report, they should not expect to be treated nearly as favorably as those who turn the corner and take account of their criminal conduct.”

Individuals who wish to make a voluntary disclosure must complete this form and submit it to USAILN.WBP@usdoj.gov.  Although anonymous reporting is not allowed, a new, unique feature allows for attorneys to reach out as an initial matter to the Front Office of the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to provide an attorney proffer of their client’s wrongdoing, role in the offense, and the other criteria and factors discussed in the Program. Attorneys can do this without identifying their client.

The Program is not available to individuals whose misconduct involved violence, the threat of violence, gun trafficking and firearm offenses, terrorism, drug trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, or any sex offense involving fraud, force, coercion, trafficking, or a minor victim.  Additionally, absent extraordinary or unique circumstances, elected federal, state, local, or foreign officials, and federal law enforcement officers, are not eligible to participate in the Program.  Click here for a full list of the Program’s terms and conditions.

CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today recognized the tremendous service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers during National Police Week.

“Serving as a sworn law enforcement officer is among the greatest callings in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “All of us at the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office consider it a privilege to work with the valiant men and women of law enforcement who serve our communities with honor, integrity, and bravery.  National Police Week reminds us that behind every badge is a story of service, sacrifice, and family.  To those brave officers in uniform, I say thank you for risking your life, wellbeing, and security to keep the rest of us safe.  To the families of the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price, we grieve your tragic loss and renew our commitment to supporting law enforcement each and every day and to continuing to fight the good fight on behalf of the people of the district that we serve.”

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week.  During National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, and loyalty.

On Wednesday, the names of 363 officers killed in the line of duty, including Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew, were added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil.  Officer Bartholomew served CPD honorably for ten years and was tragically killed on April 25, 2026.  He is survived by his wife and three children.

To learn more about National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org.