Northern District of Illinois

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.

U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence on TIMOTHY GENTRY, 47, during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.

Gentry admitted in a plea agreement that on July 6, 2023, he sold a loaded handgun to a man in Rockford.  Unbeknownst to Gentry, the buyer was cooperating with law enforcement.  Gentry was previously convicted of multiple violent felonies in state courts and is considered an Armed Career Criminal under federal law.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive.  The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

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

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted the former Chief of Police in the village of Summit, Ill., of bribery offenses for corruptly accepting money from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license.

After a seven-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury found JOHN KOSMOWSKI, 57, of Lockport, Ill., guilty of bribery conspiracy, bribery, and obstruction of justice.  U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for March 27, 2026.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Ardam and Jared Hasten.

Evidence at trial revealed that Kosmowski conspired with a Summit building inspector—WILLIAM MUNDY—to accept $10,000 from a businessman in 2017.  Kosmowski and Mundy accepted the money intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with the transfer of a liquor license to another person.  Kosmowski received a cash payment from the businessman in 2017 and then gave Mundy a portion of it.

Mundy, of Summit, Ill., pleaded guilty prior to trial to bribery and tax offenses.  He is awaiting sentencing.

The obstruction conviction against Kosmowski stemmed from a meeting he had with Mundy in which Kosmowski informed Mundy of the federal investigation into the bribe. During the meeting, Kosmowski sought to corruptly persuade Mundy to mischaracterize the purpose of the payment by falsely suggesting that it was a loan.

CHICAGO — A United States Customs and Border Protection officer has been indicted on federal civil rights charges for allegedly sexually assaulting and robbing multiple women in the Chicago suburbs.

An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges LUIS URIBE, 44, of Pingree Grove, Ill., with ten counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  Uribe was arrested this morning.  He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment this afternoon in federal court.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling scheduled a detention hearing for Dec. 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Erin Silk, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Region of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.

Uribe performed both customs and immigration duties for CBP in the Chicago area.  As a CBP officer, Uribe had the authority to carry a firearm and make arrests for felony and other relevant offenses.  The indictment accuses Uribe of acting under color of law when he sexually assaulted and robbed two women.  Uribe allegedly brandished a firearm in at least one of the sexual assaults.  

He also robbed and attempted to sexually assault two other women, the indictment states.

The robberies, sexual assaults, and attempted sexual assaults occurred in 2022 in Schaumburg, Ill., and Naperville, Ill., the indictment states.

If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Uribe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.  The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Please contact this secure phone number if you have information about these crimes or if you have been a victim of Luis Uribe: (312) 239-7423.  Your information is important.  The phone service will be available in both English and Chinese.  如果您有相关信息或您曾受到此人伤害，请您立刻拨打我们的保密电话号码。您的信息很重要。(312) 239-7423.

Note: View settlement here.

Swiss Automation Inc. has agreed to pay $421,234 to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations relating to its failure to provide adequate cybersecurity for certain drawings of parts that the company machined and supplied to Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractors. Swiss Automation is an Illinois precision machining business that supplies alloy and metal parts to commercial and government customers in many industries, including DoD prime contractors and subcontractors.

The settlement resolves allegations that Swiss Automation caused the submission of false claims by not providing adequate cybersecurity to safeguard certain drawings of parts that the company machined and supplied to DoD prime contractors. Swiss Automation allegedly knew that the requirement to provide adequate security by implementing certain cybersecurity controls applied not only to DoD prime contractors, but also to subcontractors and suppliers to the prime contractors. The obligation to implement security controls specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) to protect certain DoD information has applied to DoD contracts, subcontracts, and similar contractual instruments since 2017 and will continue under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that DoD recently finalized. 

“As cyber threats continue to evolve, suppliers to defense contractors must be vigilant and take the steps required to protect sensitive government information from bad actors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue our efforts to hold defense contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers accountable when they fail to honor their DoD cybersecurity commitments.”

“Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting government contractors to steal sensitive and valuable information in their possession,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Defense contractors in particular must maintain robust safeguards against these threats through stringent compliance with federal cybersecurity regulations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and agency partners to ensure that government contractors protect sensitive information and critical infrastructure in compliance with federal laws and regulations.”

“Protecting our nation’s security includes protecting its data. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, defense contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers must do their part to safeguard sensitive government information,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jason Sargenski, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “We will hold contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers accountable when they fall short of their cybersecurity obligations to the Department of Defense.”

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when a defendant has submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Jaime Gomez, a former quality-control manager at Swiss Automation, to receive $65,291 as his share of the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Gomez v. Swiss Automation Inc., No. 1:22-cv-4328 (N.D. Ill.).

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from DCIS, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Gregory Pearson of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Kelly for the Northern District of Illinois.

The claims resolved by the United States in the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. 

CHICAGO – JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ, who succeeded his father—Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo”—as one of the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges.

Guzman Lopez, 39, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. The convictions carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman did not set a sentencing date.  Guzman Lopez has been detained in U.S. custody since his arrest in July 2024.

The guilty plea is the result of close collaboration among federal prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois as well as those from the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and the Southern District of California, and law enforcement partners from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration.

The guilty plea was announced by Pamela Bondi, United States Attorney General, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI in Arizona, Gregory Heeb, Acting Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, and Terrance Cole, Administrator of the DEA.  Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and IRS Criminal Investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Michelle Parthum, and Michael Maione of the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sutton and Robert Miller of the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.

The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals—including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs)—and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs).

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a terrorist organization that has spent decades destroying American families through brutal violence and deadly drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Bondi.  “Yesterday's guilty plea from El Chapo’s son is a major victory against the Sinaloa Cartel and underscores the Trump Administration’s historic, aggressive campaign to dismantle terrorist organizations that target the American people.”

“For decades, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has been at the forefront of the U.S. government’s relentless pursuit of drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as their top leaders,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Today, because of this Administration’s leadership, the U.S. State Department has designated many of these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations—a fact that has only further stiffened our resolve to track down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates.  Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s guilty plea is the latest step in our efforts to bring to justice drug lords and other dangerous criminals who poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs and who otherwise engage in violence and corruption to carry out their and their enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.”

As heirs to the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Lopez stated in his plea agreement that he and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed their father’s leadership role following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York. Guzman Lopez admitted in the plea agreement that he acted as a logistical coordinator for the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms.  Guzman Lopez used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, submersible vessels, and other means, the plea agreement states.

After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez and others laundered and transferred the illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico and elsewhere, the plea agreement states.  Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, rival drug traffickers, and members of their own drug trafficking organization to protect the Sinaloa Cartel’s operation.

In addition to the drug offenses, Guzman Lopez also stipulated to committing an international kidnaping offense.

As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of a personal money judgment in the amount of $80 million, which represents proceeds traceable to the offenses.

“After the United States successfully prosecuted El Chapo, his son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, took up his father’s mantle and jointly led the ‘Los Chapitos’ faction of the Sinaloa Cartel—one of the world’s most notorious drug trafficking organizations—in its efforts to flood the United States with deadly fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Galeotti.  “Under the leadership of Guzman Lopez and his associates, the Sinaloa Cartel spread violence and bribed public officials to protect its illicit business.  The Criminal Division and our partners will not rest until we have fully dismantled the criminal cartels whose ruthless violence and lethal narcotics distribution threaten the safety and health of the American people.”

“Two down, two to go,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.

“The guilty plea by Joaquin Guzman Lopez is another example of how HSI is taking on the cartels and their transnational criminal networks and sending a clear message that we are going to hold them accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rede.  “Dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel one arrest at a time has taken countless hours, but together HSI and our federal partners in the Homeland Security Task Force relentlessly focused efforts to stop this transnational criminal organization scourge by removing leaders from the helm.  Today’s announcement exemplifies a whole-of-government approach to protecting our homeland that is yielding results.”

“The Guzmans have made a family business out of trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs,” said Acting Assistant Director Heeb. “Protecting Americans from the Sinaloa and other criminal cartels terrorizing and poisoning our communities is one of the FBI’s highest priorities and we will continue to work relentlessly to dismantle and disrupt these dangerous international criminal networks.”

“Under the Chapitos’ leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel has fueled the deadliest drug crisis in our nation’s history, manufacturing poison and profiting from the destruction of American lives,” said DEA Administrator Cole.  “DEA stands committed to dismantle Sinaloa Cartel’s command and control, expose their criminal networks, and deliver justice for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to their greed.  Joaquin Guzmán Lopez’s guilty plea marks another blow to the cartel’s ruthless operations.  We will not stop until these narco-terrorists are held accountable and the American people are protected."

Guzman Lopez’s three brothers—IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ—were also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments.  On July 11, 2025, Ovidio Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in the Northern District of Illinois.  Ovidio Guzman Lopez is awaiting sentencing.  Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York.  They are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.  The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions. [See the reward information here and here.]

The public is reminded that the charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are merely allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ROCKFORD — A foreign national residing in Illinois has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported.

SANTOS VASQUEZ-ORTIZ, a native of Guatemala, was unlawfully present in the United States when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill.  He was later convicted of the offense in state court.  Vasquez-Ortiz had been deported from the United States in 2008 and did not receive authorization from the U.S. government to return.

Vasquez-Ortiz, 41, pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Rockford to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the two-year federal prison sentence on Nov. 17, 2025.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

CHICAGO — A Chicago chiropractor has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for billing a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services.

CLARENCE W. BROWN III owned and operated Dr. CB3 Wellness, Inc. and Apex Integrated Medical Center, Ltd., both in Chicago.  From 2016 to 2020, Brown submitted more than 6,000 fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Brown knew were not actually provided to patients.  Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided when Brown was on international vacations or while his medical license was suspended.

Brown’s fraud scheme defrauded BCBS out of nearly $2.1 million.  Brown used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s.

In 2024, a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Brown, 49, of Chicago, on all nine healthcare fraud counts against him.  Last week, on Nov. 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Brown to five years and ten months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $2,088,884 in restitution to BCBS.

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

“Defendant was motivated by greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andréa L. Campbell argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Defendant made the calculated decision to engage in a three-and-half-year fraud that benefited him and his lofty aspirations.”

CHICAGO — A former administrative professional for a Chicago company has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge for embezzling more than $615,000 from the company.

CRYSTA LYON-HALBERT admitted in a plea agreement that she misappropriated the money from 2015 to 2023 while holding various administrative positions in the company’s Corporate Governance function and the Office of the Chief Executive Officer.  Lyon-Halbert directed company funds to her personal bank account and made a series of unauthorized credit card purchases for her personal benefit, including storage rental space, rent payments, personal utility bills, car rentals, auto shop bills, clothing, furniture, and other items, the plea agreement states.  Lyon-Halbert concealed her misappropriation by falsely representing that the credit card payments were directed to vendors that had provided services to the company, the plea agreement states.

Lyon-Halbert, 54, of Tinley Park, Ill., pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025, to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo set sentencing for Feb. 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

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

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a Texas man of fraud for orchestrating a cryptocurrency scheme that bilked nearly 1,000 investors out of at least $14 million.

ROBERT DUNLAP, 54, of Houston, Texas, was convicted of two counts of mail fraud on Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt set sentencing for Feb. 17, 2026.

From 2018 to 2023, Dunlap worked with others to market and sell a purported digital asset called “Meta-1 Coin” through a “Meta-1 Coin Trust.”  Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that the Meta-1 Coin was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold.  Dunlap falsely claimed that an accounting firm had audited the gold and certified its value.  The purported art collection was alleged to have included works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and other acclaimed artists. Dunlap used automated trading bots to cause the market price and trading volume of the Meta-1 Coin to be inflated on the “Meta Exchange,” which was a website created by Dunlap.

Dunlap created numerous legal, insurance, and other documents to conceal the fact that he did not possess the gold or art.  His fraud scheme caused nearly 1,000 investors to lose at least $14 million.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Nutini and Jared Hasten.

CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago today charged a man with a federal terrorism offense for allegedly setting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train earlier this week.

LAWRENCE REED, 50, of Chicago is charged with committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system.  The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.  Reed is scheduled to make an initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally in federal court in Chicago.

According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Reed and the victim were passengers on a CTA train traveling through a subway in downtown Chicago at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2025.  Reed approached the victim, who was seated with her back towards him, took the cap off a bottle of liquid and poured the liquid all over the victim’s head and body, the complaint states.  The victim ran but Reed caught up with her, at which point he ignited the bottle and it fell out of his hand onto the floor, the complaint states.  Reed picked up the bottle that was now on fire, approached the victim and used the bottle to light her on fire, the complaint states. 

The victim was engulfed in flames but was able to depart the train.  She remains hospitalized with critical injuries.

The investigation revealed that Reed had purchased gasoline at a Chicago gas station and filled it in a hand-held container approximately 20 minutes before the incident on the train, the complaint states.

Reed was arrested by Chicago Police officers on Nov. 18, 2025, in Chicago.  He was taken into federal custody today.

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

“This horrific attack was not just a barbaric assault on an innocent woman riding a train, but an act of terrorism that strikes at the core of our American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will take immediate and resolute action to bring swift justice to the victim while safeguarding the public as well as the fabric of our society.”

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

CHICAGO — The founder of a Chicago cryptocurrency company has been indicted in an alleged $10 million money laundering conspiracy.

FIRAS ISA founded Chicago-based VIRTUAL ASSETS LLC, which did business as Crypto Dispensers, and served as its Chief Executive Officer.  The company operated a cash-to-cryptocurrency exchange business, which included cryptocurrency ATMs at various locations throughout the United States, allowing individuals to convert cash, checks, or other monetary instruments into cryptocurrency.  An indictment unsealed in the Northern District of Illinois alleges that criminals and, in some instances, fraud victims, sent at least $10 million in proceeds from wire fraud and narcotics offenses to Crypto Dispensers, Isa, or a co-conspirator.  After the proceeds were sent, Isa converted or caused to be converted the cryptocurrency and thereafter transferred the cryptocurrency to virtual wallets to disguise the true source and ownership of the proceeds.  The indictment alleges that Isa knew the money was derived from fraud.   

Isa, 36, of Frankfort, Ill., and Virtual Assets LLC are each charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy.  The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Isa and his company have pleaded not guilty to the charges.  A status hearing in federal court in Chicago is set for Jan. 30, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, including the IRS Chicago Cyber Crime Unit, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley Tucker and Ramon Villalpando.

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

ROCKFORD — A Cherry Valley, Ill. man has been sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm.

SEAN CLAEYSSEN, 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Claeyssen admitted in a plea agreement that between October and December of 2023, he knowingly and intentionally sold and distributed 664.6 grams of methamphetamine and 27.7 grams of cocaine. Claeyssen also admitted that he was in possession of a loaded firearm when he was arrested in December 2023.

On Nov. 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 204-month prison sentence.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Beloit, Wisc. Police Department provided assistance in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

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

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

MARTEL WILLIAMS, 33, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Williams admitted in a plea agreement that on Dec. 1, 2023, he possessed a loaded semiautomatic firearm. Williams sold the firearm to a confidential informant.

On Oct. 30, 2025, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Williams to 87 months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division.  The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson.

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

CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today provided an update on increased federal prosecutions and strategies implemented to combat violent crime in Chicago and the surrounding area.  This announcement comes after the government just reopened following the longest government shutdown in U.S. history as well as the largest ever enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois—commonly referred to as “Operation Midway Blitz”—a U.S. immigration enforcement operation launched by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

This is a joint statement made with the other Department of Justice law enforcement components, namely, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

“Combatting the epidemic of gun crime and violence is a national priority for this Department of Justice, and it is a top priority of mine as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “It is for that reason that I have invested substantial resources into our Violent Crimes Section while demonstrating with action that we will strongly support our law enforcement partners and accept their most significant cases for federal prosecution.  The results are not only a deepening of relationships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, but also a dramatic increase in our prosecutions and high-impact matters,” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued.

For example, this year, federal firearm indictments under the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) program are up 292% in the Northern District of Illinois compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025).  The number of defendants charged in PSN firearm indictments is up 287% compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025).  The PSN program is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders while bringing together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  One such problem is violence in Chicago’s downtown neighborhoods and public rail system.  As such, in June of this year, U.S. Attorney Boutros announced an expansion of PSN to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city.  The expansion implemented the program in parts of three Chicago Police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city and region, as well as on the CTA trains that bring residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two international airports.  The expansion by U.S. Attorney Boutros represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation.

In addition, firearm investigations in Chicago have been substantially bolstered by a game-changing resource from ATF—the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago.  The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.  Every single gun case in the Northern District of Illinois is processed through ATF’s CGIC on a daily basis. This swift and thorough review and intake process is made possible because the CGIC is an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and intelligence analysts to move quickly to investigate and prosecute violent crimes, and especially gun crimes.

The increase in federal firearm indictments corresponds to increased prosecutions as well as other high-impact cases across the various federal programs.  Overall, federal criminal indictments in all program areas in the Northern District of Illinois in 2025 are up 45% (366 versus 252) compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025).  The number of defendants charged in all program areas in 2025 is up 52% (494 versus 325) compared to last year (through Oct. 31, 2025).

“A fundamental duty of our Office is to tackle crimes across the various federal program areas that we service,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “That applies to narco-terrorism and terrorism cases, drug and gun trafficking organizations, public corruption, organized crime, money laundering, child-exploitation and human trafficking cases, cybercrimes, assaults on Postal Employees and other federal officers and personnel, as well as program fraud, healthcare fraud, and otherwise.  We are committed to investigating and prosecuting federal criminal cases on behalf of all of our law enforcement partners to disrupt the cycle of ongoing crime in Chicago.”

The increased prosecutions are part of a turnaround that is occurring under U.S. Attorney Boutros, who inherited an Office that was down some 50 prosecutors.  The Criminal Division had also dipped below 90 criminal prosecutors for the first time in decades.  “The impressive results we have been able to achieve in 2025 as an Office have been accomplished with far fewer prosecutors and resources than the Office has experienced in decades,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “This is also true for the caseloads we are handling in our Civil Division.  I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our prosecutors in the Civil Division who are handling a heavy docket that is only growing heavier with fewer resources. After an extended government shutdown and many months of a hiring freeze, I am energized by the fact that we are hiring several dozens of new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal and Civil Divisions in the coming months.  Many of our new hires will come with significant experience, including decades of federal and/or state prosecutorial experience from across the country and locally and will be able to hit the ground running,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “I am very much looking forward to onboarding our new tough-on-crime prosecutors who will contribute mightily to the Office in the critically important work we do every day.  I am very optimistic about our Office’s future, especially as we add to our already talented roster of attorneys and staff who work diligently every day to make our communities better.”

“Through the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC) partnership, we have made a significant impact on reducing violent crime in Chicago,” said Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division.  “Increased federal prosecutions under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Boutros have been instrumental in ensuring that violent offenders are swiftly brought to justice.  ATF will remain focused on its top priority: tackling violent crime and taking drivers of violence off our streets.”

“The FBI works to ensure that the threat of violent crime does not endanger the livelihood or safety of the hardworking people in this great city,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office.  “Thanks to the outstanding collaboration within the network of law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in Project Safe Neighborhoods, our communities are safer and more well-resourced than ever.  The FBI remains committed to developing proactive solutions and holding accountable anyone who seeks to compromise the safety of those who live in or visit Chicago.”

“The DEA Chicago Field Division will continue leveraging all resources at our disposal to combat drug-related violent crime,” said Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division.  “Disrupting and dismantling violent drug trafficking organizations and their supply chains is crucial to keeping Americans safe. Alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the DEA will continue to relentlessly pursue accountability of violent drug traffickers inflicting harm upon our communities throughout Illinois.”

“Criminal violence of any kind—including assaults and attacks on federal agents and other government personnel—are unacceptable,” said LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois.  “The U.S. Marshals Service will investigate and seek to hold accountable people who break the law with violence.  U.S. Attorney Boutros has been a strong and reliable partner in our efforts, and we look forward to continuing to closely work with him and his team.”

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been arrested for allegedly making a threat to kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.

TRENT SCHNEIDER, 57, of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., is charged with making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person.  Schneider was arrested this morning and made an initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert in Chicago.  Schneider was ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Nov. 6, 2025.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Schneider posted a video of himself on Oct. 16, 2025, on Instagram in which he stated, “I’m going to get some guns.  I know where I can get a lot of [expletive] guns and I am going to take care of business myself.  I’m tired of all you [expletive] frauds.  People need to [expletive] die and people are going to die.  [Expletive] all of you, especially you Trump.  You should be executed.”  The video also included a caption that stated, in part: “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 @realDonaldTrump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!!”

According to the complaint, a concerned citizen in Florida viewed the video and reported it to law enforcement.

The complaint and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Lake County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor, Ill. Police Department.

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

CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted six individuals for allegedly forcibly impeding and interfering with a federal agent who was engaged in immigration enforcement operations in a Chicago suburb last month.  The indictment includes a conspiracy charge against all of the defendants arising out of the incident.

According to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the defendants were among a crowd of people who surrounded a government vehicle with the intent to hinder and impede the driver—a federal agent—from proceeding to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2025.  The defendants and others allegedly crowded together in the front and side of the government vehicle, stood in its path, banged on the car and windows, and pushed against it to hinder and impede its movement.  The conspirators broke one of the vehicle’s side mirrors and the rear windshield wiper and etched a derogatory message into the body of the vehicle, the indictment states.

“No one is above the law and no one has the right to obstruct it,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.  “Federal agents perform dangerous, essential work every single day to enforce our immigration laws and keep our communities safe.  When individuals resort to force or intimidation to interfere with that mission, they attack not only the agents themselves but the rule of law they represent.  The Department of Justice will never tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable anyone who seeks to impede lawful federal operations.”

“All federal officials must be able to discharge the duties of their office without confronting force, intimidation, or threats,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “As we have warned repeatedly, we will seek to hold accountable those who cross the line from peaceful protests to unlawful actions or conspiracies that interrupt, hinder, or impede the due administration of Justice.  The rule of law must always be upheld.”

Charged with conspiracy to impede a U.S. law enforcement officer and individual counts of impeding a U.S. law enforcement officer are MICHAEL RABBITT, 62, of Chicago; KATHERINE MARIE ABUGHAZALEH, 26, of Chicago; ANDRE MARTIN, 27, of Providence, R.I.; CATHERINE SHARP, 29, of Chicago; BRIAN STRAW, 38, of Oak Park, Ill.; and JOSELYN WALSH, 31, of Chicago.  Arraignments are scheduled for Nov. 5, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain.

Deputy Attorney General Blanche and U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charges along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.

“The FBI has zero tolerance for forcible criminal conduct against law enforcement officers engaged in their lawful functions,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “Impeding federal officers performing their duties or conspiring to do so are criminal offenses.  The people of Chicagoland deserve safe communities and peaceful streets and the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who undermine the rule of law through criminal activity.”

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

A video recording of the incident can be viewed here.  If you recognize other individuals in the video who may be impeding law enforcement, you are encouraged to contact the FBI Chicago Field Office by logging on to https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

CHICAGO — An alleged ranking member of a Chicago street gang has been charged in federal court with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official involved in the immigration enforcement operation known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”

A criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges JUAN ESPINOZA MARTINEZ, 37, of Chicago, with one count of murder-for-hire.  Martinez was arrested this morning.  His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.

According to the complaint, Martinez is a ranking member of the Latin Kings, a street gang that has engaged in acts of violence and other illicit activities in Chicago and elsewhere.  Martinez stated in a Snapchat message, “2k on information when you get him” and “10k if u take him down,” the complaint states. Included in the message was a photo of the senior law enforcement official, who has recently participated in immigration enforcement operations in Chicago on behalf of the U.S. Border Patrol, an agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the complaint states.

The complaint and arrest were announced by Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.

“Placing a bounty on the head of a federal officer is an attack on the rule of law and on every American who depends on law enforcement to keep them safe,” said Deputy Attorney General Blanche.  “This case is exactly what we mean when we say Take Back America - taking back every neighborhood and street corner from violent thugs and criminal gangs and returning them to the law-abiding members of our communities.  The Department of Justice will never allow violent gangs or criminal networks to target those who protect our borders and our communities.  We will use every authority, every resource, and every partnership at our disposal to bring anyone who threatens or harms our officers to justice - swiftly and decisively.”

“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is a line that can never be crossed,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “The defendant’s actions in this case demonstrate a profound contempt for human life and public safety.  Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will hold defendants accountable for their grave criminal actions and ensure that no federal officer has to fear for their life for doing their job."

“The arrest of this ruthless and violent member of the Latin Kings, a criminal organization notorious for its cruelty and disregard for the law, highlights the steadfast commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and those who uphold justice,” said HSI SAC Scarpino.  “Targeting a senior federal officer is a brazen and direct assault on the rule of law, and HSI will remain persistent in dismantling violent gangs like the Latin Kings that threaten public safety.”

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

CHICAGO – Two individuals have been charged in federal court with using their vehicles to assault, impede, and interfere with the work of federal agents in Chicago.

According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, MARIMAR MARTINEZ and ANTHONY IAN SANTOS RUIZ used their vehicles to strike a vehicle being driven by an agent of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Saturday morning near the intersection of West 39th Street and South Kedzie Avenue on Chicago’s Southwest Side.  Two other CBP agents were also in the government vehicle. After striking the agents’ vehicle, the defendants’ vehicles boxed in the agents’ vehicle, the complaint states. The agent was unable to move his vehicle and exited the car, at which point he fired approximately five shots from his service weapon at Martinez, the complaint states.

Martinez drove off but paramedics discovered her and her vehicle at a repair shop about a mile away.  Martinez was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where she received treatment for gunshot wounds, the complaint states.

Ruiz also drove away after the collisions, but law enforcement located him and his vehicle at a gas station about a half block away, the complaint states.  Both defendants remain in law enforcement custody, pending initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.

The complaint charges Martinez, 30, and Ruiz, 21, both of Chicago, with forcibly assaulting, impeding, and interfering with a federal law enforcement officer.

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

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and federal law enforcement leadership in Chicago today issued the following statements regarding ongoing criminal immigration enforcement actions in Chicago:

“As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, my office will enforce all federal criminal laws and protect our federal employees and property.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys will staff the FBI-led command post on a daily basis to monitor real-time developments and take swift action as needed when criminal offenders assault, obstruct, or impede law enforcement personnel or destroy federal property.  During this surge, we have filed federal charges against more than 12 individuals and continue to review cases for additional criminal charges.   The people of Chicago deserve safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods, and we will deliver justice on their behalf.”

-Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois

Federal law enforcement leaders in Chicago echoed U.S. Attorney Boutros’s statement:

“We speak with one voice when we say that we expect any protest or assembly in Chicago to remain peaceful.  There is no place for violence against law enforcement officers, obstruction of justice, or destruction of federal property.  Any criminal actions taken against the brave men and women in uniform will be met with swift criminal prosecution.  Our agencies will continue to work closely with each other to execute federal law fully and completely.”

-Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI

-Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago

-Russell Hott, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Chicago

-LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

-Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

-Shane Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division

-LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. Attorney Boutros also remarked:

“As I have emphasized repeatedly (see here, here, and here), we are a law and order district.  We vigorously prosecute crimes in all program areas.  We will not hesitate to hold accountable those who attack and undermine the rule of law, including by resorting to violence and criminal mischief to interfere, obstruct, or impede the important work of the federal government as it is conducted in the Northern District of Illinois.  The entire federal law enforcement partnership in Chicago also thanks Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall, all of the other judges in the Northern District of Illinois, and Clerk of Court Thomas G. Bruton for their leadership and hard work in ensuring that Chicago’s federal courtrooms remain open to handle the increased volume of criminal cases being presented before the Court for adjudication.”

-Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois

CHICAGO — An undocumented immigrant with an extensive criminal history in Illinois has been sentenced to more than a year in federal prison for illegally re-entering the 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.  At some point between 2015 and 2024, Chavez re-entered the United States without inspection or admission by U.S. immigration authorities.  On Feb. 17, 2024, Chavez was found to be present in Kankakee County and was later taken into federal custody.

Chavez, 34, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of illegal re-entry.  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Chavez to 15 months in federal prison with credit for the time he already served in federal custody pending the final disposition of his case.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Chicago.

“The defendant in this case committed serious criminal offenses in the United States before his deportation and removal,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “He then ignored a Court order and returned to the United States without authorization. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to enforce all federal criminal immigration laws to promote respect for the law, keep our communities safe from defendants with criminal histories, and protect the integrity and sovereignty of our borders.”

“This case underscores the critical importance of enforcing our nation’s immigration laws,” said Field Office Director Hott.  “Chavez’s unlawful re-entry into the United States after deportation, combined with his extensive criminal history, posed a threat to public safety and the rule of law.  ERO Chicago remains committed to identifying, apprehending, and removing individuals who violate our immigration laws and endanger our communities.”

CHICAGO – Three individuals have been charged in federal court in Chicago with using their vehicles to impede and interfere with the work of federal agents in the Chicago area.

The charges allege that two of the three defendants rammed their vehicles into vehicles being driven by federal agents, while the third defendant rear-ended a federal law enforcement vehicle, according to criminal complaints filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The defendants have made their initial appearances in federal court.  The charges are as follows:

• WIDMAN OSBERTO LOPEZ FUNES, 18, of Bensenville, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer and depredation of U.S. property.  Lopez Funes was driving a vehicle in Bensenville, Ill., on Oct. 1, 2025, when he allegedly forcibly struck a vehicle being driven by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.

• MIGUEL ESCARENO DE LOERA, 20, of Woodridge, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer.  De Loera was driving a vehicle in Woodridge, Ill., on Oct. 2, 2025, when on three occasions he allegedly forcibly struck a vehicle being driven by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.

• JOEL GONZALEZ, 23, of Chicago, is charged with forcibly impeding and interfering with a federal officer, a misdemeanor.  Gonzalez was driving a vehicle in Chicago on Oct. 2, 2025, when he allegedly impeded and interfered with a group of vehicles being driven by agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The federal charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced yesterday to nine years in federal prison for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number and selling firearms without a license

ANGEL BARRERA-ESTEVES, 27, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possessing a firearm with the serial number removed and one count of selling firearms without a federal firearms dealer’s license.  On Monday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Barrera-Esteves to 108 months in prison.

Barrera-Esteves admitted that in 2022, he illegally possessed a semi-automatic handgun that he defaced and later sold.  Barrera-Esteves further admitted that between 2021 and 2022, he sold seven firearms, manufactured or obtained by him, without a federal firearms dealer’s license. Several of those firearms were obtained illegally through his mother, JESSICA BARRERA, who purchased the firearms and transferred them to Barrera-Esteves. Once received, Barrera-Esteves removed the serial numbers and sold the firearms to people he knew could not possess firearms or would use the firearms for illegal purposes. Barrera-Esteves also sold ammunition that he illegally obtained through his mother,  as well as a Glock auto-sear. 

Jessica Barrera, 56, of Rockford, was sentenced last month to nearly three years in federal prison for her involvement.

Barrera-Esteves’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division.  The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza L. Tomlinson.

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 federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted three men for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently open credit cards in the names of recently deceased individuals.  Two of the men—brothers from suburban Chicago—are also charged with fraudulently obtaining small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and falsely claiming tax credits to which they were not entitled.

In the alleged credit card fraud, ROOSEVELT GARRETT and his brother, TORIENCE GARRETT, schemed with FRANKLIN SIMMONS to fraudulently obtain credit cards in the names of recently deceased individuals, including two former residents of Illinois, according to an indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois.  After using the deceased individuals’ personal identifying information to obtain the cards, the Garretts and Simmons made purchases for themselves and did not repay the credit card companies, the indictment states.  The Garretts and Simmons also charged the cards to purported business entities that they controlled, allowing them to convert the credit card fraud proceeds to cash, the indictment states.

The indictment also alleges that the Garretts engaged in fraud related to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL)—a source of relief under the CARES Act.  The indictment alleges that in June 2020, the Garretts submitted two fraudulent applications for EIDL loans on behalf of business entities that they purportedly owned and operated.  The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the purported entities, including the number of employees and gross revenues, the indictment states.  The Garretts allegedly used the EIDL funds to make cash withdrawals and transfers for their personal use and not for the operations of the purported entities.

The tax charges accuse the Garretts of misstating in corporate tax returns the number of employees of the purported entities they controlled and the wages allegedly paid by those companies.  Additionally, Simmons fraudulently underreported to the IRS the income he derived from a purported entity he controlled and which he used in connection with the fraudulent credit card scheme, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Roosevelt Garrett, 57, of Itasca, Ill., with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, four counts of filing false corporate tax returns, and one count of failing to file an individual tax return.  Torience Garrett, 53, of Bolingbrook, Ill., is charged with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, four counts of filing false corporate tax returns, and one count of money laundering.  Simmons, 64, of Chicago, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and two counts of filing a false individual tax return.

The defendants were arraigned in federal court in Chicago and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  A status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione.

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

Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

CHICAGO – Five individuals have been charged in federal court in Chicago with assaulting or forcibly resisting federal agents who were engaged in immigration enforcement operations in Broadview, Ill. over the weekend.

The defendants were among a crowd of people who descended in front of the entrance to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Saturday evening, according to criminal complaints filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The charges allege that the defendants made criminal physical contact against federal agents who were working outside of the facility to ensure the safe passage of agents, detainees, and vehicles into and out of the building.  Two of the defendants possessed loaded firearms while assaulting federal agents, according to the federal complaint.

“Under my leadership, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will take swift action when law enforcement personnel are criminally assaulted or individuals cross the line from peaceful protests to criminal mischief, assaults on federal officers, obstruction of justice, or the destruction of federal property,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “We are working hand-and-glove with our federal law enforcement partners across the various federal agencies to maintain peace, respect individual rights, and prosecute those who violate federal criminal laws, including through activity that endangers officer and public safety.  We will not hesitate to hold accountable those who attack and undermine the rule of law, including by resorting to violence and criminal mischief to interfere, obstruct, or impede the important work of the federal government as it is conducted in the Northern District of Illinois.”

The defendants made their initial appearances today in federal court in Chicago.  The charges are as follows:

• RAY COLLINS, 31, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Collins allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when he charged toward agents and struggled with them, causing an injury to one of the agents.

• JOCELYNE ROBLEDO, 30, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Robledo allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when she pushed agents who were attempting to extend a safety perimeter around the facility.

• PAUL IVERY, 26, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Ivery allegedly grabbed an agent's helmet and pulled the agent's head down.  Ivery allegedly told agents, "I'll [expletive] kill you right now."

• DANA BRIGGS, 70, of Rockford, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Briggs allegedly made physical contact with an agent’s arm while the agent attempted to extend the safety perimeter around the facility.

• HUBERT MAZUR, 21, of Medinah, Ill., is charged with forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer, a misdemeanor.  Mazur allegedly grabbed an agent’s arm before he and the agent ended up on the ground.  Mazur allegedly continued to resist arrest while struggling with the agent.

U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charges along with Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  

“Federal law enforcement officers risk their lives daily to enforce the laws of this nation and safeguard our communities,” said HSI SAC Scarpino.  “Any acts of violence, obstruction, or resistance against these brave professionals will be met with forceful and unyielding action.  This blatant lawlessness and baseless attacks on the integrity of ICE agents and officers are intolerable and must cease immediately.”

“The FBI is committed to bringing swift and decisive action against anyone who seeks to bring harm to federal law enforcement,” said FBI Acting SAC Rothaar.  “Officers who are sworn to protect and serve our communities must be able to do their jobs free from intimidation.  The FBI will continue to work with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to investigate those who compromise the safety of our public servants.”

“While assisting our federal partners in securing the ICE Broadview facility on Saturday, ATF and Border Patrol agents were assaulted by violent and armed protestors, resulting in injury to an ATF agent,” said ATF SAC Amon.  “ATF takes all assaults on law enforcement seriously and will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure those responsible are held fully accountable for their actions.”

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Justice Department, together with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced today that recent actions targeting unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes, or vapes, resulted in the seizure of more than 2.1 million illicit vaping products taken from five distributors and six retailers across seven different states.

In seizure complaints and accompanying court papers filed in U.S. District Court, the government alleged that the distributors and retailers where the electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products were seized received previous warnings from the FDA that their ENDS products required premarket authorization before they could legally be sold. According to the seizure complaints, recent FDA inspections and undercover purchases by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) showed that the firms continued to sell or distribute unauthorized ENDS products.

The seizures were carried out by the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF agents, and other law enforcement partners, with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FDA.

“These dangerous and unauthorized vapes are often smuggled in from China to be sold near schools and military bases, putting our kids and service members directly at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This is a national security issue, and this month’s raids are just the beginning. Working with our partners at HHS, we will prosecute anyone participating in the illegal sale of these products.”

“Along with our partners, the U.S. Marshals seized and removed from the marketplace more than 2 million non-FDA approved products from five warehouse distribution centers and six retail locations across the country,” said Director Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service. “This operation is a great example of the U.S. Marshals Service and its partners joining forces to protect our youth and to Make America Healthy Again.”

“The vaping products seized by the United States Marshals Service threatened the health and safety of our communities and undermined the integrity of statutory and regulatory safeguards designed to protect consumers, including our nation’s youth,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, where one of the largest seizures took place. “Americans expect and deserve that prohibited products never make their way on consumer shelves, and that other products are lawfully marketed and comply with all federal laws and regulations. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure illegal products never enter into the stream of commerce and pursue all possible civil and criminal remedies against those who violate federal laws and regulations.”

The Department of Justice also filed civil injunctive actions against the distributors and retailers where the products were seized to prevent future violations. Those complaints allege that the defendants continued to market adulterated and misbranded tobacco products despite receiving warnings from FDA that they were violating the law. The injunction actions were filed against the same entities where the seizures took place along with related individuals, including:

• Tampa Vapor, a Tampa, Florida company, and its owner, Michael R. Synychak, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
• Progressive Retail Inc., doing business as Rainbow Food Mart, a Tampa, Florida company, and its president, Varun Chawla, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
• Bouslimi Holdings, Inc., doing business as Marathon/Food Center, a Tampa, Florida company, and its president, Imed Bouslimi, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
• A Joint Effort, Inc. doing business as Blvd Smoke Shop, a Miami, Florida, company, and its officer and director, Husam Bahhur, filed in the Southern District of Florida;
• Calle 8 Petroleum LLC, doing business as UGAS/Circle K, a company based in Miami, Florida, and its owner, Rashid A. Saeed, filed in the Southern District of Florida;
• Smoke House Sunset, a company based in Los Angeles, California, and its owner, Ali Masoud, filed in the Central District of California;
• D&A Distribution, LLC, doing business as Strictly E-Cig, a corporation based in Savannah, Georgia, and owner Robert S. Ali, filed in the Southern District of Georgia;
• PSM101, LLC doing business as Center Point Distributors, a corporation based in South Plainfield, New Jersey, and its owner Niravkumar G. Vora, filed in the District of New Jersey;
• B&G Trading LLC doing business as Vaportech Wholesale, a corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona, and its co-owners Ataman Bilgin and Hasmet Girgin, filed in the District of Arizona;
• Midwest Goods Inc. doing business as Midwest Distribution and Midwest Distribution Illinois, a corporation based in Bensenville, Illinois, and its owner and CEO, Kamran Yasin, filed in the Northern District of Illinois; and
• Dream Distro LLC, a company based in Garner, North Carolina, and its owner, Faisal A. Alhadrami, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

An additional injunctive action was filed against Gorilla Vapes LLC, a New Jersey company, and its co-owners Nick Jurczyk and Russell Jurczyk, in the District of New Jersey.

Under the law, ENDS manufacturers generally must obtain premarket review of new tobacco products and obtain FDA’s marketing authorization before they can be legally sold through interstate commerce. In each of the seizure actions, the court issued a warrant authorizing the seizure of specified unapproved vapes that lacked marketing authorization.

Trial Attorneys Coleen Schoch, James T. Nelson, Roger Gural, Zachary L. Cowan, and Pauline A. Stamatelos of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the cases under the leadership of Sarmad Khojasteh, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott D. Heffron for the Northern District of Illinois, Carlos Raurell for the Southern District of Florida, Joseph Bozdech for the District of Arizona, and other AUSAs from districts across the country provided critical support, along with attorneys at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel and FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

The claims announced today are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man for allegedly forging the signatures of two United States District Court judges in court filings.

WALTER BRZOWSKI, 67, of Chicago, is charged with eleven counts of forgery in an indictment returned Tuesday in the Northern District of Illinois.  Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Brzowski represented himself in numerous civil lawsuits that he initiated in federal court in Chicago.  The U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit dismissed the lawsuits and found that many of Brzowski’s filings were frivolous.  In 2021, the Executive Committee of the U.S. District Court in Chicago issued an order placing restrictions on Brzowski’s ability to file new civil cases and warned that violating the order may lead to monetary sanctions or a contempt of court finding.

In 2023, Brzowski filed a “notice” in the District Court stating that he was relieved of any previously imposed prohibitions and instructing the District Court Clerk’s Office to “rescind any filing restrictions,” the charges allege.  The notice included an attached Executive Committee Order that was purportedly signed by U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer.  The District Court determined that Brzowski had forged Judge Pallmeyer’s signature and sanctioned him $25,000, the charges allege.  Brzowski allegedly continued to file materials with the Court, including multiple filings in 2025 that contained forged signatures of Judge Pallmeyer and U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Stern.

“The forgery of a judge’s signature is a serious matter and an attack on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “We will hold accountable those who use forgeries and frauds to undermine the important judicial work of the Honorable Judges of the Northern District of Illinois.”

“The defendant allegedly sent fraudulent court orders through the U.S. mail bearing forged signatures of multiple United States District Court judges in an effort to circumvent standing orders and unlawfully twist the legal system to his favor,” said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça.  “Thankfully, Chicago Postal Inspectors uncovered his scheme to delegitimize the rule of law, and brought him 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.

CHICAGO — A Chicago Police officer has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly conspiring to “straw purchase” firearms on behalf of an acquaintance who transported the guns to Mexico.

In the fall of 2024, KEVIN RODRIGUEZ used his status as a Chicago Police officer to purchase an AR-15 style assault rifle in Dyer, Ind., and a handgun in Monee, Ill., and falsely certified on required forms that he was the actual buyer of the guns, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Rodriguez purchased the guns on behalf of an acquaintance, DIEGO VALDEZ, who identified which firearms he wanted and paid Rodriguez to buy them, the indictment states.  After falsely completing the forms and making the purchases, Rodriguez provided the firearms to Valdez, who then smuggled them into Mexico, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Rodriguez, 27, of Chicago, with one count of conspiracy, one count of knowingly making false statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, and one count of knowingly purchasing a firearm intended for another individual in furtherance of a felony.  Valdez, 25, of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of knowingly receiving a straw purchased firearm.  The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignments earlier this week in federal court in Chicago.  A status hearing is set for Oct. 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr.

The indictment 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 & Explosives.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.

The investigation is being conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago.  The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.  The CGIC is an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and intelligence analysts to move quickly to investigate and prosecute violent crimes.

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.

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

WESLEY SMITH, 37, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Smith to 77 months in prison.

Smith admitted in a plea agreement that on May 2, 2024, he possessed a loaded firearm in a residence in Rockford.

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

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

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to more than seven years in prison for robbing a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier at gunpoint in Chicago.

The robbery occurred on the afternoon of Nov. 10, 2023, in the 900 block of North Francisco Avenue in Chicago.  RICHARD THOMPSON approached the carrier as she was stepping out of her USPS vehicle.  The carrier retreated into the vehicle when she saw Thompson approaching, but Thompson followed her inside and blocked her exit.  He then displayed a handgun and demanded and obtained the carrier’s USPS-issued Arrow Key, which opens certain postal collection boxes.  Thompson then fled the area with the Arrow Key.  He was arrested in May 2024 and has remained in federal custody since then.

At the time of the robbery, Thompson was on pre-trial release in the Circuit Cook of Cook County for an unrelated criminal charge.

Thompson, 54, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal robbery charge.  On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood sentenced Thompson to seven years and two months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, 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 Branka Cimesa.

“The U.S. Postal Service serves a critically important government function and its employees must be allowed to deliver mail to the American people safely and securely,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Furthermore, stealing a mailbox Arrow Key is a serious crime; it gives criminals access to certain mailboxes of everyday citizens, who rely on the Postal Service to receive their mail.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will work closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute to the full extent of the law those individuals who seek to gain access to the public’s mail whether through violence, theft, or fraud.”

“This sentencing is another example of the roles postal inspectors and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers,” said USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça.  “As Postal Service employees continue to play an integral role in our communities, we are clear in our resolve to aggressively investigate anyone who brings harm to these invaluable public servants.” 

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced yesterday to thirteen months in federal prison for straw purchasing three firearms.

JAMARIUS HOLMAN, 25, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of knowingly providing a false and fictitious written statement to a federally licensed dealer of firearms, misrepresenting that he was the actual buyer of the firearms, when, in fact, he knew he was not the actual buyer.

Holman admitted that in May of 2023, he purchased three firearms in two separate transactions for an individual who was legally prohibited from owning a firearm and did not have a valid Firearm Owners Identification.  Holman falsely completed firearms transaction records indicating that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms.

Holman was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston 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 ATF’s Chicago Field Division.

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. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

CHICAGO — A man involved in an exchange of gunfire in a suburban Chicago parking lot has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison.

ANTHONY HAYES and JAMARI WILLIAMS each fired multiple rounds at REGINALD DANIELS in a parking lot of an auto repair shop in Calumet City, Ill., on Aug. 9, 2021.  Daniels and another individual with him were wounded.  Daniels drew a gun from his waistband and fired multiple rounds at Hayes and Williams as they ran away.  One of Daniels’s shots struck an innocent bystander who happened to be driving near the store.  The innocent bystander suffered life-altering injuries.

Three days after the shootings, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search of Hayes’s residence and discovered eight firearms, including the guns used by Hayes and Williams in the shooting of Daniels and the individual with him.  Hayes, Williams, and Daniels were indicted in federal court in 2022 and have been in federal custody since then.

Hayes, 27, of Dolton, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.  On Monday, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., sentenced Hayes to 20 years and eight months in federal prison.

Williams, 26, and Daniels, 33, both of Chicago, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm charges.  Williams was sentenced last month to ten years in prison, while Daniels was sentenced in June to eight and a half years.

The sentences 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 Calumet City, Ill. Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, South Suburban Emergency Response Team, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Illinois State Police.

“By letting loose a hail of bullets towards an open business abutting a busy four-lane thoroughfare, defendant threatened countless other repair shop customers, employees, and passersby,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mower argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Hayes’s case.  “Justice accordingly demands commensurate punishment.”

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for installing card-skimming devices on ATMs in Chicago and New Jersey to steal debit card numbers and PINs from unsuspecting victims.

FLORIN NICOLAE TARTA and two others installed the devices on numerous Bank of America ATMs.  The devices consisted of a metallic plate on which a card reader, memory chip, and battery had been affixed.  Once inserted into the ATM, the device could capture financial account information from users’ cards.  Tarta and the co-schemers also placed a pinhole camera near the ATM’s keypad to record ATM users inputting their PINs.

Several days after the devices were installed, Tarta and the others removed them from the ATMs and used a computer to convert the captured data to magnetic strips on the back of gift cards.  The defendants then used the counterfeit gift cards to withdraw cash at various banks.  Losses from the unauthorized transactions totaled $177,280.

The defendants’ scheme came to end in March 2024 when law enforcement located the hidden camera on an ATM in Westfield, N.J.  Tarta was arrested when he returned to the ATM.

A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago earlier this year convicted Tarta, 40, of Satu Mare, Romania, on bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges.  On Sept. 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt sentenced Tarta to six years and 9 months in federal prison.

Two co-defendants pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced in the case. LEONID GRIGORE SMETANCA, 45, of Satu Mare, Romania, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, while RADU FARCAS, 42, of London, England, was sentenced to two and a half years.

The sentences 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.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Westfield, N.J. Police Department.

“Defendant repeatedly engaged in criminal conduct that imposes an enormous toll on the U.S. economy,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Tarta’s case.  “Card skimming is a widespread problem plaguing financial institutions and consumers.”

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been indicted on federal healthcare fraud charges for allegedly submitting more than $17.3 million in fraudulent claims to a private insurer.

SHAWN BASHIR created fictitious entities called Success for Kids and Growing Kids Therapy, which purportedly provided early intervention services to children.  From 2019 to 2025, Bashir submitted and caused to be submitted false and fraudulent claims from those entities to a private insurer for therapy services that had not actually been provided, according to an indictment unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Bashir submitted and caused the submission of approximately $17.3 million in false and fraudulent claims, causing the private insurer to pay at least $1.4 million for services that were not provided, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Bashir, 39, of Grayslake, Ill., with eight counts of healthcare fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.  Bashir pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Friday in federal court in Chicago.  A status hearing was scheduled for Nov. 12, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis.

The charges against Bashir mark the first indictment returned by the newly created Healthcare Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago.  U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros created the Section last month to bring greater focus, efficiency, and impact to one of the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities.  The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged nearly $2 billion in alleged healthcare fraud schemes since Mr. Boutros became U.S. Attorney in April 2025.

The indictment against Bashir was announced by U.S. Attorney Boutros and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and Kelli Hammerl, Acting Regional Director of the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Irene Hickey Sullivan.

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 – The U.S. Attorney’s Office today announced a civil settlement with a Chicago pharmacy to resolve alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act.

The alleged violations by Allcare Discount Pharmacy in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood enabled the diversion of opioids from the pharmacy over an extended period.  An inspection and audit by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration found that Allcare failed to keep adequate records pertaining to the receipt and disposition of various controlled substances, including hydrocodone-acetaminophen and alprazolam.  The DEA determined that Allcare also failed to provide effective controls and procedures to prevent theft and diversion of controlled substances.  

From 2015 to 2017, two Allcare pharmacy techs conspired to steal more than 56,000 pills of hydrocodone and sell them outside the pharmacy.  One of the techs concealed the theft by falsifying the pharmacy’s inventory to make it look like the pills had either not been received from the distributor or had been dispensed to patients.  The techs pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and were sentenced in 2019 to prison terms of five years and one year.

Under the terms of the civil settlement, Allcare will pay a $250,000 penalty to the United States.  Allcare also successfully fulfilled its obligations under a Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA that required the pharmacy to maintain complete and accurate records pertaining to the receipt and sale of controlled substances. The settlement is not an admission of liability by Allcare, nor a concession by the United States that its potential claims were not well-founded.

The settlement was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division.  The civil case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Pharmacies must take their responsibilities under the Controlled Substances Act seriously and comply with security protocols and proper oversight to prevent diversion of controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to enforce full compliance with the Controlled Substances Act and protect our communities from the dangers of opioid diversion and abuse.”

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to 22 years in prison for carjacking three vehicles at gunpoint in Chicago and shooting one of the victims.

JAMARI EDWARDS carjacked the vehicles in August 2022 in the West Englewood neighborhood of Chicago.  The first carjacking occurred in the drive-thru area of a coffee shop, while the other two occurred outside of a convenience store at a gas station.  In each of the carjackings, Edwards pointed a gun at the driver and demanded the keys to the car.  In the coffee shop carjacking, Edwards shot the driver in the leg after the driver had already given Edwards the key and exited the vehicle.  Before shooting the driver, Edwards asked him words to the effect of, “Why are you not scared?”

Edwards, 23, of Chicago, was arrested in 2022 and has remained in law enforcement custody since then.  He pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges.  On Sept. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Edwards to 22 years in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Simar Khera. 

CHICAGO — A man was charged in federal court today with robbing an armored truck driver in downtown Chicago earlier this week.

DAJON HARRIS robbed a Brinks armored truck driver on Wednesday morning in the first block of South State Street in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood, according to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The armored truck driver had just exited a store carrying several bags of cash when Harris allegedly approached him and tried to rip a bag out of his hand.  A struggle ensued, and Harris punched the driver and took a bag of cash, the complaint states.  During the struggle, the driver unholstered his gun and fired shots at Harris, the complaint states.

Harris fled west on Madison Street toward a Chicago Transit Authority subway station, the complaint states.  Law enforcement officers encountered Harris in the station and recovered the stolen money.  Harris was transported to a hospital for medical treatment.

The complaint charges Harris, 23, of Evergreen Park, Ill., with robbery, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.  His initial appearance in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

The complaint 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 is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hanna Helwig.

The robbery occurred in the newly designated Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) enforcement zone in downtown Chicago.  On June 4, 2025, U.S. Attorney Boutros announced an expansion of PSN to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority.  The enforcement efforts in the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zones focus on the investigation and prosecution of individuals and organized groups who engage in robberies, illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, carjackings, and other violent offenses most often involving the use of firearms.  For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence. 

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

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges.

ALEX REINHARD LEDOUX, 34, is charged with receipt, transportation, and possession of child pornography, according to an indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Rockford.  LeDoux possessed images of child pornography in 2023, the indictment states.

The counts of receiving and transporting child pornography each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years.  The count of possessing child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

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 Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

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

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 Chicago man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for knowingly providing false verifications of employment for foreign nationals seeking to stay in the United States on an immigration visa.

ZHAO TAI CUI charged F-1 visa holders a fee to falsely represent that they were employed by Cui’s company so they could improperly extend their stay in the United States.  Cui advertised his fraudulent visa-related employment services on various websites and incorporated a company in Illinois with the sole purpose of serving as a sham employer.  During the scheme, which began in 2013 and continued until 2019, Cui falsely claimed that at least 250 F-1 visa holders worked for his sham company.

Cui, 60, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.  On Friday, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman sentenced Cui to two years in prison and ordered him to pay a personal money judgment of $652,963.

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.

“Cui’s scheme was expansive and involved multiple levels of deception,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “This type of crime erodes the public’s faith in the immigration system.”

CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on a federal firearm charge for allegedly illegally possessing a loaded machine gun in a Chicago park.

EDDIE ARGUELLES possessed the firearm on May 14, 2025, in Riis Park in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago, according to an indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case.  The Glock handgun 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.  Chicago Police officers responded to the scene after receiving calls of a person with a gun firing a shot in the park, the charges allege. When officers approached Arguelles, he tried to drive away on a moped but lost control and fell to the ground on a football field in the park, the charges allege.  The officers took Arguelles into custody and discovered the firearm in his possession, the charges allege.  He remains detained without bond.

The indictment charges Arguelles, 20, of Chicago, with one count of possession of a machine gun, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison.  Arraignment is set for Sept. 17, 2025, at 11:30 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek Arguelles’s continued pre-trial detention.

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 Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wesley Morrissette.

The investigation is being conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago.  The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.  The CGIC is an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and intelligence analysts to move quickly to investigate and prosecute violent crimes.

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 grand jury in Chicago has indicted an alleged boss of a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico on narcoterrorism, drug, and firearm charges.

OSCAR MANUEL GASTELUM IRIBE, also known as “El Musico,” oversaw the importation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs—at times in individual shipments of hundreds or thousands or kilograms—into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a foreign terrorist organization, according to a superseding indictment returned Thursday in the Northern District of Illinois.  Gastelum Iribe served as a co-leader of the faction after its initial leaders were arrested or killed, the indictment states.  Once in charge, Gastelum Iribe conspired with other members and associates of the faction to continue transporting the drugs throughout the United States, including in the Chicago area, using cars, trucks, rail cars, and other interstate carriers, the indictment states.

The charges allege that Gastelum Iribe sought to protect the faction’s drug trafficking activities by attacking rivals, military personnel, and law enforcement, including commanding the murder of a Mexican police officer and two others.  The Beltran Leyva faction under Gastelum Iribe’s leadership armed its members with machine guns, semiautomatic firearms, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and explosive devices, bribed corrupt public officials and law enforcement, and engaged in numerous kidnappings and assaults, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Gastelum Iribe, 50, of Sinaloa, Mexico, with terrorism, drug, and firearm offenses.  The terrorism charges, which accuse Gastelum Iribe of engaging in narcoterrorism and providing material support and resources to the Sinaloa Cartel, is a result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the United States Secretary of State’s subsequent designation of the same in February of this year.

Gastelum Iribe faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of the charges in the indictment.  Gastelum Iribe 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 and the Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, as well as law enforcement partners from Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and DEA.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Reid Davis, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Shawn Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI San Diego, and Terrance Cole, Administrator of the DEA.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Maione and Andrew Erskine of the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.

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), as well as protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs).

“Today’s narcoterrorism indictment of El Musico sends a powerful message that this Administration is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their highest-ranking members and associates accountable for poisoning the American public with illegal and harmful drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has a proud history going back many decades of prosecuting some of the nation’s biggest and most significant narcotrafficking cartel cases.  Building on that tradition, under my leadership, our 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 remains unchanged: to disrupt and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug empire and bring its leaders to justice.”

“As alleged, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that flooded the United States with fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin and used murder and intimidation to protect its profits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Galeotti.  “The Sinaloa Cartel has been designated a foreign terrorist organization because of the kinds of crimes announced today.  This indictment further demonstrates that the Criminal Division will use every tool at its disposal to target cartel leaders, including by holding them accountable for acts of terrorism against our country.”

“From narcocorridos to narcoterrorist, El Musico famously writes his own lyrics, but his next one will be written from the Bureau of Prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon. “As El Musico once boasted, 'La vida es curiosa, hoy soy poderoso,' but soon his 'Rancho Querido' will be nothing but a distant memory.”

“The indictment of El Musico and the dismantlement of the leadership structure of these foreign terrorist organizations are direct results of the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners to protect the United States,” said HSI SAC Gibson.  “We remain resolute in our mission to bring all members of these criminal cartels to justice, regardless of where they attempt to evade accountability."

“As a leader of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, Gastelum Iribe allegedly directed the importation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other lethal drugs into the United States and oversaw atrocious acts of violence, including kidnappings and murders, in Mexico,” said FBI SAC Davis.  “The superseding indictment against him is the result of years of collaboration among multiple federal agencies and judicial districts.  The FBI and our partners will continue to work toward dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel and bringing its violent leaders—including El Musico—to justice.”

“This indictment sends a clear and uncompromising message: cartel leaders who flood our streets with fentanyl and arm their networks with machine guns and grenades are not just drug traffickers—they are terrorists,” said DEA Administrator Cole.  “Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe and his faction turned cartel violence into a campaign of terror, targeting police, military, and civilians alike.  DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of these narco-terrorists, and we will not stop until the Sinaloa Cartel—and every organization like it—is dismantled, its leaders brought to justice, and American families protected.”

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 suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for enticing multiple children to produce sexually explicit images of themselves.

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.  Many of the girls were nine to 13 years old when Barnett enticed them into sending him the images.  Barnett threatened some of his victims with physical harm, including telling one girl that he would kidnap, assault, and murder her if she did not comply with his demands.

Barnett, 46, of Aurora, Ill., and previously of Rochester, N.Y., has been in law enforcement custody since 2017.  Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the 34-year prison sentence and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release.

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 New Orleans, La. Field Office of the FBI, the Buffalo, N.Y. Field Office of the FBI, the Jacksonville, Fla. Sheriff’s Office, and the Ouachita Parish, La. Sheriff’s Office.

“Barnett remorselessly used these girls as objects to be employed in furtherance of his sexual gratification, inflicting trauma that will forever impact his victims’ lives,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Chapman argued in the government’s sentencing recommendation.  “He threatened his victims, humiliated them, degraded them, and viciously attacked any sense of self-esteem or confidence that stood in his way.”

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.

CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on federal fraud and tax charges for allegedly defrauding numerous individuals out of at least $2.6 million and willfully evading income taxes.

An indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges JAWAD FAKROUNE, also known as “Angelino Escobar,” “Anjelino Escobar,” “Angelo Escobar,” “Giovanni Escobar,” and “Angelo Baldini,” 45, with seven counts of wire fraud, four counts of tax evasion, and four counts of failing to file income taxes. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.

According to the indictment, Fakroune is a foreign national who recently resided in the Chicago area.  In 2022, Fakroune fraudulently obtained approximately $2.45 million from an individual by falsely representing that Fakroune would invest the money in a shipping container business and a marijuana growing operation, the indictment states.  Instead of investing the money, Fakroune used nearly all of it for his personal purposes, including purchasing a residence in Lemont, Ill., paying rent for a residence in New York, funding restaurant and shopping trips in New York City, purchasing a 2022 Cadillac Escalade, and buying multiple high-end watches, the indictment states.

The indictment alleges that Fakroune engaged in similar fraud schemes between 2023 and 2025. One scheme involved Fakroune obtaining $150,000 from a victim by falsely representing that Fakroune would invest the money in a coffee shop or Mexican restaurant.  Fakroune allegedly caused this victim to sign a lease on Fakroune’s behalf for a residence in Michigan City, Ind., based upon Fakroune’s false representations that, in exchange for signing the lease, Fakroune would repay the victim $300,000 in connection with the purported coffee shop or Mexican restaurant investment.  In fact, Fakroune did not repay any of the victim’s money, the indictment states.

The tax charges accuse Fakroune of attempting to evade income taxes and willfully failing to file income taxes for the calendar years 2020 through 2023.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, 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 Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt.

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 former Chicago attorney has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for committing tax fraud, attempting to tamper with a witness, and violating a court order.

MICHAEL ABRAMSON provided more than $1 million in personal expenses to a woman with whom he was romantically involved and then deducted the payments on his individual taxes by falsely characterizing them as commissions or loans. He also listed the fraudulent loans as an asset in corporate tax returns that he caused to be filed for a company in which he held an ownership interest.  The payments related to a condo in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, several luxury automobiles, and travel, shopping, and restaurant expenses.

Following the indictment in this case, the Court ordered Abramson not to have any contact with witnesses, including Abramson’s bookkeeper, whom Abramson knew would be an important government witness at trial. Weeks before trial was initially set to begin, Abramson gave the bookkeeper a copy of her previous court testimony, on which he had made handwritten notes changing, supplementing, or otherwise scripting her answers, and told her to review it before trial. Although Abramson told the bookkeeper not to bring the notes to a meeting with law enforcement, the bookkeeper nonetheless turned the scripted transcript over to law enforcement.

A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago last year convicted Abramson, 76, of Wilmette Ill., on all 15 tax fraud, witness tampering, and violation of court order charges against him.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced Abramson to 30 months in federal prison and fined him $25,000.

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

“Defendant, an attorney practicing in the State of Illinois for decades, defrauded the IRS, repeatedly attempted to obstruct the IRS and FBI’s investigation into his misconduct, and tampered with a key witness in violation of a court order during his prosecution,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Edward A. Liva, Jr. argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “As an attorney well-versed in business, tax, and financial matters, defendant knew better, yet sought to conceal and profit from personal payments to his mistress.”

CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a man to a year and half in prison for scheming to fraudulently obtain nearly $2 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

In 2020, SAMUEL W. JACKSON engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL)—two sources of relief under the CARES Act.  Jackson submitted to lenders and the U.S. Small Business Administration numerous applications on behalf of businesses he controlled.  The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning, among other things, the purported businesses’ employment figures, payroll costs, and operating expenses.  The fraud scheme caused a loss to lenders and the SBA of more than $1.9 million.

Jackson and others used the loan proceeds for their personal benefit, including $500,000 on luxury vehicles, nearly $230,000 at restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, and $116,000 on rent.

Jackson, 45, formerly of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to wire fraud and money laundering charges. On Aug. 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Jackson to 18 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay approximately $1.9 million in restitution.

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.  Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA Office of Inspector General.

“Defendant was the hub of a fraudulent scheme,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher K. Veatch and Branka Cimesa argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Defendant abused a federal program funded by taxpayer money and designed to help those in need.”

ROCKFORD — An inmate at Thomson Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill., has been sentenced to a life term of imprisonment after being convicted of murder and hate crime in the death of a fellow inmate.

BRANDON SIMONSON conspired with a co-defendant, KRISTOPHER MARTIN, to beat Matthew Phillips because Phillips was Jewish. Simonson and Martin assaulted Phillips to gain recognition and membership into a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads.  Simonson punched and kicked Phillips in the face and head, despite Phillips being knocked unconscious and unable to defend himself. The assault occurred on March 2, 2020, leading to Phillips’ death three days later. 

A jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford earlier this year convicted Simonson 41, of Moorhead, Minn., of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hate crime, and assault.  On Friday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Simonson to life in federal prison.

Martin, 43, of Brazil, Ind., pleaded guilty earlier this year and will be sentenced on Oct. 9, 2025.

Simonson’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Lucas Rothaar, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Ronald DeWald.

“Antisemitic violence has no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Violence against people of faith is illegal and unacceptable and will not be tolerated anywhere in our district, including in our prison system.  My Office and our law enforcement partners will aggressively enforce federal laws to ensure that all Americans feel safe in practicing and expressing their faith.”

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners hold those who compromise the safety or lives of others accountable, even those serving sentences in prison,” said FBI ASAC Rothaar.  “We continue to ask the public to help keep our communities safe from any acts of violence like those detailed in this case by reporting threatening or suspicious behavior immediately to local law enforcement or the FBI.”

CHICAGO — The owner of a Chicago grocery store has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for fraudulently redeeming millions of dollars in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (“WIC”).

YOUSEF ABU ALHAWA owned a grocery store in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side.  From 2011 to 2019, Alhawa fraudulently redeemed or caused to redeem SNAP and WIC benefits for non-eligible items or cash, and redeemed SNAP and WIC benefits on behalf of stores ineligible to participate in SNAP and WIC.  Alhawa admitted in a plea agreement with the government that he caused a loss to those programs of more than $8.3 million.

Alhawa, 50, of Lockport, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and tax charges. The tax offenses pertained to Alhawa’s filing of false income tax returns for the calendar years 2015 to 2017. The tax offenses caused a federal and state tax loss of more than $610,000.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the 42-month prison sentence and ordered Alhawa to pay $8.9 million in restitution to the U.S. Treasury, IRS, and State of Illinois.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General.

“Defendant’s offense conduct was serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mower argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “SNAP is the nation’s largest federally funded nutrition assistance program.  His actions not only deprived those programs of vital financial resources that could otherwise have been made available to deserving recipients, but also risked sowing general disfavor and distrust of government benefit systems.”

ROCKFORD — A Whiteside County, Ill. man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

THOMAS DUGGER, 55, of Rock Falls, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.  Duggar admitted in a plea agreement that in July 2021 he sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine.

U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 100-month prison 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 Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced publicly the creation of a new 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 created such a section.  The new Healthcare Fraud Section will consist of six federal prosecutors and will be led by Heidi Manschreck, who will serve as the inaugural Section Chief, and Prashant Kolluri, who will serve as the Section’s inaugural Deputy Chief.  Both prosecutors have dozens of years of combined experience investigating and prosecuting healthcare fraud cases.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Kelly, Kate McClelland, Alejandro G. Ortega, and Kristin Pinkston have also been assigned to the Section full time.  The work of this new section will be in addition to the healthcare fraud-related matters in this district that are being handled by the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.  The Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is housed in the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office, is led locally by Assistant Chief Patrick M. Mott and collaborates extensively with the Office.

The newly created Healthcare Fraud Section will be tasked with prosecuting defendants in all types of healthcare fraud, such as false and fraudulent claims submitted by transnational criminal organizations to America’s health insurance programs; upcoding and unbundling schemes; scams by providers and individuals against Medicare and Medicaid; fraudulent billing; and illegal kickbacks, among many other healthcare-related frauds and schemes.

“Every year, healthcare fraud causes billions of dollars in losses to the federal government and private insurers and siphons off hard-earned tax dollars meant to provide care for people in need,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Since becoming U.S. Attorney, my Office has charged nearly $2 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct that has stretched across the country, and even transnationally.  The newly created Healthcare Fraud Section that I’ve launched will bring greater focus, efficiency, and impact to our efforts in this important program area, which often involves the exploitation of patients through unnecessary and/or unsafe medical tests and procedures.”

U.S. Attorney Boutros continued, “In addition, under the direct leadership of our Section Chief and Deputy Chief, our Healthcare Fraud Section and its team of federal prosecutors will continue to closely coordinate and collaborate with the Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and has proven to be a highly effective and dynamic prosecutorial partner.  Healthcare providers, gatekeepers, and others who criminally cheat the system will be vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished under federal law and pursuant to the Department’s priorities.”

In announcing the new Section, U.S. Attorney Boutros acknowledged the cooperation and determination of the Office’s investigative partners, including the FBI, DEA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and other federal, state, and local agencies.

The newly created Healthcare Fraud Section will also strengthen coordination with the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, which has partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago and other districts across the country to combat healthcare fraud.  Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion.  Recently, the Health Care Fraud Unit led and coordinated the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in charges against more than 320 defendants nationwide for allegedly participating in various health care fraud schemes involving more than $14.6 billion in intended losses.  This was the largest national health care fraud enforcement action in Department of Justice history–and the largest ever in the Northern District of Illinois. 

“The Health Care Fraud Unit and its U.S. Attorneys’ Office partners continue to build on historic successes in health care fraud enforcement—protecting American taxpayer funds, ensuring programs for our most vulnerable citizens receive what they are due, and safeguarding patients from medically unnecessary procedures and false diagnoses,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “Beyond our proven track record of holding individuals accountable, the Health Care Fraud Unit is now for the first time focusing on corporate enforcement in the health care space to ensure that all culpable actors are held responsible.  The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has been an exceptional partner and our Health Care Fraud Unit Strike Force in the district is excited to partner with this new unit to increase our collective reach and enhance our ability to protect the American public from health care fraud.”

“Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.  “These complex schemes not only drain critical resources intended to provide care and protect some our most vulnerable citizens, but can also lead to patient harm.  The enhanced collaboration and focus this new section brings will enable federal and state law enforcement partners to strengthen our ability to identify and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our federal healthcare programs and keep patients safe.”

“The DEA Chicago Field Division applauds U.S. Attorney Boutros's decision to launch the Healthcare Fraud Section,” said Shane Catone, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division.  “This will only enhance our capabilities to keep Americans safe from anyone who exploits financial, pharmaceutical, and criminal systems, in collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners.”

“FBI Chicago stands committed with our federal partners to find and prosecute all offenders who perpetrate fraud in our healthcare system and violate the trust of vulnerable people seeking care,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  “Together we are sending a clear message to those who steal from the U.S. taxpayers by committing healthcare fraud: you will be caught and you will face justice.”

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a suburban Chicago man to nearly six years in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $550,000 in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

In 2020 and 2021, CHRISTOPHER SCOTT engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL)—two sources of relief under the CARES Act.  Scott submitted to lenders and the U.S. Small Business Administration numerous applications on behalf of non-existent or non-operating businesses. The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning, among other things, the purported businesses’ revenues, payrolls, and operating expenses.  The fraud scheme caused lenders and the SBA to disburse more than $550,000 in loans to Scott.

Scott and others used the loan proceeds on personal expenses, including numerous purchases at luxury retailers Tiffany & Co., Jared Jewelers, Von Maur, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Scott, 46, of Hazel Crest, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal wire fraud charge.  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo sentenced Scott to five years and ten months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $567,333 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office.  Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA Office of Inspector General.

“Put simply, Scott’s crime was motivated by greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro G. Ortega argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “This offense was not a simple lapse in judgment, or a crime born out of economic poverty or necessity.  It was, at least, a year-long scheme to fraudulently obtain free money from the government.”

“The government programs exploited in this case were intended to help struggling small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic,” Secret Service SAIC Tran said.  “Instead, this man pilfered more than half a million dollars from these programs—and by extension, taxpayers—to go on an outrageous high-end spending spree to benefit himself.  I’m proud of the work the Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois did to bring justice in this case.”

CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than four and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun in a Chicago residence full of children.

BRANDON JOHNSON illegally possessed the gun on Jan. 25, 2020, in a residence on Chicago’s Near West Side.  Chicago Police officers were called to the residence by an individual who claimed that Johnson had brandished the gun and threatened to shoot the individual.  Several children were inside the residence when Johnson illegally possessed the firearm.

Johnson had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was not lawfully allowed to possess a firearm.

Johnson, 37, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal firearm charge.  On Aug. 13, 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed a 55-month prison sentence.  Johnson has been in law enforcement custody since December 2020 and will receive credit for time served.

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

“The City of Chicago has been plagued by gun violence for many years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The possession of a loaded firearm is a significant contributor to that gun violence.”