Northern District of Illinois

CHICAGO — A California attorney pleaded guilty today in Chicago to a criminal contempt of court charge for disobeying a court order that called for settlement funds to be distributed to relatives of victims killed in the crash of Lion Air Flight 610.

KEITH GRIFFIN, 54, of Temple City, Calif., entered the plea before U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt in the Northern District of Illinois.  Judge Hunt set sentencing for Aug. 6, 2026.

Griffin worked for the California personal injury law firm Girardi Keese, which represented relatives of victims who were killed in the 2018 crash in the Java Sea.  Girardi Keese filed civil lawsuits in federal court in Chicago against the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing Co., and settled the suits in 2020.  In connection with the settlements, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin ordered that the settlement funds, which included a total of $7.5 million, be sent to each client as soon as practicable.  Although Boeing wired the settlement funds into Girardi Keese’s client trust account in March 2020, Griffin admitted in a plea agreement that he knew for the next eight months that the firm failed to distribute the full amount of money to the clients, in contravention of Judge Durkin’s order and despite the clients’ repeated inquiries and demands for the money.

Griffin stated in the plea agreement that on multiple occasions he confronted another attorney at the firm, THOMAS GIRARDI, about paying the money to the clients.  Griffin knew, however, that Girardi was not distributing those funds as required by Judge Durkin’s order over that eight-month period, the plea agreement states.  The Lion Air victims eventually received their settlement funds when another law firm’s insurer paid them.

Griffin’s guilty plea 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. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Emily Vermylen.

Girardi, 86, of Seal Beach, Calif., was convicted in 2024 by a federal jury in Los Angeles of embezzling millions of dollars in settlement funds from other clients.  In connection with Girardi’s sentencing in that case, prosecutors in Los Angeles apprised the Court that Girardi had misappropriated the settlement funds in the Lion Air matter.  Girardi was sentenced last year to more than seven years in federal prison.

Two other Girardi Keese employees were charged in Chicago as part of this investigation.  Attorney DAVID LIRA, 65, of Pasadena, Calif., pleaded guilty last year to a criminal contempt charge for his willful failure to abide by Judge Durkin’s settlement payment order.  Lira was sentenced to four months in federal prison and four months of home confinement and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.  The firm’s former Chief Financial Officer, CHRISTOPHER KAMON, 51, of Palos Verdes, Calif., pleaded guilty last year to a wire fraud charge for helping Girardi embezzle the victims’ settlement funds.  Kamon was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison, which will run concurrently to a ten-year sentence that Kamon received in federal court in Los Angeles for a related embezzlement scheme.

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced the owner of several Chicago-area convenience stores to four years in prison for scheming to defraud a low-income food program for women and children.

From 2010 to 2018, HASSAN ABDELLATIF schemed with eight other convenience store owners or workers in the Chicago area to fraudulently redeem checks from the Women, Infants, and Children (“WIC”) program, a federally funded initiative designed to provide a nutritious diet to low-income children and pregnant, breastfeeding, and post-partum women.  Abdellatif and the others knowingly allowed customers to provide their WIC checks as payment for ineligible items at the stores, often at inflated prices.  In all, ten stores involved in the scheme redeemed more than $19 million in WIC checks.

A federal jury last year convicted Abdellatif, 37, of Chicago, on all five counts against him, including two counts of wire fraud, one count of fraudulently obtaining government benefits, and two counts of willfully failing to file corporate tax returns. In addition to the four-year prison term, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso on Tuesday ordered Abdellatif to pay more than $8.8 million in restitution to the government.

Eight others were charged in federal court as part of this investigation.  All eight have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kartik K. Raman and Rick Young.

“Hassan Abdellatif and his co-schemers engaged in conduct that was extremely serious, complex, and wide-ranging in scope,” AUSA Raman argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Vulnerable communities are impacted when individuals steal from those programs.”

ROCKFORD — A man has admitted in federal court that he robbed a U.S. 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 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, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of robbing money from the United States.  The conviction is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston set sentencing for July 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Mary T. Johnson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted an alleged boss of the violent Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico on drug, firearm, and material support of terrorism charges.

JESUS OMAR IBARRA FELIX led an armed security group known as the Las Fuerzas Especiales de Chuta (FECH), which engaged in armed conflict on behalf of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization previously headed by Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” according to an indictment returned Thursday in the Northern District of Illinois.  Ibarra Felix’s group allegedly provided armed security in support of Guzman Loera’s four sons, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” who took over leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel after Guzman Loera’s arrest in 2016.  Guzman Loera was later convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, N.Y., and sentenced to life in prison.

The indictment alleges that from 2016 to 2026, Ibarra Felix supplied machineguns to the Chapitos and conspired with them and others to import methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.  One of the alleged co-conspirators—Fausto Isidro Meza Flores—worked with Ibarra Flores to deploy the armed guards, the indictment states. Meza Flores was indicted in 2019 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is currently on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

In addition to leading the FECH, the indictment accuses Ibarra Felix of serving as a “plaza boss,” overseeing drug trafficking operations in his assigned region near Ahome, Mexico, from 2016 to 2025.

The indictment charges Ibarra Felix, also known as “El Chuta,” 49, of Los Mochis, Mexico, with terrorism, drug, and firearm charges.  The charges are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Ibarra Felix is not in custody, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The indictment is the result of a collaboration between prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from the FBI’s Washington, D.C. and San Diego Field Offices, and Homeland Security Investigations’ San Diego and Arizona offices.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Darren Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington, D.C. Field Office, TJ Holland, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office, Kevin Murphy, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI San Diego, and Matthew Murphy, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI Arizona.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Maione, Michelle Parthum, and Hanna Helwig of the Northern District of Illinois and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California.

The indictment was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals, including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect American communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

“The indictment of El Chuta should leave no doubt that this Administration is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their highest-ranking members accountable for poisoning the American public with illegal and harmful drugs and for the violence they perpetrate in the process,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of violent drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have very deservedly been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.  Working closely with other prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the United States, our goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle the cartels’ drug empire and bring its leaders to justice.”

“The indictment of El Chuta reinforces a simple message to him and other Sinaloa Cartel leaders: Foreign terrorist organizations may operate across borders–but justice doesn’t stop at them,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.

“Ibarra Felix allegedly led an armed security group that committed heinous acts of violence in defense of the Sinaloa Cartel and its illicit drug trafficking monopoly,” said FBI Washington Assistant Director in Charge Cox.  “His indictment is the first step toward bringing him to justice for facilitating the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the U.S. and the terrorization of communities in Ahome.”

“This indictment makes clear that Jesus Omar Ibarra Felix would do whatever it took to reap the spoils of his alleged illicit cartel activities,” said FBI San Diego Acting SAC Holland.  “It is the FBI’s priority to dismantle and eliminate these designated foreign terrorist organizations, so they can no longer threaten our communities with guns and drugs and violence.  The FBI will remain relentless until we achieve this mission.”

“The indictment of Ibarra Felix underscores HSI’s dedication to disrupting transnational criminal organizations operating in the United States and abroad,” said HSI San Diego Acting SAC Murphy.  “This major impact to Sinaloa cartel leadership is the result of persistent investigative efforts by HSI and our partner agencies to bring criminals to justice, protect our communities, and safeguard our nation.”

“This indictment underscores the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to disrupt and dismantle violent transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our communities,” said HSI Arizona Acting SAC Murphy.  “HSI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure those responsible for trafficking dangerous drugs and perpetrating violence are brought to 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 a reasonable doubt.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

A jury last year convicted STEPHEN CANFIELD, 54, of two counts of possession of child pornography.  On Friday, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Canfield to six years and three months in federal prison.

According to evidence presented at trial, Canfield knowingly possessed images of child pornography on his cell phone and in a Dropbox account.  The investigation began when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security received a cyber tip that the Dropbox account contained suspected child pornography.

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 Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Ladd and Andrew M. Rosati.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.  PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, while also providing critical services to victims.

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

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on sex trafficking charges for causing a minor to engage in commercial sex in a Chicago suburb.

KENNARD CAMERON recruited and enticed a 15-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts in a motel in Lansing, Ill., in 2023.  Cameron had photographed the girl wearing lingerie and in the nude and then posted the photos online in commercial sex advertisements.  After Cameron arranged for encounters with individuals who responded to the ads, he and a co-conspirator required the girl to turn over the proceeds to them.

Cameron, 40, of Chicago, was convicted on Wednesday of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor.  The jury returned its verdicts after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Cameron faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and a maximum of life.  U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey set sentencing for Sept. 16, 2026.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Caitlin Walgamuth.

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.

Tommy Schaefer, 32, of Chicago, was arrested in international air space on a flight back to the United States yesterday to face a three-count indictment in the Northern District of Illinois charging him with one count of conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, one count of conspiracy to commit foreign murder of a U.S. national, and one count of obstruction.

Schaefer is alleged to have conspired with his girlfriend, Heather Mack, to kill Mack’s mother, Sheila Von Weise, while Mack and Von Weise were on vacation in Bali, Indonesia, in 2014. Court documents allege that Mack arranged for Schaefer to travel to Bali for the purposes of killing Von Weise. The indictment alleges that before the murder, Schaefer exchanged messages with his cousin, Ryan Bibbs, regarding different ways to kill Von Wiese. 

In December 2016, Bibbs pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Foreign Murder of a U.S. National for providing advice to Schaefer for how to kill Von Weise. Court documents in that case reveal that Mack had also asked Bibbs if he knew anyone who would kill her mother in exchange for money. The indictment alleges that Schaefer and Mack discussed how and when to kill Ms. Von Weise and eventually followed through with the plan on Aug. 12, 2014, in her hotel room. It is alleged that immediately following the murder, Schaefer and Mack placed Von Weise’s body inside a suitcase that they loaded into the trunk of a taxi.

In 2015, Schaefer and Mack were convicted in Indonesia of criminal charges related to Ms. Von Weise’s murder. Mack was sentenced to 10 years in prison. After Mack was released from the Indonesian prison and returned to the United States, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national and was sentenced to 26 years in prison in June 2023. Schaefer was sentenced in Indonesia to 18 years in prison. Schaefer was returned to the United States yesterday after completing his sentence, which was reduced by the Indonesian authorities due to remissions and general good behavior.

If convicted, Schaefer faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for counts one and two, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for count three, and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie Ursini of the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.

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

WASHINGTON – Tommy Schaefer, 32, of Chicago, was arrested in international air space on a flight back to the United States, to face a three-count indictment in the Northern District of Illinois charging him with one count of conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, one count of conspiracy to commit foreign murder of a U.S. national, and one count of obstruction.

Schaefer is alleged to have conspired with his girlfriend, Heather Mack, to kill Mack’s mother, Sheila Von Weise, while Mack and Von Weise were on vacation in Bali, Indonesia, in 2014. Court documents allege that Mack arranged for Schaefer to travel to Bali for the purposes of killing Von Weise. The indictment alleges that before the murder, Schaefer exchanged messages with his cousin, Ryan Bibbs, regarding different ways to kill Von Wiese. In December 2016, Bibbs pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Foreign Murder of a U.S. National for providing advice to Schaefer for how to kill Von Weise. Court documents in that case reveal that Mack had also asked Bibbs if he knew anyone who would kill her mother in exchange for money. The indictment alleges that Schaefer and Mack discussed how and when to kill Ms. Von Weise and eventually followed through with the plan on Aug. 12, 2014, in her hotel room. It is alleged that immediately following the murder, Schaefer and Mack placed Von Weise’s body inside a suitcase that they loaded into the trunk of a taxi.

In 2015, Schaefer and Mack were convicted in Indonesia of criminal charges related to Ms. Von Weise’s murder. Mack was sentenced to a term of 10-years in prison. After Mack was released from the Indonesian prison and returned to the United States, she pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national and was sentenced to 26 years in prison in June 2023. Schaefer was sentenced in Indonesia to a term of 18 years in prison. Schaefer was returned to the United States yesterday after completing his sentence, which was reduced by the Indonesian authorities due to remissions and general good behavior.

If convicted, Schaefer faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for counts one and two, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for count three, and a maximum fine of not more than $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros of the Northern District of Illinois, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie Ursini of the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.

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

ROCKFORD — The former Treasurer of a booster club in Rockford, Ill. has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge for embezzling more than $34,000 from the club.

SHONDRA MCLARTY, 55, admitted in a plea agreement that she embezzled and stole money from the Tumbling and Acro Boosters Club (“TAB”) from 2023 to 2024 while she served as Treasurer. McLarty fraudulently used TAB’s business debit card and fraudulently caused TAB to issue business checks, which she used for personal expenses and not for any legitimate business purpose. According to the plea agreement, McLarty admitted to concealing her misappropriation of funds by changing the mailing address of TAB’s business bank accounts to her personal residence.

McLarty, of Rockton, Ill., pleaded guilty on Tuesday to wire fraud, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence will be determined by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston, guided by the Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing is set for June 23, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that the Department of Justice has selected the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago to be a lead prosecutorial partner on a task force designed to bring robust enforcement against importers, purchasers, supply chain actors, and other parties who seek to defraud the United States.  Those with information about serious trade fraud schemes should consider filing a False Claims Act case in the District or making a voluntary disclosure or criminal referral under one of the avenues available for cooperators or whistleblowers.

The Department of Justice recently created the Trade Fraud Task Force to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade federal customs laws, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy.  Those engaged in fraud increasingly are attempting to illegally import below-market, industry-destabilizing goods without paying lawful duties or smuggling prohibited items that violate laws addressing public health, safety, intellectual property rights, and national security by allowing dangerous, restricted, or adversarial materials to bypass critical screening protocols.  Trade fraud not only deprives the government of vital revenue used to reinvest in the country, but also threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. At an economic level, illegally transshipped, mislabeled, and misdeclared merchandise also creates a two-tier pricing structure for imported products: higher prices for buyers and sellers unwilling to transact in transshipped, mislabeled, and misdeclared merchandise, and cheaper prices for those willing to do so or who are otherwise indifferent.

In a significant policy speech on Monday at the Forum on Trade Investigations Enforcement and Litigation in Arlington, Va., the Head of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, Cody Matthew Herche, announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will serve as a lead prosecutorial partner on the Task Force, along with attorneys from the Department of Justice and agents from the Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency.  In the speech, Mr. Herche praised U.S. Attorney Boutros for his “partnership and extensive thought leadership in highlighting and combatting trade fraud” as well as his decades-long work in the space both as a federal prosecutor and thereafter.

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[1], with losses totaling approximately $260 million.  Those cases provide valuable insight into how the Trade Fraud Task Force will build future criminal prosecutions.  After his initial public service as a federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Boutros handled many matters and investigations involving trade fraud, authored numerous articles and book chapters on the subject, and served as the keynote speaker at several noteworthy legal conferences throughout the country.

“As Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. observed, ‘[A] page of history is worth a volume of logic,’” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Early in my career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in this Office, I led a series of momentous trade fraud prosecutions that laid the groundwork for the Trade Fraud Task Force.  There were many unprecedented challenges in these difficult cases, but I was determined by a strong sense of the law and all equities, while also being fortified by an unwavering agency partner in the Department of Homeland Security in Chicago.  Together we persevered and worked relentlessly for years to bring what still stand as the largest and most significant criminal trade fraud cases in our nation’s history.  I take great pride in knowing that we were the architects of this enforcement area and that we were decades ahead of our time.  It is also deeply satisfying that the vision we had for this enforcement area nearly 20 years ago has now been adopted at the very highest levels of the Department and is being implemented across the whole of government.”

The Northern District of Illinois spans 18 counties—from the Lake Michigan shoreline on the eastern edge of Illinois to the Mississippi River on the state’s western border—and serves as a major transit hub in the middle of the United States.  Air and water transportation centers in northern Illinois are critically important global, national, and regional connectors. The Illinois International Port District, also known as the Port of Chicago, annually moves more than 19 million tons of cargo. Located along Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Southeast Side, the Port of Chicago provides the means to move bulk commodities across the Chicago region and beyond, whether by water, train, or truck. O’Hare International Airport in Chicago was the 13th largest air cargo hub in the world in 2024 (the most recent year for which final data is available), moving more than two million tons of cargo, while Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford, Ill., moves more than a million tons of cargo per year, making it the 13th busiest airport for cargo in the United States.  Under our federal criminal laws, 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 or person moves.

“Chicago is one of the largest and most significant inland ports in the United States, allowing for expansive venue opportunities for criminal and civil trade fraud matters,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Trade compliance is a key concern for not only our region’s economic security, but also that of our entire nation’s.  The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will be strongly committed to holding parties accountable for their fraudulent schemes that undermine honest American competitors. We are proud to stand with our Department of Justice and agency partners as a prosecutorial leader of the Trade Fraud Task Force.  I applaud the Administration for bringing greater focus, intensity, efficiency, and impact to prosecuting all varieties of trade fraud and safeguarding American ingenuity and security.”

The Trade Fraud Task Force will advance President Trump’s America First Trade Policy by pursuing those who violate customs laws through duty and penalty collection actions under the Tariff Act of 1930, actions under the False Claims Act, and, where appropriate, parallel criminal prosecutions, penalties, forfeitures, and seizures.  The Trade Fraud Task Force encourages importers, their agents, purchasers, other supply chain actors, and industrial and commercial end-users to conduct thorough audits of their sourcing, purchasing, and importing practices, and voluntarily self-disclose and remediate unlawful behavior.  In addition, the Trade Fraud Task Force welcomes False Claims Act filings as well as referrals and cooperation from the domestic industries that are most harmed by unfair trade practices and trade fraud. 
 

[1]Among the cases U.S. Attorney Boutros brought as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois in the criminal trade fraud area were: U.S. v. Giesselbach, et al., 08 CR 417; U.S. v. Yong Xiang Yan, 09 CR 424; U.S. v. Hung Ta Fan, 10 CR 198; U.S. v. Shu Bei Yuan, 11 CR 84; U.S. v. Couture, 11 CR 781; U.S. v. Hung Yi Lin, 13 CR 125; U.S. v. Groeb Farms, Inc., 13 CR 137; U.S. v. Murphy, et al., 13 CR 138; U.S. v. Jun Yang, 13 CR 139; and U.S. v. Urbain Tran, 13 CR 140.

CHICAGO — Two individuals have been arrested in connection with an undercover federal firearm investigation in the Chicago suburbs.

On Feb. 5, 2026, MATTHEW BARRAZA, 21, of Chicago, illegally sold a loaded handgun to an undercover law enforcement officer for $2,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The handgun was equipped with a machine gun conversion device, which allows the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.  Also attached to the firearm was an extended magazine containing 19 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, the complaint states.  During the firearm transaction, which occurred at a gas station in Bolingbrook, Ill., Barraza also sold approximately 127 grams of cocaine to the undercover officer for $3,600, the complaint states.  Barraza is charged with unlicensed dealing of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, and distribution of a controlled substance. 

A separate federal complaint charges EDWIN MORENO, 27, of Chicago, with possessing a machine gun.  Moreno possessed the firearm, which was equipped with a machine gun conversion device, on Jan. 15, 2026, while providing what he believed was security for tow operators allegedly conducting a vehicle repossession in Joliet, Ill., the complaint states.  Unbeknownst to Moreno, the purported tow operators were undercover law enforcement officers, the complaint states.

Barraza and Moreno were arrested on Wednesday.  Detention hearings in federal court have been scheduled for Feb. 25, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.

The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Saqib Mohammad Hussain.

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for coordinating more than 200 shipments of methamphetamine from California to Chicago.

In 2022 and 2023, KEITH R. MCCORMICK mailed more than 200 parcels—each containing a pound of 90-100% pure methamphetamine—from his residence in Sacramento, Calif., to individuals in Chicago.  Many of the parcels were addressed to co-conspirators who arranged for the sale of the drugs on the streets.  The illicit proceeds were then shipped back to McCormick in California.

McCormick, 54, was arrested in March 2023.  He pleaded guilty last year to a drug conspiracy charge.  On Feb. 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the 14-year prison sentence and fined McCormick $25,000.

McCormick was one of six defendants charged with drug conspiracy as part of this investigation.  Four co-conspirators, all of whom resided in Chicago, pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced as follows:

STEPHEN R. JENKINS, 46: 14 years in prison.

DANIEL HEISE, 43: 12 years in prison.

DONALD W. GRENIER, JR., 64: four years in prison.

JOSE HERNANDEZ, 48: four years in prison.

The fifth alleged co-conspirator—WILLIAM F. KOCH, 38, of Chicago—died in 2024, prompting the government to dismiss the charges against him.

McCormick’s sentence and the results of the investigation were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Mary T. Johnson, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California; Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) in Chicago and Sacramento; the USPIS High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force —Parcel Interdiction Regional Enforcement Team in Chicago; USPIS and Homeland Security Investigations Field Offices in Sacramento; and the North Riverside, Ill. Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Moheb.

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to 37 years in prison for sexually exploiting nearly 100 children with whom he communicated on social media.

In 2022, SHAUN HEALY used Snapchat to contact and persuade young girls to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.  Healy often posed as a young girl himself to gain his victims’ trust and induce them to produce the sexually abusive material.  He provided graphic, step-by-step instructions to his victims, including the type of explicit conduct they should engage in and how to record and send it to him.

Healy also extorted his victims by threatening to publish the images and videos they sent him if they didn’t produce and send him even more such materials.

In December 2022, law enforcement arrested Healy at his residence in Elburn, Ill., and searched his cellular phone.  Law enforcement discovered a password-protected album on the phone that contained dozens of carefully organized folders of children that Healy had stored from his Snapchat account.  Each folder contained the child’s Snapchat username, image, and a catalog of the sexually explicit videos and images that he instructed them to produce and send.

Healy, 45, pleaded guilty last year to child exploitation charges.  U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman imposed the 37-year prison sentence during a hearing on Feb. 12, 2026, in federal court in Chicago. 

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

“Defendant is a child predator,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saqib Mohammad Hussain and Elly Moheb argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “And not just a child predator, but one who ruthlessly sexually exploited young girls and prided himself on it.  What defendant made these children do will affect them for the rest of their lives in ways that we cannot appreciate.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.  PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, while also providing critical services to victims.

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

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. 

Two foreign nationals participated in a $10 million scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare and private insurers for nonexistent health care services, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago.

In 2023 and 2024, Burhan Mirza and Kashif Iqbal, along with several co-schemers, used nominee-owned laboratories and durable medical equipment providers to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and private health care benefit programs for items and services that were not provided, the indictment states. Mirza, 31, is a Pakistani native who resided in Pakistan and obtained the identifying information of individuals, providers, and insurers without their knowledge and used the information to support the bogus claims submitted on behalf of the nominee-owned companies, the indictment states. Iqbal, 48, is a Pakistani native who resided in Lavon, Texas, and was allegedly associated with a number of durable medical equipment providers that submitted fraudulent claims to insurers. Iqbal also laundered fraud proceeds obtained by the co-schemers and coordinated the transfer of money obtained through the scheme to Pakistan, the indictment states.

“Rooting out fraud is a priority for this Justice Department, and these defendants allegedly billed millions of dollars from Medicare and laundered the proceeds to Pakistan,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “These alleged criminals stole from a program designed to provide health care benefits to American seniors and the disabled, not line the pockets of foreign fraudsters. We will not tolerate these schemes that divert taxpayer dollars to criminals.” 

“Every fraudulent submission in this case was a hand in the pocket of a senior citizen or disabled person who relies on Medicare to fund critically important care,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The defendants didn’t just steal from a government program; they stole from taxpayers who fund the promise of healthcare in this country. The newly established Healthcare Fraud Section in the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop bad actors from draining public and private programs—especially those in the healthcare fraud space that would make it harder for legitimate patients to receive care.”

“Each fraudulent claim submitted by the defendants deprived other deserving patients from necessary medical resources and cost taxpayers their hard-earned money,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “The FBI, along with our network of investigative and prosecutorial partners, will bring to justice those who engage in egregious fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public.”

“This scheme was built on a foundation of lies — fraudulent claims for services that were never provided and a deliberate effort to funnel millions of dollars overseas,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These actions not only siphon funds from federal health care programs and private insurers but also undermine the integrity of programs meant to serve vulnerable patients. Our agency will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these schemes and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

The indictment charges Mirza with 12 counts of health care fraud and five counts of money laundering. Iqbal is charged with 12 counts of health care fraud, six counts of money laundering, and one count of making a false statement to U.S. law enforcement. Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.

Three alleged co-schemers were previously indicted as part of this investigation and have pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges. Mir Akbar Khan, 57, of West Chicago, Illinois, recruited and managed individuals, including Fasiur Rahman Syed, 47, a citizen of India who resided in Chicago, to pose as the nominee owners of the purported medical businesses that Mirza and Iqbal used in their false submissions to Medicare. Navaid Rasheed, 43, a citizen of Pakistan who resided in Plano, Texas, admitted that he tracked payments of false claims in the United States to the nominee-owned companies, as well as disbursement of the fraud proceeds to the co-schemers. Khan, Syed, and Rasheed are awaiting sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes for the Northern District of Illinois is prosecuting the case.

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

CHICAGO — Two foreign nationals participated in a $10 million scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare and private insurers for nonexistent health care services, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago.

In 2023 and 2024, BURHAN MIRZA and KASHIF IQBAL, along with several co-schemers, used nominee-owned laboratories and durable medical equipment providers to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and private healthcare benefit programs for items and services that were not provided, the indictment states.  Mirza, a Pakistani native who resided in Pakistan, obtained the identifying information of individuals, providers, and insurers without their knowledge and used the information to support the bogus claims submitted on behalf of the nominee-owned companies, the indictment states. Iqbal, a Pakistani native who resided in Lavon, Texas, was allegedly associated with a number of durable medical equipment providers that submitted fraudulent claims to insurers.  Iqbal also laundered fraud proceeds obtained by the co-schemers and coordinated the transfer of money obtained through the scheme to Pakistan, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Mirza, 31, with 12 counts of healthcare fraud and five counts of money laundering.  Iqbal, 48, is charged with 12 counts of healthcare fraud, six counts of money laundering, and one count of making a false statement to U.S. law enforcement. Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General, 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 Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Chicago Regional Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes of the Northern District of Illinois.

“Rooting out fraud is a priority for this Justice Department, and these defendants allegedly billed millions of dollars from Medicare and laundered the proceeds to Pakistan,” said Deputy Attorney General Blanche.  “These alleged criminals stole from a program designed to provide health care benefits to American seniors and the disabled, not line the pockets of foreign fraudsters.  We will not tolerate these schemes that divert taxpayer dollars to criminals.” 

“Every fraudulent submission in this case diverts much needed monies from senior citizens and disabled persons who rely on Medicare to fund critically important health needs,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The defendants didn’t just steal from a government program; they did damage to the promise of healthcare in this country and the peace of mind that comes with it.  I was proud to form a new Healthcare Fraud Section in the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office last summer with the aim of guarding hardworking taxpayer funds.  We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to stop bad actors from draining public and private programs—especially those in the healthcare space that make it harder for legitimate patients to receive care.”

“Each fraudulent claim submitted by the defendants deprived other deserving patients from necessary medical resources and cost taxpayers their hard-earned money,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “The FBI, along with our network of investigative and prosecutorial partners, will bring to justice those who engage in egregious fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public.”

“This scheme was built on a foundation of lies—fraudulent claims for services that were never provided and a deliberate effort to funnel millions of dollars overseas,” said HHS-OIG SAC Pinto.  “These actions not only siphon funds from federal health care programs and private insurers, but also undermine the integrity of programs meant to serve vulnerable patients.  Our agency will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these schemes and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

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.

Three alleged co-schemers were previously indicted as part of this investigation and have pleaded guilty to federal healthcare fraud charges.  MIR AKBAR KHAN, 57, of West Chicago, Ill., recruited and managed individuals, including FASIUR RAHMAN SYED, 47, a citizen of India who resided in Chicago, to pose as the nominee owners of the purported medical businesses that Mirza and Iqbal allegedly used in their false submissions to Medicare. NAVAID RASHEED, 43, a citizen of Pakistan who resided in Plano, Texas, admitted that he tracked payments of false claims in the United States to the nominee-owned companies, as well as disbursement of the fraud proceeds to the co-schemers.  Khan, Syed, and Rasheed are awaiting sentencing.

ROCKFORD — A Crystal Lake, Ill., man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine.  

JAMES ETTLESON, 39, pleaded guilty last year to one count of distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 100-month prison sentence during a hearing on Monday at the federal courthouse in Rockford.

In a plea agreement, Ettleson admitted that from 2022 to 2024, he repeatedly ordered controlled substances to be delivered to him through the mail via the “dark web,” and then advertised to sell those controlled substances on Facebook.  In April 2023, Ettleson arranged the order and sale of a package containing 113.2 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer.   

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Mary Johnson, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson. 

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to more than four years in prison for robbing a United States Postal Service letter carrier in Chicago.

The robbery occurred on March 31, 2020, in the 1900 block of North Albany Avenue in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.  DONTE HUGHES and another individual approached the carrier from behind as she was delivering mail.  The other individual wrapped both arms around the carrier, preventing her from moving, while Hughes reached into the carrier’s pocket and demanded property.  The victim complied with the demand and turned over official USPS property.  Hughes and the other individual then fled the area on foot.

Hughes was arrested in 2024.  At the time of the robbery, he was on probation for a firearm-related conviction in state court.

Hughes, 34, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal robbery charge.  On Feb. 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings sentenced Hughes to four years and three months in federal prison for the robbery of the postal carrier.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Mary T. Johnson, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang.

CHICAGO — A foreign national residing in a Chicago suburb has been indicted in federal court for allegedly bringing illegal aliens into the United States for private financial gain.

FREDY HERNANDEZ knowingly brought four illegal aliens from Honduras into the United States in 2022 and 2023, according to an indictment returned on Feb. 2, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Once in the United States, Hernandez forced the victims to work for his private financial gain, the indictment states. Hernandez threatened the victims and made them believe that if they did not perform the work, they or others would suffer serious harm, the indictment states.

Hernandez, 46, is a citizen of Honduras who resided in Waukegan, Ill.  The indictment charges him with four counts of bringing illegal aliens to the United States for commercial advantage, four counts of harboring illegal aliens, and four counts of forced labor.  Each count of bringing in and harboring aliens is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, while each forced labor count is punishable by up to 20 years. 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 Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for violently sex trafficking five young victims, including a 15-year-old girl, and kidnapping two of them.

DENNIS WILLIAMS used threats, violence, drugs, and other coercive means to force five victims to engage in commercial sex.  Williams often restrained or assaulted the victims to force them to comply and turn over the proceeds to him.  Williams also caused a 17-year-old girl, whom he also assaulted repeatedly, to assist him in trafficking the victims.  Williams ran his sex trafficking operation out of his Chicago residence and motels in Lansing, Ill., in 2022 and 2023.

Last year, a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Williams, 33, on all seven sex trafficking and kidnapping counts against him.  All five of Williams’ victims, including both of the kidnapping victims, bravely testified about their ordeals at trial.

U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland imposed the 28-year prison sentence during a hearing on Feb. 4, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lansing, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Evergreen Park, Ill. Police Department, Joliet, Ill. Police Department, Manhattan, Ill. Police Department, Orland Park, Ill. Police Department, Palos Heights, Ill. Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

“Williams’ crimes were violent, exploitative, and incredibly serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju and Michelle Parthum argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Although the young women and girls that he victimized are now free of defendant’s grasp, the harm that he inflicted on them is likely to reverberate throughout the rest of their lives in the form of increased risk of mental illness and other struggles.”

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

CHICAGO — A woman has been indicted in federal court for allegedly preparing more than 25 fraudulent tax returns for clients of her suburban Chicago tax preparation business.

From 2020 to 2024, JAYDINE BROWN prepared and assisted in the preparation of 26 false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of clients of her business, Hall Tax & Services Corp. of Flossmoor, Ill., according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Brown helped prepare federal tax returns that fraudulently overstated and misrepresented tax credits, deductions, income, and expenses in order to fraudulently reduce the taxpayers’ tax liability and claim refund amounts to which they were not entitled, the indictment states.  Brown also filed an individual tax return for herself in 2021 that substantially underreported her income, the indictment states.  She also failed to file a corporate tax return for her business for the tax year 2022, the indictment alleges.

Brown, 43, of Chicago Heights, Ill., is charged with 26 counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false or fraudulent tax returns, one count of making false or fraudulent statements on a tax return, and one count of willful failure to file a tax return.  Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges during her arraignment on Friday in federal court in Chicago.  A status hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Asheeka Desai.

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

Today the Department of Justice announced the launch of the CLEU remission fund to compensate victims of an alleged “pump-and-dump” investment fraud scheme that resulted in charges against seven individuals.

“This was a coordinated act of both social and market manipulation,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants allegedly made millions by setting a trap for unsuspecting investors, many of whom lost their life savings. Today’s announcement demonstrates the Department’s commitment to use forfeiture remedies to take the profit out of crime and to compensate victims as quickly as possible.”

“As alleged in the indictment and forfeiture complaint, the defendants defrauded U.S. investors through deceitful and coordinated trading activities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our attorneys and staff in this case placed a high priority on recovering funds for victims. The large forfeiture order of more than $200 million should serve as a warning that federal law enforcement will aggressively pursue fraudulent profits from those who seek to prey upon investors by manipulating the U.S. stock market.”

“Despite the overwhelming manipulation as alleged in this case, this serves as one of the premier FBI investigations in which the federal government was able to successfully recover victims’ hard-earned money before it disappeared into overseas bank accounts,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “This elaborate fraud scheme boasting bogus profit potentials has caused extensive harm to unsuspecting Americans. The FBI will continue to work with our partner networks to ensure that justice is served against anyone who seeks to weaponize financial systems to gain personal profit.”

According to the allegations in a March 2025 indictment in the Northern District of Illinois, from Nov. 2024 to Feb. 2025, seven individuals allegedly engaged in a “pump-and-dump” scheme whereby individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and messaging platforms falsely promised significant returns from investments in CLEU, a company that purported to provide educational services in China. The false and misleading promotion and coordinated trading caused the NASDAQ-listed stock price to artificially rise. The defendants then sold thousands of shares and made millions in profits. The stock price ultimately decreased significantly, at the expense of other investors, some of whom lost almost the entirety of their investment. CLEU has since been delisted from NASDAQ. The defendants are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.

In May 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois civilly forfeited over $200 million in assets traceable to the CLEU scheme. These funds are now available to compensate victims for their eligible losses. The department has retained Kroll Settlement Administration (Kroll) to serve as the Remission Administrator for this matter.

Victims who incurred financial losses related to the CLEU scheme may be eligible for remission payments from the forfeited assets. The Remission Administrator has established an official website at https://www.CLEUremissionfund.com/. Once the Petition Form is made available online, those individuals, their attorneys or estates of deceased victims may file a petition to claim their losses. Any victims who have previously provided their information to the FBI or United States Attorney’s Office will be contacted by the Remission Administrator to file a petition. Victims may also call, email or write to the Remission Administrator to request that a Petition Form be sent to them. For more information about the remission process, please visit the official website at https://www.CLEUremissionfund.com/ or contact Kroll at 1-833-754-8247 toll-free.

Special Agent Joseph Holzman and Victim Specialist Amanda Zarobsky of the FBI spearheaded the investigation and identification of thousands of victims. The Boston Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the SEC’s Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten for the Northern District of Illinois represents the government in both the criminal prosecution and civil forfeiture cases with valuable assistance from the office’s victim witness coordinator, Celia Mendoza.

The Department of Justice, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to compensate victims of crime. Since 2000, the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF), which oversees the Asset Forfeiture Program’s victim compensation program, has successfully used its specialized expertise to return more than $12 billion in forfeited assets to victims of crime. MNF Senior Attorney Advisor Carly Diroll-Black with MNF’s Program Management and Training Unit is leading the remission process.

The Remission Administrator and the Department of Justice will not ask for any payment to participate in this remission process. Please be cautious of any individual or organization claiming to represent the Remission Administrator or the federal government in this matter. If you are a victim, any communications will come directly from the Remission Administrator or from government representatives with whom you have already had contact.

PSA: FBI Warns of the Impersonation of Law Enforcement and Government Officials https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250418

How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam

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

ROCKFORD — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for conspiring with his sister to straw purchase seven firearms.

From 2020 to 2023, DERWIN VAZQUEZ, JR. conspired with his sister—JALISSA R. VAZQUEZ—to make false or fictious written statements to three licensed firearms dealers in connection with the acquisition or attempted acquisition of the firearms.  Vazquez Jr. often purchased firearms online but falsely used his sister’s name as the purchaser.  He then instructed Jalissa Vazquez to go pick up the firearms, knowing that she would falsely certify on federal forms that she was the actual buyer.  Other times, Vazquez Jr. provided cash to Jalissa Vazquez or instructed her to purchase firearms with cash on his behalf.  Vazquez, Jr. admitted that he intended to unlawfully re-sell the firearms to others on Facebook.

Vazquez Jr., 26, of Waukegan, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to provide false and fictitious written statements to federally licensed dealers of firearms.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the 30-month prison sentence during a hearing on Thursday in federal court in Rockford.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

Jalissa Vazquez, 37, of Garden Prairie, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to the same conspiracy charge as her brother.  She is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Johnston on April 23, 2026.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses. 

CHICAGO — A former paralegal for a Chicago-area public company has been sentenced in federal court for embezzling nearly $100,000 from the company.

As part of her paralegal duties, NAKESHA DAVIS facilitated payments from the company to former employees with whom the company had entered into settlement agreements. Davis created and submitted false approvals from managers in the company’s legal department purporting to approve settlement payments to certain former employees.  Davis knew, however, that those former employees either did not have a settlement agreement with the company or, if they did, the amount of the settlement was different than the amount specified in Davis’s submissions. Davis supplied the company’s payroll department with her own bank account information in place of the former employee’s information, causing the company to issue the settlement payments directly to Davis.

In total, Davis caused the company to fraudulently issue her $99,905.17.

Davis, 46, of South Holland, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge.  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced Davis to six months of home confinement as part of a two-year term of probation.  Judge Shah also ordered Davis to pay restitution to the company in the amount of $99,905.17.

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

CHICAGO — A federal drug investigation has resulted in criminal charges against nine individuals for allegedly trafficking cocaine in the Chicago area.

The investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chicago Police Department, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by a Chicago couple—JOEL ANDRADE and MARIA BRENDA MORA-HERNANDEZ.  A criminal complaint filed this week in federal court in Chicago accuses Joel Andrade and Mora-Hernandez of conspiring to possess at least five kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute.  The pair also allegedly possessed two semiautomatic handguns in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes.  The seven other defendants allegedly distributed cocaine last year in Chicago or the suburbs of Villa Park, Ill., Addison, Ill., and Rosemont, Ill.

Law enforcement on Thursday arrested seven of the defendants and executed court-authorized searches of multiple locations in the city and suburbs.  Those defendants have begun making their initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.  The two other defendants are in state custody in Cook County and will make their initial federal court appearances at a later time.

The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, and Nicholas J. Roti, Executive Director of the Chicago High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).  Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois National Guard’s Counter-Drug Task Force, Carpentersville, Ill. Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Aurora, Ill. Police Department, Naperville, Ill. Police Department, Lake County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigations Group, and Berkeley, Ill. Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Megan Donohue.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not allow our communities to be exploited by drug traffickers peddling poison,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “We are proud to partner with FBI, CPD, HIDTA, and our many other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to hold traffickers accountable and keep dangerous drugs and illegal guns off our streets.”

“The FBI will continue to aggressively combat criminal organizations that degrade our communities by engaging in the trafficking of narcotics,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “The success of this operation underscores the valuable partnerships the FBI shares with the Chicago Police Department and all members of our Safe Streets Task Force who work together to ensure the safety of our communities.”

The complaint charges Joel Andrade, 34, of Chicago, and Mora-Hernandez, 32, of Chicago, with drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and firearm offenses.  The other defendants charged with federal drug offenses are RICHARD RUBIO, 33, of Chicago Ridge, Ill., ALEXIS ANDRADE, 30, of Chicago, JEREMY RUSH, 34, of Downers Grove, Ill., DEVONTE JONES, 30, of Chicago, JOSE NAVARRETE, 23, of Chicago, JEREMIE REYES-GONZALEZ, 21, of Cicero, Ill., and ALEXIS GUTIERREZ, 43, of Riverside, Ill. Rubio and Alexis Andrade are also charged with possessing handguns in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes.

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

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on extortion charges for threatening and assaulting a Chicago restaurateur to collect a debt.

JAWAD FAKROUNE, also known as “Angelino Escobar” or “Anjelino Escobar,” 46, was found guilty on both extortion counts against him. The jury returned its verdicts after a week-long trial in federal court in Chicago.  Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah set sentencing for June 30, 2026.

Fakroune is a foreign national who recently resided in the Chicago area.  Evidence at trial revealed that in 2023 and 2024, Fakroune loaned approximately $405,000 to the restaurateur to develop and open a new restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and to pay back taxes.  In November 2024, Fakroune began to threaten the restaurateur about repayment of the loan.  On the evening of Nov. 25, 2024, Fakroune confronted the restaurateur and threatened him over the manner and nature of the repayments.  Fakroune choked, kicked, and punched the restaurateur, while continuing to demand money and repeatedly threatening the lives of the restaurateur and his family.

The guilty verdicts were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 48 years in federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

TERCALO E. THOMAS enticed, persuaded, and used a prepubescent minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, which he recorded.  Thomas then trafficked the images as barter to amass a vast collection of images of other children’s sexual abuse.  At the time of his arrest in April 2022, Thomas possessed on his cell phone more than 1,500 images depicting child sex abuse.

Thomas, 35, of Park Forest, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the 48-year prison sentence during a hearing on Jan. 22, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.

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

“Defendant was an avid collector of child exploitation images, particularly of prepubescent children,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Moheb argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Unsatisfied by his depraved collection, he created his own. The seriousness of this offense cannot be overstated.”

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

CHICAGO — A Virginia man who co-created and operated “Empire Market”—a dark web marketplace that enabled users to anonymously buy and sell illegal goods and services—has pleaded guilty in Chicago to a federal drug conspiracy charge.

RAHEIM HAMILTON, 30, of Suffolk, Va., entered the guilty plea on Monday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  The conviction is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and a maximum of life.  U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for June 17, 2026.

The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Mary Johnson, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells and Ann Marie Ursini.

Hamilton and THOMAS PAVEY co-owned and operated Empire Market from 2018 to 2020. During that time, the online market facilitated more than four million transactions between vendors and buyers valued at more than $430 million, making it one of the largest dark web marketplaces of its kind at the time.  The illegal products and services available on the site included controlled substances, compromised or stolen account credentials, stolen personally identifying information, counterfeit currency, and computer-hacking tools.  Sales of controlled substances were the most prevalent activity, with net drug sales totaling nearly $375 million over the life of the site.

Hamilton admitted in a plea agreement that he and Pavey designed Empire Market to help its users avoid detection by law enforcement and to assist users with laundering money from the illicit transactions.  Hamilton and Pavey established that all transactions on the site must be conducted using only cryptocurrency.  As part of the plea agreement, Hamilton agreed to forfeit certain ill-gotten proceeds, including, among things, approximately 1,230 bitcoin and 24.4 Ether, as well as three properties in Virginia.

Pavey, 40, of Ormond Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty last year to a federal drug conspiracy charge and admitted his role in creating and operating Empire Market.  Pavey is awaiting sentencing.  He faces the same maximum sentence as Hamilton.  As part of his plea agreement, Pavey agreed to forfeit certain ill-gotten proceeds, including, among things, approximately 1,584 bitcoin, two boxes containing 25-ounce gold bars, three automobiles, and two properties in Florida.

CHICAGO — A former suburban Chicago police officer has been convicted of federal corruption charges for conspiring to steal cash and drugs from occupants of vehicles during traffic stops.

ANTOINE LARRY was serving as a patrol officer for the Phoenix, Ill. Police Department when he conspired with another officer to corruptly solicit cash and drugs from the occupants of vehicles during traffic stops in exchange for reducing, dropping, or declining to press charges or allowing the vehicles to avoid impoundment. The officers falsified police reports to conceal their corruption.  The criminal conspiracy began in at least 2020 and continued until 2022.

After a two-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a jury on Friday convicted Larry, 49, of Bolingbrook, Ill., on all four counts against him, including charges of conspiracy, extortion, and attempted extortion.  The extortion and attempted extortion charges are punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years.  U.S. District Judge John F. Kness set sentencing for April 22, 2026.

The other officer—JARRETT SNOWDEN, of Lansing, Ill.—pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge prior to trial and admitted his role in the scheme.  Snowden is awaiting sentencing.

The convictions were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Morgan, Ramon Villalpando, and Prashant Kolluri.

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for participating in two violent carjackings in Chicago.

EDMUND SINGLETON and two co-defendants conspired to commit the carjackings on a single night in November 2022.  In the first carjacking, Singleton drove the trio in a stolen car to a gas station in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago, where the co-defendants violently took an Infiniti Q50 sedan from a driver who was pumping gas.  One of the co-defendants jammed a gun so hard into the victim’s back that it left a bruise.

A few hours later, Singleton drove the trio to a gas station in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, where the co-defendants attempted to take a BMW X6 from a driver who was also pumping gas.  The co-defendants pointed guns at the driver, who walked with the assistance of crutches.  The victim fell to the ground after being approached by the armed men.  The co-defendants tried to drive away in the BMW but gave up when they couldn’t operate the victim’s specially designed car.  The co-defendants retreated into Singleton’s car, and he sped away from the scene.

A law enforcement officer soon spotted Singleton’s vehicle, and a chase involving police helicopters ensued.  As police closed in, the defendants abandoned Singleton’s car and fled on foot while armed with guns.  The defendants ran through backyards of residential homes and dropped their guns before police arrested them.

A federal jury last year convicted Singleton, 35, and co-defendant RAMONE BRADLEY, 27, both of Chicago, on carjacking and firearm offenses.  On Jan. 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Singleton to 17 years in federal prison.  Judge Kennelly found that Singleton committed obstruction of justice before trial when he paid a co-defendant to author a false alibi affidavit for Singleton.

Judge Kennelly last year sentenced Bradley to nine years in federal prison.

The third defendant—MARQUELL DAVIS, 23, of Chicago—pleaded guilty prior to trial and admitted his role in the carjackings.  Judge Kennelly last year sentenced Davis to 12 years in federal prison.

The sentences were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.

“Defendant’s crimes were serious, violent, and showed a complete disregard for human life,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elie Zenner and Simar Khera argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Carjackings like those here not only leave the victims scarred and perhaps looking for new places to live, but they impact the sense of safety and security for all Chicagoans.”

An Illinois businessman was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in schemes to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit, as well as for submitting fraudulent applications to obtain COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He was also ordered to pay $ 23,226,005 in restitution.

“The defendant orchestrated a massive scheme to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit from federally insured financial institutions and exploit the Paycheck Protection Program,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division. “The defendant’s lies and deceit put our financial system at risk and wasted limited resources. The Criminal Division remains dedicated to prosecuting fraudsters who steal from our important institutions and taxpayer-assistance programs.”

“The duration, brazenness, and magnitude of this fraud scheme speaks to the defendant’s determination and greed,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The fact that such a sophisticated scheme was uncovered and successfully prosecuted is a testament to the diligent work of our prosecutors and federal law enforcement agents. Our Office was proud to partner with the Department of Justice Fraud Section on this case and many others that hold defendants accountable and provide justice for defrauded victims.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rahul Shah, 56, of Evanston, the owner and operator of several information-technology companies in the Chicago area, fraudulently obtained funds from loans and lines of credit for which he was not eligible from federally insured financial institutions and later defaulted on at least one such line of credit and one such loan. Shah submitted to federally insured financial institutions falsified bank statements that fraudulently inflated deposits, falsified balance sheets that overstated revenues, and fabricated audited financial statements with forged signatures. Shah also engaged in monetary transactions with proceeds from the bank fraud.

In addition, Shah submitted to a federally insured bank an application for a $441,138 loan guaranteed by the SBA that significantly overstated the payroll expenses of a company he controlled. In support of the loan application, he submitted to the lender several fraudulent IRS documents, which falsely represented that the company made payments to multiple individuals who had not received such payments. He also used stolen identities in the PPP loan application to carry out the fraud, listing the names and taxpayer-identification numbers of individuals that he knew had not received payments from the company.

Shah signed and caused to be submitted to the lender what purported to be IRS Forms 941 representing his company’s quarterly payroll expenses for 2019. A comparison between the documents submitted to the lender and the company’s IRS and state tax filings revealed that Shah’s company reported significantly lower payroll expenses to the tax authorities.

In July 2025, Shah was convicted of seven counts of bank fraud, five counts of making false statements to a financial institution, two counts of money laundering and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

The FBI and Small Business Association Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) investigated the case.

Assistant Chief Patrick Mott and Trial Attorney Lindsey Carson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

CHICAGO — A registered nurse has been charged in federal court in Chicago with distributing counterfeit Ozempic.

SHARON CHRISTINE SACKMAN distributed the counterfeit drugs to three individuals in Chicago in 2023, according to a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  The drugs were labeled as the weight-loss medication Ozempic, but they were not manufactured by Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, nor did they contain Ozempic’s active ingredient semaglutide, the information states.  Sackman was a registered professional nurse but was not licensed by law to prescribe, administer, dispense, or sell Ozempic, the information states.

Sackman, 52, who currently resides in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, is charged with one count of distributing misbranded drugs and three counts of dispensing counterfeit drugs.  Each count is punishable by up to a year in federal prison.  Sackman pleaded not guilty on Tuesday during her arraignment in federal court in Chicago.  A status hearing was scheduled for Feb. 3, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.

The charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ronne Malham, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey.

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

CHICAGO — A former operations manager for a suburban Chicago medical center has been indicted in connection with an alleged $900,000 fraud scheme.

From 2021 to 2024, BRANDON GETZLOFF used procurement credit cards from the medical center to purchase gift cards for himself and pay his personal bills, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Getzloff concealed the fraud by causing the expenses to be falsely recorded as legitimate expenditures in the company’s enterprise management system, the indictment states.

Getzloff also engaged in fraud related to sports outings that he offered to arrange to luxury golf courses, college basketball and football games, and other events, the indictment states.  Getzloff induced victims to pay for the outings by claiming to offer significantly discounted rates that had to be purchased by certain deadlines, sometimes more than a year in advance, the indictment states.  Getzloff diverted most of the funds to his own use without purchasing tickets, but in some instances he used the victims’ funds as well as some of the gift cards from the procurement fraud to pay for earlier-scheduled sports outings, the success of which he used to attract funding from additional participants, the indictment states.

In total, the indictment accuses Getzloff of fraudulently obtaining more than $700,000 from the medical center and more than $200,000 from the sports outing participants.

Getzloff, 42, of Carol Stream, Ill., is charged with eight counts of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago.  A status hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeremy C. Daniel is set for Jan. 28, 2026.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Waukesha County, Wisc. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck.

CHICAGO — The United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago increased its caseload to crack down on crime in 2025 while implementing significant new policies and initiatives that have strengthened the Office for continued success now and in the future, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today.

Federal criminal indictments in all program areas in the Northern District of Illinois in 2025 were up 34% (429 versus 320) compared to last year.  The number of defendants charged in all program areas in 2025 was up 38% (571 versus 414) compared to last year.  The increase was particularly notable in federal firearm indictments brought under ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, with those indictments up 122% (51 versus 23) compared to last year. Child exploitation indictments were also up 45% (29 versus 20) compared to last year.

“I am proud to report that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois had a productive and robust year in 2025,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who began serving as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025. “I walked in and found an Office that was facing hard times, as had widely been reported.  I knew that thoughtful and meaningful changes would be needed to move the direction of the Office,” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued.  “As such, from my first days in the Office, I made it a top priority to sit down for candid, one-on-one discussions with every single Assistant U.S. Attorney to ask for their perspective on what was working, what wasn’t working, where change was needed, and how I could best support each of them,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “I also met with all staff in the Office and further sat down with nearly every federal agency enforcement head in Chicagoland, as well as many state and local partners to ask the same types of questions.  In addition, I conducted an objective, thorough, top-down review of nearly all our policies, procedures, and practices. What I learned from this massive undertaking was both eye opening and deeply informative—especially as an alum who served almost eight years in the Office.”

Against this backdrop, throughout the year, U.S. Attorney Boutros implemented numerous policy, procedural, and structural changes aimed at aligning resources with need, deploying resources for maximum effectiveness, forging deep partnerships with law enforcement stakeholders, and empowering prosecutors to bring many more impactful indictments in critical program areas.  From an external perspective, among the policy changes he implemented, U.S. Attorney Boutros in June expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city.  The expansion represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation.  In August, U.S. Attorney Boutros created a Healthcare Fraud Section within the Office’s Criminal Division dedicated to the prosecution of healthcare fraud, which is among the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities and the first time the Office has had such a Section.  Since U.S. Attorney Boutros began serving in his position, the Office has charged nearly $2 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the district and transnationally.

“There is no shortage of serious federal crimes in Chicago, whether in the areas of violence, fraud, drug or firearm trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, corruption, corporate crime, or any of the other myriad federal crimes that are committed in our District daily.  As United States Attorney, I have been—and will remain—sharply focused on working closely with our various law enforcement partners to accept more and more of their cases for federal criminal prosecution, and once cases come through our doors, making sure our prosecutors have what they need to see worthy cases through charges and case disposition.  The people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve our tireless and unflinching efforts to hold accountable those who break the law.  As we embark on 2026, we will continue to work hard to investigate and prosecute an increasing number of significant cases that make a real difference in the lives of our citizens.”

The increased caseload and significant changes occurred during a year that saw the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and the simultaneous largest-ever enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois—commonly referred to as “Operation Midway Blitz”—a U.S. immigration enforcement operation launched in September by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and numerous federal law enforcement agencies dedicated a substantial amount of resources in support of the surge, which lasted for months and required substantial preparation in advance.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and much of the federal government also was subject to a hiring freeze in 2025.

“The stepped-up results we have been able to achieve came during a busy and historic year in our District, and at a time when our Office was down some 50 prosecutors, many of whom left the government in early 2025 after accepting a government-wide offer of early retirement,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Looking ahead, I am energized by the fact that we are hiring dozens of new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal and Civil Divisions.  Many of our new hires will come with significant experience, including substantial federal and/or state prosecutorial experience from across the country and will be able to hit the ground running.  In addition to the hiring surge we are experiencing, I intend to implement numerous other changes in 2026 to build on the significant success we have already achieved in 2025, and to further increase efficiency, productivity, performance, and impact while ensuring fairness and integrity in all our matters and practices.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), to investigate and prosecute federal crimes.  State and local partners in this effort include the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, and many other police departments and prosecutors’ offices throughout northern Illinois.

Examples of the many significant cases prosecuted in 2025 are featured below:

National Security / Terrorism

Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man on Terrorism and Arson Charges for Lighting Train Passenger on Fire and Setting Chicago City Hall Ablaze Days Earlier

Lawrence Reed was indicted on terrorism and arson charges for allegedly lighting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train and setting fire to Chicago City Hall three days earlier.  It is the first time in our District’s history that a terrorism charge has been filed in connection with a crime on a Chicago mass transit system.

Man Charged with Making a Threat to Kill President Trump

Trent Schneider allegedly posted a video of himself stating that he would kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.

Chicago Man Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Ashraf Al Safoo was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media.

Drug Trafficking / Cartels / Transnational Criminal Organizations

Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Sons of “El Chapo” and Heads of Sinaloa Cartel—Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago

The two brothers, who along with two other brothers are collectively known as “the Chapitos,” admitted that they assumed their father’s leadership role atop the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016.  Joaquin and Ovidio Guzman Lopez admitted in plea agreements that they conspired to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals into the United States from Mexico.  Joaquin Guzman Lopez also admitted to arranging and participating in violence and corruption to carry out the enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.

Alleged Boss of Violent Sinaloa Cartel Faction Indicted in Chicago on Narcoterrorism, Drug, and Firearm Charges

Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, also known as “El Musico,” allegedly oversaw the importation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.

Six Defendants Indicted in Federal Drug Trafficking Investigation Involving Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Sales in Chicago

A superseding indictment accuses the six defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Chicago.  Two of the defendants are charged with firearm offenses for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns.

Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Fentanyl and 25 Firearms from Suburban Chicago Residences and Storage Unit; Two Individuals Arrested

Federal law enforcement arrested two individuals after seizing multiple kilograms of fentanyl and 25 firearms from their suburban Chicago residences and storage unit.

Five Defendants Charged in Federal Investigation Targeting Fentanyl Sales in Chicago

The indictment accuses four of the defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, meth, and heroin.  Three defendants are charged with illegally possessing firearms, including handguns equipped with a “switch” device, making them capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.

Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Laundering Money for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization

David Berger received more than $300,000 in cash from the cartel for arranging private jet travel for drug traffickers to transport illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico.

Violent Crime / Gangs / Firearms

Federal Indictment Charges Three Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders and Carjackings

Three alleged members or associates of a Chicago street gang were charged with conspiring to commit multiple murders and carjackings in the city and suburbs.

Five Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearm Charges for Allegedly Trafficking Firearms in Chicago

The defendants allegedly conspired to deal firearms without a license.  The cases in Chicago are part of a larger, multi-district investigation that previously resulted in charges in the District of Colorado (click here to read a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado).

Federal Prison Inmate Sentenced to Life Term for Murdering Fellow Inmate Due to His Religious Faith

Brandon Simonson beat another inmate because he was Jewish.  Simonson wanted to gain recognition and membership in a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads.

Federal Grand Jury Indicts Members and Associates of Violent Chicago Street Gang for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving 13 Murders

The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago.

Chicago Street Gang Member Sentenced to 34 Years for Murdering a Man and Threatening a Witness

Diontae Harper committed murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang on the South Side of Chicago.

Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Machine Gun in Chicago Park

The Glock handgun allegedly possessed by Eddie Arguelles was equipped with a conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch” or “auto sear,” allowing the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.

Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Street Gang Leader of Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders

Labar Spann was a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang, which terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, and drug dealing.

Federal Judge Sentences Man to More than Seven Years for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Carrier

Richard Thompson displayed a handgun and took the carrier’s USPS-issued Arrow Key.  At the time of the robbery, Thompson was on pre-trial release for an unrelated criminal charge in state court.

Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Firearm Offenses

Kiar Evans fired shots through a window of a vehicle while attempting to get inside.  He later carjacked another vehicle after pointing a gun at the driver.

Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official

An alleged ranking member of a Chicago street gang was charged with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.”

U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Assaulting Federal Employee Outside Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago

The alleged assault occurred on a weekday afternoon as the victim, who is employed by the federal judiciary, was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building.  Joshua Rowell approached the victim from behind and allegedly punched her on the side of her face, sending her stumbling into the street.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Felony Possession of a Dangerous Weapon During Standoff in Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago

Mario Santoyo allegedly put a knife to his throat and threatened to hurt himself in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building, causing a nine-and-a-half-hour standoff.  Federal law enforcement used non-lethal force to take Santoyo into custody.

Child Exploitation / Human Trafficking

Chicago Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children

Armando Torres used social media to contact and persuade young girls, most of whom were younger than ten years old, to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.

Rockford Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges

Alex Ledoux allegedly possessed images of child pornography on an electronic device.  If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.

Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Multiple Children

Richard Barnett falsely claimed to be 12 or 13 years old when he contacted young girls online and requested—and sometimes demanded—that they send him sexually explicit images of themselves.

Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Child He Met Online

Andrew Boltz enticed a Chicago-area girl into sending him sexually explicit images of herself.  Boltz instructed the girl on what type of explicit conduct should be portrayed in the images.

Public Corruption

Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison After Corruption Conviction

Michael J. Madigan used his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates.  He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after a nearly 11-week trial resulting in his conviction.

Consultant Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Conspiring to Falsify Records and Evade Internal Controls at Commonwealth Edison as Part of Scheme to Bribe Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan

Michael McClain and three others were convicted of conspiracy and other charges related to a bribery scheme.  The other defendants included former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who was sentenced to two years; former ComEd Vice President John Hooker, who was sentenced to 18 months, and ComEd’s former outside lobbyist Jay Doherty, who was sentenced to a year.

Federal Jury Convicts Former Suburban Chicago Police Chief of Bribery and Obstruction of Justice

John Kosmowski, formerly the Chief of Police in Summit, Ill., accepted a bribe from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license.

City of Chicago Employee Indicted on Federal Tax Fraud Charges

Eric Sanders, a City of Chicago Department of Aviation employee who oversaw snow-removal operations at O’Hare International Airport, was indicted for allegedly accepting payments from a snow removal company and directing the money to nominees to conceal the payments and avoid paying taxes.

Former Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Three Others Indicted in Alleged Kickback Scheme

Devon Horton allegedly steered school district contracts to companies created by three friends and then received kickbacks from the contracts.  Horton also allegedly engaged in an embezzlement scheme by improperly using a school district credit card.

Immigration

Undocumented Immigrant Charged with Illegally Re-Entering United States After Multiple Deportations

Salvador Guerrero-Lopez was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2004, 2011, and 2021 after criminal convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in California and narcotics distribution in Arkansas.  Guerrero-Lopez was found to be in the U.S. in 2025.

Foreign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation

Santos Vasquez-Ortiz, who was deported from the United States in 2008, was allegedly unlawfully present in the U.S. when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill.  He was later convicted of the offense in state court.

Undocumented Immigrant Sentenced to More than a Year in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation

Luis Chavez was deported from the United States to his native Mexico in 2015 after being convicted of firearm and attempted burglary offenses in Kankakee County, Ill.  He was later found to be present in Kankakee County and was taken into federal custody.

Healthcare Fraud

National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against 324 Individuals, Including 13 in Northern District of Illinois

The 13 defendants charged in the Northern District of Illinois allegedly participated in fraud schemes involving more than $1.83 billion billed to government programs and private health insurers.  The schemes caused the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare, and other insurers to pay more than $865 million in fraudulent reimbursements.

Suburban Chicago Man Indicted on Federal Healthcare Fraud Charges

Shawn Bashir allegedly created fictitious therapy companies and then used them to submit more than $17.3 million in fraudulent claims to a private insurer.

Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare Fraud

Clarence W. Brown III allegedly billed a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services.  Brown allegedly used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s.

Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims

The civil settlement resolved allegations that Walgreens illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and then sought payment for many of those prescriptions from Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act.

Financial Fraud

U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Obtains Forfeiture of $214 Million in Proceeds from Alleged “Pump and Dump” Investment Fraud Scheme

The fraud scheme allegedly involved individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and falsely promising significant returns from investments in a certain company.  The misleading promotion and subsequent coordinated trading by the defendants caused the stock price to artificially rise, at which point the defendants allegedly sold thousands of shares and made millions of dollars in profits. Federal law enforcement seized approximately $214 million in alleged fraud proceeds, allowing the government to return money to victim investors.

Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Orchestrating $14 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud

Robert Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that his purported digital asset, known as Meta-1 Coin, was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold.

Founder of Chicago Cryptocurrency Company Indicted in Alleged $10 Million Money Laundering Conspiracy

Firas Isa allegedly knowingly allowed criminals to use his cash-to-cryptocurrency exchange business to launder at least $10 million in proceeds from wire fraud and narcotics offenses.

U.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Alleged Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Graciela Venegas allegedly pocketed $51,776 in augmented work comp benefits to which she was not entitled.

CHICAGO — A foreign national has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly illegally possessing a loaded handgun in Chicago last year.

HECTOR GOMEZ is charged with one count of illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a foreign national who has no claim to United States citizenship or lawful permanent residence.

The indictment accuses Gomez of brandishing a firearm at a victim on the afternoon of Nov. 8, 2025.  Shortly thereafter, Chicago Police Officers found a handgun in Gomez’s lap as he sat in the driver’s seat of a black Jeep Wrangler in a parking lot in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, the indictment states.

Five hours earlier, at least two rounds were discharged from the same gun about two blocks from the parking lot, the indictment states.  The rounds were fired in proximity of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents who were engaged in the performance of their official duties, the indictment states.

Gomez, 45, is a citizen of Mexico who had been residing in Chicago. He had previously been convicted of a felony and was removed from the United States on at least four separate occasions from 2008 to 2015.

The indictment was returned on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026, at 1:15 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly.  Gomez is currently detained in federal custody without bond.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill J. Bhalakia.

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

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

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has pleaded guilty to maliciously destroying - by means of fire and explosive materials – the former "15th and Chris" restaurant in Rockford.

JAMES PURIFOY, 51, admitted in plea agreement on Tuesday that he intentionally started a fire inside of his restaurant.  Purifoy was still inside the restaurant when he started the fire and suffered burn injuries. To hide his involvement from the police, Purifoy left the premises before police and fire personnel arrived to put out the fire.  Purifoy admitted to making false statements to the police during a traffic stop after the fire and to making false statements when he was interviewed at the hospital by investigating agents.  Additionally, Purifoy admitted to filing a fraudulent insurance claim, from which he received $305,400. 

Purifoy faces a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years.  The sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court in Rockford, guided by U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.  Sentencing is set for April 13, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge for ATF’s Chicago Field Division, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Rockford Fire Department and the Rockford Police Department assisted in this investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus.

CHICAGO — Five defendants have been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly trafficking firearms in Chicago this year.

The cases in Chicago are part of a larger, multi-district investigation that previously resulted in charges in the District of Colorado (click here to read a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado).

The defendants in the Northern District of Illinois were charged in separate indictments with conspiring to deal firearms without a license:

U.S. v. Salas-Ferrer, et al., 25 CR 421

LUIS SALAS-FERRER, 29, of Chicago, allegedly sold three handguns in Chicago in May and June of this year.  The indictment accuses JOSE VARGAS-RON, 29, of Chicago, of selling a handgun in the city in May of this year.  Salas-Ferrer and Vargas-Ron have pleaded not guilty to the charges.  They have been ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.

U.S. v. Romero-Sanchez, et al., 25 CR 424

ADRIAN ANDRES ROMERO-SANCHEZ, 24, MIGUEL ALEJANDRO CASTILLO-CEBALLOS, 26, and DAVID ANDRES HERMOSO-MAYOR, 23, all of Chicago, allegedly sold three semiautomatic rifles, a shotgun, and a handgun in May and June of this year. Castillo-Ceballos and Hermoso-Mayor also sold two semiautomatic rifles and three semiautomatic handguns in May of this year, the charges allege.  In addition to the firearm sales, the indictment accuses Romero-Sanchez and Hermoso-Mayor of distributing ketamine and MDMA in Chicago this year.  The three defendants are currently being held in law enforcement custody.  Hermoso-Mayor has pleaded not guilty to the charges.  Romero-Sanchez and Castillo-Ceballos have not yet been arraigned.

The indictments were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and John R. Morris, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Detroit Border Patrol Sector.  Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Paul Schied.

“Our federal gun laws do not exempt foreign nationals or anyone else from being held accountable for illegally trafficking in firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “We will work hand-and-glove with our law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute anyone who violates our firearm laws, even if that requires us to track down and apprehend defendants from out of state.  When we say accountability to the full extent of the law, we mean it.”

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

CHICAGO — A Chicago woman who threw an incendiary device onto her neighbors’ porch has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison on a federal hate crime charge.

On March 16, 2024, ANA M. HERNANDEZ threw a glass bottle containing oil and a washcloth—a device commonly known as a “Molotov cocktail”—onto her neighbor’s back porch in Chicago.  The incendiary device started a fire on the wooden porch, but no one was injured.  Hernandez admitted in a plea agreement that she threw the device onto the porch because the victims who resided there were of Venezuelan origin, and she wanted to convince them to leave the residence.

Later that day, Hernandez placed a handwritten note on the car of the victims’ landlord, who owned and resided in the building.  Among other things, the note stated, “We do not want you in the neighborhood.  Go back to your country.  You can go the easy way or the hard way.”

Hernandez, 70, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal hate crime charge of unlawfully interfering with housing rights. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Hernandez to two years and nine months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted six alleged members and associates of a Chicago street gang for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals, committed armed robberies and carjackings, and violently protected their perceived territory on the South Side of Chicago.

The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago.  Among the violence charged in the indictment were shootings at passengers aboard a Chicago Transit Authority bus and at mourners attending the funeral of a rival gang member allegedly killed by Faceworld members.  The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates used threats and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement, the charges allege.  Faceworld members allegedly promoted their violent enterprise on social media, posting comments, photos, and videos to proclaim membership in the gang, taunt rivals, and boast about murders and other acts of violence.  The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates also trafficked cocaine and heroin in Chicago and Iowa, the indictment states.

The indictment was unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  It charges all six defendants with racketeering conspiracy. Three of the defendants are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering.  Arraignments were held Friday in federal court for three of the defendants, while three others will be arraigned on a later date.  All six defendants are currently in law enforcement custody.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Romeoville, Ill. Police Department, Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and John “L.J.” Pavletic.

Charged with racketeering conspiracy are Chicago residents DONTAE HARPER, 28, TYRONE FOY, 31, TYJUAN TAPPLAR, 25, ROBERT LEE THOMAS, 22, DAVION HARRIS, 28, and DEAVEAN MCCLURE, 26.

Racketeering conspiracy generally carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, but a life sentence is possible for certain underlying charged activities.  Harper, Foy, and Tapplar also face a maximum of the death penalty if convicted of certain murders charged in the indictment.

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

CHICAGO — A United States Postal Service employee has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly collecting augmented workers’ compensation benefits to which she was not entitled.

In 2012, GRACIELA VENEGAS began receiving workers’ compensation benefits for an injury she sustained in the performance of her Postal Service duties.  Venegas claimed her spouse as a dependent, which entitled her to receive augmented benefits.  The couple divorced in 2013, and the ex-spouse then passed away in 2014.

An indictment returned on Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago alleges that Venegas fraudulently continued to claim the spouse as a dependent after the divorce and death.  From 2013 to 2024, while employed by the Postal Service, Venegas fraudulently received monthly augmented workers’ compensation payments amounting to an additional 8 and 1/3 percent of her pre-injury monthly pay, the indictment states.  In total, Venegas fraudulently pocketed $51,776 in augmented benefits to which she knew she was not entitled, the indictment states. 

Venegas, also known as “Graciela Salgado,” 66, of Chicago, is charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of knowingly making a false statement to the U.S. Department of Labor.  Each wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while the false statement charge is punishable by up to five years. Arraignment is set for Jan. 6, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dennus Bishop, Special Agent in Charge of the Central Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service–Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diya Rattan.

“Workers’ compensation benefits provide a lifeline to workers who are injured on the job and unable to perform their duties,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Committing fraud upon this important program undermines the financial stability of the insurance system, increases costs for businesses and consumers, and harms truly injured workers.  Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to collect workers’ compensation benefits to which they are not entitled.”

“The U.S. Postal Service paid $1.5 billion in workers’ compensation costs in fiscal year 2024, and the majority of postal employees who collect compensation benefits have legitimate claims due to on-the-job injuries,” said SAC Bishop.  “However, a certain percentage abuse the system and cost the Postal Service millions of dollars in fraudulent claims and enforcement costs.  Today’s charges send a clear message that the USPS OIG and the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of this benefit program and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

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

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a man of laundering illicit cash proceeds from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.

DAVID BERGER, 41, of Chicago, was found guilty of all three counts against him, including two counts of money laundering and one count of illegally structuring financial transactions.  The jury returned its verdicts on Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The convictions are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for May 12, 2026.

Evidence at trial revealed that from 2018 to 2021, the Mexico-based drug trafficking organization transported cocaine in wholesale quantities from Mexico to sell in various U.S. cities, including Chicago.  Members of the organization then transported millions of dollars in drug proceeds to the U.S. border and into Mexico.  One of the ways they transported the money was on privately chartered jets, which were booked and paid for on their behalf by intermediaries, including Berger.

Berger received more than $300,000 in cash drug proceeds from the organization to pay for the bookings and cover his fee.  Berger deposited the proceeds in automated teller machines in ways that were intended to avoid federal currency-reporting requirements.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Hanna Helwig.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and possessing firearms to protect his drug trafficking operation.

CORNELL FINLEY, 48, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly and intentionally possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and possessing two handguns in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Finley admitted in a plea agreement that he possessed the loaded guns in Rockford for the purpose of protecting his drug supply and his drug trafficking proceeds.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Finley to 156 months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson.

ROCKFORD — A federal prison inmate has been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in connection with the murder of his cellmate.

HOUSTON CLYDE, 28, formerly of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, stabbed his cellmate to death while the pair were incarcerated in November 2020 at the United States Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill.  The fatal stabbing occurred while Clyde was serving a 17-year sentence for a 2016 murder in Tuba City, Ariz.

Clyde pleaded guilty earlier this year to a second-degree murder charge.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the life sentence during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Rockford.

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

“Nothing is more abrupt or final than the taking of another’s life by a violent act,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “This murder extends beyond the taking of a life—it shattered the lives of those expecting the victim to return home from prison.”

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man on terrorism and arson charges for allegedly lighting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train and setting fire to Chicago City Hall three days earlier.

The indictment against LAWRENCE REED, 50, of Chicago, was returned on Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  The charges in the indictment are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

The indictment renews the terrorism offense for which Reed was initially charged last month.  Reed allegedly approached a woman aboard a Chicago Transit Authority train on Nov. 17, 2025, ignited a bottle containing a liquid substance, and used it to light the victim on fire.  The victim was engulfed in flames but was able to depart the train.  She remains hospitalized with critical injuries. 

The indictment for the first time charges Reed with arson for allegedly setting a fire to Chicago City Hall on Nov. 14, 2025. The indictment accuses Reed of maliciously damaging and attempting to destroy the building, which is located at 121 N. LaSalle St. in downtown Chicago.

Reed was arrested by Chicago Police officers on Nov. 18, 2025, and he remains detained in federal custody without bond.  Arraignment for the charges in the indictment is scheduled for Dec. 19, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Transit Authority.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron R. Bond and Ronald L. DeWald.

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

CHICAGO — A man indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing ammunition that was recovered in connection with a fatal shooting in Chicago has been ordered detained pending trial.

FABIAS SHIPMAN possessed the ammunition on the afternoon of Sept. 29, 2025, in an alley in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, according to an indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case.  The ammunition had been discharged in a shooting in the alley that day where one victim was killed and another victim was wounded, the complaint states. As a previously convicted felon, Shipman was not legally allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition. 

The federal indictment charges Shipman, 37, of Cook County, Ill., with one count of illegal possession of ammunition.  The charge is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

Shipman was arrested on Oct. 16, 2025, and has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.

The indictment and detention order were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dunne.

The investigation is being conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement partnership that focuses exclusively on investigating and prosecuting violent offenders who utilize firearms in commission of their crimes in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.  Every single gun case in Chicago is processed through ATF’s CGIC on a daily basis.  As recently reported, federal firearm indictments under the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) program are up 292% in the Northern District of Illinois compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025).

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

The president of a North Carolina construction company pleaded guilty to conspiring to rig bids for maintenance, repair, and operations procurements for military installations in the United States.

According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Rockford, Illinois, Brett Sanborn, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, was the president of a construction company that provided goods and services to military bases through procurements administered by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Between at least 2017 and 2021, Sanborn conspired with other individuals and companies to suppress and eliminate competition by rigging bids for the procurements, which were awarded to subcontractors through a competitive bidding process.

“For $6 million, the defendant defrauded his own government and deprived the U.S. Army of the benefits of open and honest competition.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners will continue to relentlessly pursue bad actors — like the defendant and his co-conspirators — for their assault on taxpayer money dedicated to public projects.”

“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue those who attempt to undermine the integrity of the Department of Defense procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “Collusion, bid-rigging, and other anti-competitive conduct schemes erode fair competition, waste taxpayer dollars, and jeopardize trust in acquisition systems. DCIS, alongside our prosecutorial partners, will continue to safeguard the Department’s contracting operations and hold accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt them.”

Sanborn and his co-conspirators exchanged emails, calls, and text messages in which they coordinated their bids and agreed in advance on the pricing that they would submit, then submitted those bids to create the illusion of competition. Sanborn and his co-conspirators referred to these artificial, intentionally losing bids as “comp” bids.

In the plea agreement filed today, Sanborn admitted that the volume of commerce attributable to him and related to the conspiracy was approximately $6 million.

Sanborn pleaded guilty to one felony count of restraining trade by conspiring to rig bids, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled in this case. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is investigating this case. The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section is prosecuting the case.

In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang of participating in a criminal organization that terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, witness tampering, and drug dealing.

After a six-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury on Monday convicted LABAR SPANN on all four counts against him, including racketeering conspiracy, two murders in aid of racketeering, and extortion.  The jury found that Spann committed a total of four murders in a premediated manner as part of the racketeering conspiracy, including the killings of Willie Woods on April 17, 2003; Rudy Rangel on June 4, 2003; George King on April 8, 2003; and Maximillion McDaniel on July 25, 2000.

Spann, 47, of Chicago, faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin set sentencing for April 20, 2026.

The verdicts were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois Secretary of State Police Department, Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Morrissey, Michelle J. Parthum, and Emily C.R. Vermylen.

The Four Corner Hustlers operated primarily in the Chicago neighborhoods of West Garfield Park and North Lawndale on the city’s West Side, as well as in the former LeClaire Courts public housing development on the city’s Southwest Side.  According to evidence presented at trial, the gang dealt drugs and robbed and extorted rival dealers, while using violence and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement.  The gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including multiple murders and armed robberies.  During the trial, the jury heard testimony from other members of the Four Corner Hustlers, eyewitnesses to numerous crimes, law enforcement officers who responded to crime scenes, and expert witnesses who analyzed forensic and other evidence.

Spann was indicted in 2017 along with eight other members of the Four Corner Hustlers and two additional defendants.  All the defendants have now been convicted.  

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison for distributing nearly 900 grams of methamphetamine.

JESSE HERBIG, 44, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine. 

Herbig admitted that in 2022 he communicated with his drug supplier and arranged for a United States Postal Service Priority Express parcel which he knew contained methamphetamine to be shipped from Phoenix, Ariz. to an address in Rockford. The package contained approximately 891.6 grams of methamphetamine that was approximately 99% pure, a substance commonly known as “ice.”

U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 168-month prison sentence during a hearing today in federal court in Rockford.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. Munch. 

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for the robbery of a Chase Bank in Rockford. 

BERNARD WANDICK, 33, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the robbery of Chase Bank, 3699 N. Main St. in Rockford.  Wandick admitted that on July 17, 2019, he entered Chase Bank wearing a medical mask and brandishing a firearm. Wandick pointed his firearm at several bank employees and demanded money from the tellers behind the counter before fleeing on foot with stolen cash.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 63-month prison sentence during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodora Anderson and Jessica Maveus.

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun and using it to shoot a man multiple times in Chicago.

ANGEL SOSA illegally possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine on the evening of June 8, 2021, in the Noble Square neighborhood of Chicago.  Sosa fired more than a dozen shots at a man near the intersection of North Noble and West Walton Streets.  The man was seriously wounded but survived.  Chicago Police officers arrested Sosa near the scene of the shooting, and he has remained in law enforcement custody since then.

Sosa had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including a firearm-related conviction in state court for which he was on parole at the time of the shooting.

Sosa, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  On Dec. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold imposed the ten-year prison sentence.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Branka Cimesa.

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Georgia man of sending a threatening letter to a spiritual mission in suburban Chicago.

In July 2023, JIMIL PARMAR mailed a letter to the Sant Nirankari Mission in West Chicago, Ill.  The letter stated, “CANCEL US CANADA TOUR IMMEDIATELY SRS ATTACK PLANNED.”  The threat coincided with the visit of the Mission’s spiritual leader, Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj, who was touring the United States and Canada that summer, including scheduled appearances in Chicago and Atlanta, Ga.  At least four other Sant Nirankari Missions in the United States received identical letters that summer, and all of them were postmarked from the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Parmar, 33, of Lawrenceville, Ga., was found guilty on Wednesday of mailing a threatening communication.  The jury returned its verdict after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The conviction is punishable by up to five years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly set sentencing for March 4, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Atlanta Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kavitha J. Babu and Ramon Villalpando.