Northern District of Illinois

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing more than a dozen firearms.

In 2020 and 2021, JOHNATHAN BURGOS, 33, illegally sold 14 firearms and multiple large-capacity magazines to an individual who was surreptitiously working on behalf of the FBI.  The sales involved several stolen handguns, a gun with an obliterated serial number, and a rifle.  During most of the transactions, Burgos was on either parole or bond with electronic monitoring from the Illinois Department of Corrections for firearm cases in state court.

Burgos pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm charges.  On Aug. 15, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Burgos to 16 years and eight months 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.

“Defendant’s gun trafficking posed a severe danger to the community,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mower argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “He personally coordinated each sale and used coded language in phone calls and text messages to mask the illicit nature of his discussions.”

CHICAGO — The former Chief Financial Officer of a staffing firm has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for embezzling more than $510,000 from the firm.

CHARLES NELSON misappropriated the money in 2018 and 2019 while working in the firm’s Chicago office.  Nelson made a series of unauthorized credit card purchases for his personal benefit, initially on meals and travel and later on jewelry, gold, and renovations of his personal residence.  Nelson used the fraud proceeds to purchase many extravagant items, including Cartier and Rolex watches, a gold and diamond bracelet, and high-end appliances for his home. Nelson executed the fraud scheme by circumventing multiple corporate controls over expenditures.

Nelson, 67, of Valparaiso, Ind., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge.  On Aug. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed a 27-month prison sentence and ordered Nelson to pay $510,319 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.

“Defendant squandered the company’s money on extravagant items, such as gold, coins, jewelry, trips, and meals,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “His offense was not an isolated lapse in judgment or simple mistake.  It was a carefully orchestrated pattern of theft from a company that trusted defendant to serve as CFO, and his offense took a financial and emotional toll on the honest, hard-working employees left in its wake.”

CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted four individuals for allegedly fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

DEXTER M. CRAWFORD, JR., TIMIKA ROYSTON, ORLANDO PATRICK, and JERMIE MILLER 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, according to an indictment unsealed this week in the Northern District of Illinois.  The indictment alleges that the defendants defrauded lenders and the U.S. Small Business Administration of millions of dollars in PPP loans and EIDL funds.  From 2020 to 2022, the defendants submitted numerous fraudulent applications on behalf of themselves and business entities purportedly owned by some of the defendants, the indictment states.  The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the defendants’ companies, including the number of purported employees, payroll and revenue amounts, and other expenses, the indictment states.

The indictment charges Crawford, 41, of Woodridge, Ill., with seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering; Royston, 49, of Chicago, with three counts of wire fraud; Patrick, 54, of Chicago, with two counts of wire fraud; and Miller, 42, of Plainfield, Ill., with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.  Each wire fraud count is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, while each money laundering count is punishable by up to ten years.

Royston and Miller have pleaded not guilty to the charges.  Arraignment for Patrick is scheduled for Aug. 28, 2025.  Arraignment for Crawford has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  Valuable assistance was provided by the SBA Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.

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 — A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to 45 years in prison for sexually exploiting and receiving child sexual abuse material from at least 14 children with whom he communicated on social media.

In 2019 and 2020, ARMANDO TORRES used social media to contact and persuade young girls, most of whom were younger than ten years old, to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.  Torres sought out children on popular applications, including Snapchat and Instagram, and his social media screennames were designed to appeal to them.  Torres often pretended he was a child in order to gain his victims’ trust.  He provided graphic step-by-step instructions to his victims, including how to pose their bodies, the sexual language to use, and how to film and send the images and videos.

Torres, 35, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to exploitation and child pornography charges.  On Aug. 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the 45-year prison sentence. 

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

“Children are the most vulnerable members of our community,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Their innocence and trust in others make them defenseless to predators like Torres, who easily manipulated them online.  Torres’s sexualization of the victims deprived them of their childhood and inflicted significant trauma on them, as well as their families, that will continue to impact them long after the experience is over.”

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

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

ROCKFORD — A man has been sentenced to more than ten years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm in Rockford and violating the terms of his court-supervised release.

STEVEN BAXTER, 40, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of illegal firearm possession and violating the terms of supervised release. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Baxter to 104 months in federal prison on the firearms charge, and an additional 22 months for violating his supervised release, for a total sentence of 126 months in prison.

Baxter admitted in a plea declaration that while visiting Rockford in 2022 he entered a local Wing Stop restaurant while in possession of a handgun. Baxter became agitated about his order and threatened multiple store employees. He displayed the gun and held it at his hip before exiting the restaurant. During a later traffic stop, Baxter admitted to driving a vehicle on Interstate 90 in Kane County, Ill., while in possession of a loaded firearm and an additional pistol. As a previously convicted felon, Baxter was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.

At the time of his arrest, Baxter was serving a term of supervised release following his imprisonment for an unrelated federal firearms conviction, the terms of which prohibited him from committing additional federal, state, or local crimes. Baxter’s illegal possession of the firearms violated the terms of the court supervision.

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. The Rockford Police Department and the Kane County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation.

“It is highly concerning to the government that defendant has shown a pattern of not only illegal possession of firearms as a felon, but a pattern of brandishing and threatening people with firearms in moments of anger or rage,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora A. Anderson argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant’s history shows a disrespect for the law, for the safety of the community, and a disregard for court orders.”

CHICAGO – The U.S. Attorney's Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Chicago Police Department today announced results of a two-month enhanced enforcement initiative that targeted offenders believed to have illegally possessed, used, and trafficked firearms and machinegun conversion devices in the Chicagoland area.

The initiative, led by ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), used both federal and state charges, resulting in the arrest of 41 offenders and the recovery of approximately 171 firearms, and 64 machinegun conversion devices. National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) data shows that a significant number of the recovered firearms are connected to violent criminal activity, including homicide and aggravated assault, that took place in the Chicagoland area and throughout the U.S., from 2017 through 2025.

“The illegal possession, use, and trafficking of firearms equipped with conversion devices pose a grave threat to public safety,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will lean into using various federal law enforcement tools and law enforcement partnerships to hold firearm offenders accountable and reduce violent crime in Chicago. We are proud to partner with ATF, CPD, and state prosecutors in this important initiative, and I commend their outstanding work to keep dangerous weapons off the streets and out of the wrong hands.”

“Machinegun conversion devices are increasingly being used by criminals, putting both innocent civilians and law enforcement in danger,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. “This operation aggressively targeted offenders suspected of trafficking illegal machinegun conversion devices into our communities. I want to thank our federal, state, and local partners whose support of the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago was integral to the success of this initiative. This multi-agency effort is a testament to what can be accomplished when we combine our resources and expertise towards a common goal of making our communities safer for all.”

The number of suspected machinegun conversion devices recovered by law enforcement and subsequently traced by ATF increased more than 784% nationwide between 2019 (658) and 2023 (5,816), according to the National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment. In the year 2024 alone, the Chicago Police Department recovered 604 machine gun conversion devices—up from 81 in 2020.

“This operation directly addresses the proliferation of machine gun devices inflicting trauma in our communities,” said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling. “Far too many lives have been lost to the senseless violence that only becomes more dangerous and fatal because of these conversion devices.”

“Combatting gun violence is my office’s highest priority, and there is no doubt the recent proliferation of MCD’s is a threat to our progress,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke. “A firearm equipped with one of these devices and an extended magazine can fire off 30 rounds in less than two seconds, terrorizing our neighborhoods and too often catching innocent bystanders in the crossfire. The CGIC is a national model, and working in a collaborative fashion with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners on this threat is a force multiplier. This initiative is a great start, and shows what’s possible when we work together strategically.”

“State-federal partnerships, such as with the ATF, are essential to my office’s work to prevent illegal firearms from entering communities, hold gun traffickers accountable and address other gun crime cases,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Collaborations and resource sharing between all levels of law enforcement – local, state and federal – are vital in our work to prevent gun violence in Illinois.”

The 18 federal cases are being coordinated by Violent Crime Section Chief Scott Edenfield and Violent Crime Section Deputy Chief Jared Jodrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The 23 state cases are being coordinated by Multi-Jurisdiction Bureau Chief Maureen McCurry of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Assistant Attorney General Greg Gansmann of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.

Special Agent in Charge Amon, Superintendent Snelling, U.S. Attorney Boutros, State’s Attorney Burke, and Illinois Attorney General Raoul also acknowledged the valuable investigative assistance provided by our federal, state, and local partners at the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, and Cook County Sheriff’s Police.

The charges outlined in the indictments and complaints are merely allegations and not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CHICAGO — A criminal complaint unsealed today in federal court charges a Chicago man with receiving and distributing child pornography.

The complaint alleges that JARON WOODSLEY, 27, shared images of child pornography last fall with another individual on the social media application Telegram.  Using Telegram, Woodsley distributed at least thirteen videos and received six videos from the other individual, the complaint states.  The other individual was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Colorado last year.

Woodsley was arrested this morning.  He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago today at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.

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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige A. Nutini.

The charge in the complaint is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in a federal prison and a maximum of 20 years. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

CHICAGO — A man who robbed two taxi drivers and a rideshare driver at gunpoint in Chicago has been sentenced to eleven years in federal prison. 

ANTHONY REED committed the violent robberies within a week in February 2022.  In each of the robberies, Reed threatened to kill the driver if they did not hand over their money and other belongings.  During one of the robberies, Reed used the butt of his gun to hit the driver in the head.

The robberies were as follows:

• Feb. 4, 2022: Reed stole a tablet and cell phone from a Flash Cab taxi driver.

• Feb. 5, 2022: Reed stole $120 in cash, a tablet, and cell phone from a Flash Cab taxi driver.

• Feb. 8, 2022: Reed stole a wallet containing $200 to $400 in cash, as well as a cell phone and jacket from an Uber driver.

Reed, 28, of Chicago, has been in law enforcement custody since his arrest in 2022.  He pleaded guilty earlier this year to three counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. sentenced Reed to eleven 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.

“Over the course of only four days, defendant robbed three victims at gunpoint while the victims were doing their job,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret A. Steindorf and Paul Schied argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “A significant sentence is warranted to protect the public from defendant’s criminal appetite and deter defendant from committing future violent acts.”

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man for felony assault of three law enforcement officers for an alleged attack during the execution of an arrest warrant.

The assaults occurred on the afternoon of July 17, 2025, in the lobby of the Kane County Sheriff’s Department in St. Charles, Ill., according to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case.  Two officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations approached FRANCISCO JAVIER ACEVEDO-CALDERA and informed him that they had a warrant for his arrest, the charges allege.  Acevedo-Caldera, who had recently been bonded out of the Kane County Jail, resisted the arrest, kicked one of the officers, head-butted the other officer, and then bit a Kane County Sheriff’s Deputy who offered to assist the ICE-ERO officers, the charges allege.  The officers were eventually able to subdue Acevedo-Caldera and execute the arrest warrant.

Acevedo-Caldera, 39, who resided in Aurora, Ill., remains detained in federal custody.  The indictment charges him with three counts of forcibly assaulting a law enforcement officer.  Two of the counts are punishable by a maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison, while one of the counts is punishable by up to eight years. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shawn L. Byers, Field Office Director for ICE-ERO in Chicago.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Kane County Sheriff’s Department.  The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Finch.

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 five individuals for allegedly fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in small business loans and other benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

GEORGE KAVROULAKIS, ATHANASIOS INTZES, ADAM JABER, HASSAN KURDI, and ABDALLAH ISSA engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA)—three sources of relief under the CARES Act, according to an indictment unsealed this week in the Northern District of Illinois.  The indictment charges Kavroulakis, 33, of Tinley Park, Ill., with nine counts of wire fraud; Intzes, 35, of Orland Park, Ill., with five counts of wire fraud; Jaber, 34, of Chicago, with nine counts of wire fraud; Kurdi, 35, of Chicago, with four counts of wire fraud; and Issa, 26, of Tinley Park, Ill., with four counts of wire fraud.  Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.  A status hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins.

The indictment alleges that the defendants defrauded lenders and the U.S. Small Business Administration of millions of dollars in PPP loans and EIDL funds.  In 2020 and 2021, the defendants submitted numerous fraudulent applications on behalf of themselves, other individuals, and corporate entities purportedly owned by some of the defendants, the indictment states.  The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the defendants’ companies, including the number of purported employees, revenue and payroll amounts, and other expenses, the indictment states.

The indictment further accuses Kavroulakis, Jaber, and Intzes of causing the disbursement of approximately $750,000 in fraudulent PUA benefits in Illinois and California.  The defendants obtained the PUA benefits by submitting materially false statements and misrepresentations regarding the unemployment status of themselves and others, the indictment states.

Much of the fraud proceeds was used for the defendants’ personal benefit, including the purchase of multiple Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a Rolex Submariner watch, the indictment states.

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, Robert Collins, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region, Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. Liva, Jr. and Beth E. Palmer.

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 — A Chicago man who carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint on the city’s West Side and fired a handgun while attempting to carjack another vehicle has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.

The carjacking and attempted carjacking by KIAR EVANS occurred within minutes of each other on the afternoon of May 20, 2021.  Evans first approached a Chevrolet Impala near the intersection of Independence Boulevard and Congress Parkway in Chicago and fired shots through a window while attempting to get inside. The driver of the Impala was able to drive away from the scene.

Evans then approached the driver-side window of a Nissan Altima, pointed a firearm at the driver, and demanded that the driver exit the vehicle.  The victim complied and Evans drove off in the Nissan. Evans was driving the stolen vehicle a short time later when he was involved in a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Harrison Street and Ogden Avenue in Chicago.  Chicago Police officers arrested Evans and discovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun in his possession.  As a previously convicted felon, Evans was not lawfully allowed to possess the firearm.

Evans, 26, has remained detained in federal custody since his arrest. Last year, a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Evans on all four counts against him, including one count of carjacking, one count of attempted carjacking, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold imposed the 18-year prison sentence during a hearing in federal court on July 18, 2025.

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.

“Defendant wielded a gun that had been rendered fully automatic throughout his spree of violence and did not hesitate to use that gun to intimidate his victims and force his will upon them,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige A. Nutini and Jimmy L. Arce argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “His selfish actions exhibited a total disregard for the safety and well-being of others; and by sheer luck, none of defendant’s victims was seriously injured. Defendant’s conduct is a very serious crime, and the public needs to understand that these crimes justify a substantial sentence.”

CHICAGO — The U.S. District Court in Chicago has approved the appointment of Andrew S. Boutros as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

U.S. Attorney Boutros has been serving in the position of United States Attorney since April 7, 2025, pursuant to a 120-day appointment by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  The order to approve the appointment beyond Aug. 5, 2025, was entered on Thursday by U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall after the full Court met in executive session.

“I am deeply grateful that two branches of our government have agreed upon my appointment,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “President Donald J. Trump, acting through Attorney General Pamela Bondi, appointed me as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on April 7, 2025.  Then the full U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois met in executive session on July 21, 2025, and, pursuant to Title 28, United States Code, Section 546(d), approved my appointment as U.S. Attorney effective Aug. 5, 2025.  I am thankful to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, as well as Chief Judge Kendall and the U.S. District Court judges of the Northern District of Illinois for their confidence in me.  It is an honor of a lifetime to have the trust and support of both the Executive (Article II) and Judicial (Article III) branches of our constitutional government.  As the son of Coptic Christian parents who immigrated from Egypt to this great land, it is incredibly special to be the first person of any color to assume the role of Chicago U.S. Attorney in the 170-year history of this extraordinary and esteemed Office.  The strong support I’ve received from so many different communities has been heartwarming and profoundly touching.  I am energized to tackle the enormous challenges that our district faces and to do so by calling balls and strikes in the proudest ways of this incredibly storied Office.  I am grateful for the extraordinary talent, work ethic, and warm reception I have received from the Office and its exceptional attorneys and staff. I look forward to working with them for years to come, along with our various law enforcement partner agencies and leaders.  The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has always been one of the crown jewels of the Department of Justice, and I intend to carry forward that tradition under my leadership.”

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2008 to 2015, U.S. Attorney Boutros investigated and prosecuted hundreds of cases, many of which involved matters of national and international significance.  Among the types of matters he handled, U.S. Attorney Boutros investigated and prosecuted drug trafficking organizations, street gangs, violent criminals, illegal immigrants with criminal records of violence, and money launderers, as well as fraud and white collar crimes.  U.S. Attorney Boutros worked closely with law enforcement partners in the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, IRS, Secret Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service, among other law enforcement partners, as well as with various DOJ components and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country--and in some cases, law enforcement authorities throughout the world.  U.S. Attorney Boutros’s notable convictions included the world’s largest online drug trafficker on the dark web, one of the country’s “Top Ten Most Wanted” mortgage fraud defendants, and the owner of a Chicago hospital who thwarted collection of more than $188 million in civil judgments.  U.S. Attorney Boutros also successfully prosecuted a series of cases involving unprecedented criminal violations of international trade, customs, and anti-dumping laws, which have been described as the largest of their kind ever prosecuted in the country.

U.S. Attorney Boutros received numerous awards and accolades for his work as a federal prosecutor.  The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association selected him as the National Prosecutor of the Year, presenting him with the National Prosecutorial Award.  The American Bar Association honored U.S. Attorney Boutros with the Criminal Justice Section’s Norm Maleng Minister of Justice Award for best exemplifying the prosecutor’s duty to seek justice.  U.S. Attorney Boutros also received honors from the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

From 2015 until his appointment as United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney Boutros worked in private law practice in Chicago, holding various leadership roles.  For 15 consecutive years, U.S. Attorney Boutros has taught an advanced criminal law course at the University of Chicago Law School.  While practicing law full time, Mr. Boutros has also written and spoken extensively on criminal law and criminal law adjacent topics, including publishing two books, authoring nearly 160 articles and book chapters, and presenting at 90 speaking engagements.

U.S. Attorney Boutros earned a bachelor’s degree, In-Honors summa cum laude, from Virginia Tech, and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.  He clerked for the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged a man with feloniously possessing a dangerous weapon during a standoff in the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago earlier this week.

MARIO SANTOYO, 38, of Chicago, was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility with intent to use the weapon in the commission of a crime, according to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The charge is punishable by up to five years in federal prison.  Santoyo made an initial appearance in federal court this afternoon and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody.  A detention hearing was set for July 31, 2025, at 11:30 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel P. McLaughlin.

The complaint alleges that Santoyo entered the Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago, at 10:27 a.m. on Tuesday and asked to speak with the FBI about “gangsters” or “gangbangers” who were trying to kill him. After a Court Security Officer advised Santoyo that the FBI does not have an office in the Dirksen Building and that he could not remain in the building if he had no other business there, Santoyo put a knife to his throat and threatened to hurt himself, the complaint states.  Law enforcement attempted to get Santoyo to drop the knife, but he refused, the complaint states.  An hours-long standoff ensued, with Santoyo remaining in the lobby of the building with the knife to his throat and carrying a dark bag the contents of which were unknown. Santoyo’s conduct prevented individuals from entering or exiting the Dirksen Building.

Approximately nine and a half hours after the standoff began, and after the federal building had been evacuated throughout the day—causing enormous disruption to the business of the federal courthouse, including criminal and civil trials, hearings, and other proceedings—law enforcement used non-lethal force and took Santoyo into custody at 7:55 p.m.  He was transported to a Chicago hospital for treatment.

The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Protective Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Chmura.

“As I have said before, under my leadership, there will be zero tolerance for violence against federal officials or violence against the important work of the federal government as it is conducted in the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The defendant’s actions impeded the due administration of justice in the largest federal courthouse in the country both by square footage as well as number of federal judges, as it houses the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the offices of various governmental agencies.  The Court Security Officers, Deputy U.S. Marshals, and FBI Special Agents who bravely resolved the situation and took Santoyo into custody deserve our utmost respect and appreciation.”

“The defendant created a dangerous situation for himself, law enforcement, and the thousands of federal employees and members of the public inside the Dirksen Building,” said Marshal Reynolds.  “The standoff in this case was peacefully resolved thanks to the courage and professionalism of the law enforcement officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI.  I am deeply appreciative of this U.S. Attorney’s strong partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service and for his strong leadership in choosing to bring a felony charge to hold the defendant accountable for his intolerable actions.”

“Federal agents courageously put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe from harm," said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “I remain grateful that this situation resolved without incident, thanks to the heroic efforts of law enforcement professionals, and in particular, the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI's SWAT and Crisis Negotiations Teams.  The dedicated agents who comprise these highly trained teams ensure that when dangerous situations occur, everyone affected has the best probability of returning home safely.”

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 — Five individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford in a scheme alleging more than $1 million in federal benefit fraud.

The indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Rockford charges TYESHA BOWMAN, 32, of Beloit, Wis., with thirty-four counts of mail and wire fraud; LIBRA MARTIN, 48, of Rockford, with fourteen counts of wire fraud; LAMONT FOSTER, 38, of Rockford, with eight counts of mail and wire fraud; KHADIJAH BROWN, 31, of Rockford, with two counts of mail fraud; and SIETA CARRINGTON, 36, of Rockford, with one count of mail fraud. Arraignments have not yet been scheduled.

According to the indictment, Bowman and Martin schemed to defraud and fraudulently obtain over $500,000 in connection with the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, both programs enacted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). Bowman, Foster, Brown, and Carrington schemed to defraud and fraudulently obtain over $500,000 in connection with the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

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

CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago today sentenced a consultant to two years in prison for conspiring with Commonwealth Edison executives and another consultant to falsify corporate books and records and evade internal controls at the electric utility company as part of an effort to bribe former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael J. Madigan and gain his assistance with the passage of certain legislation.

MICHAEL McCLAIN, 77, of Quincy, Ill., and three others were convicted in 2023 by a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on conspiracy and other charges related to the bribery scheme.  U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced McClain to two years imprisonment during a sentencing hearing today in federal court in Chicago.

McClain worked as a lobbyist and consultant for ComEd after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1970s and 1980s.  Evidence at trial revealed that from 2011 to 2019, McClain conspired with ComEd’s then-Chief Executive Officer, ANNE PRAMAGGIORE, ComEd’s Executive Vice President of Legislative and External Affairs and lobbyist, JOHN HOOKER, and ComEd’s outside lobbyist and consultant, JAY DOHERTY, to corruptly influence Madigan by arranging for jobs and contracts at ComEd for Madigan’s political allies, often in instances where those people performed little or no actual work.  The conspirators caused the creation of false contracts, invoices, and other books and records to disguise the true nature of the payments and to circumvent internal controls at ComEd and its parent company, Exelon Corp.

Pramaggiore, 66, of Barrington, Ill., was sentenced earlier this week to two years in federal prison and fined $750,000.  Hooker, 76, of Chicago, was sentenced last week to 18 months in prison and fined $500,000. Doherty, 71, of Chicago, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5, 2025.

The sentences were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago.  The government was represented today by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz, and was previously represented by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet S. Bhachu.

“Through their web of lies, defendants deceived internal auditors, rate payers, and shareholders, and abused the highest levels of state government,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz argued in the government’s memorandum ahead of McClain’s sentencing.  “Many public officials, and many lobbyists, adhere to the rules and to the law.  But for those who do not, or who may be tempted to design their own illegal plan as a way around them, a message must be sent that a long prison sentence awaits them when they are caught.”

Madigan, 83, of Chicago, was convicted by a separate federal jury earlier this year on ten corruption charges, many of them related to the ComEd bribery scheme.  Madigan was sentenced last month to seven and a half years in federal prison and fined $2.5 million.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for violating the conditions of court-supervised release following his imprisonment for a firearms offense.

KEESHON SAMSON, 31, was released from federal prison in 2023 after being convicted of illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Chicago’s South Side.  The gun had been reported stolen in a burglary of a licensed firearms dealer.  Samson remained under court-supervised release for three years following imprisonment.

In February 2025, Samson was accused of breaking windows out of an acquaintance’s house and threatening the physical safety of an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator in a series of harassing telephone calls from a masked phone number.

On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that Samson threatened the DCFS investigator and thus violated the supervised release conditions, one of which prohibited him from committing a federal, state, or local crime while under supervision.  Judge Blakey sentenced Samson to 21 months in federal prison.

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

“In our federal system of justice, supervised release is a critically important part of the sentencing process,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “It is designed to help offenders transition back into society while also ensuring public safety.  When a defendant on supervised release chooses to violate clear conditions designed to protect the community, my Office will not hesitate to prosecute the violation and hold the defendant accountable.”

“The defendant’s conduct while on supervised release demonstrated a reckless disregard for the law, the safety of others, and the Court’s orders,” said ATF SAC Amon.  “This sentence sends a clear message that violations of Court-imposed conditions of release will not be tolerated.”

CHICAGO — A former senior accountant for a Chicago construction company has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for embezzling company funds.

RICHARD A. MANDARINO entered false payment requests in the construction company’s accounting system, causing checks to be issued to vendor companies for goods and services that Mandarino knew were never provided.  Mandarino then converted those payments to his and others’ personal use.  He concealed the thefts by creating fictitious credits and offsets in the construction company’s accounting system.

Mandarino committed the fraud from 2015 to 2017 while he resided in Canada and worked on the Chicago construction company’s Canadian business projects.  As a result of his conduct, Mandarino caused losses totaling more than $1.8 million.

Mandarino, 46, of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge.  In an order issued on Friday, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Mandarino to two years and two months in federal prison and ordered him to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution to his victims.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yusef Dale and Patrick J. King, Jr.

“Defendant engaged in a deceptive and calculated scheme against his employer who trusted him with its finances,” the government argued in its sentencing memorandum. “The scheme was complex and multilayered.”

CHICAGO — A man who robbed four banks and a credit union in the Chicago suburbs has been sentenced to more than seven and a half years in federal prison. 

CHARLES LAWLER entered the financial institutions and presented demand notes while his friend, TARANDLE LEE, waited outside as the getaway driver.  Together, the pair robbed three banks and a credit union, while Lawler also robbed an additional bank by himself.

The robberies were as follows:

• Sept. 22, 2021: Lawler robbed BMO Harris Bank in Naperville, Ill.
• Sept. 28, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Old Second Bank in Lisle, Ill.
• Oct. 6, 2021: Lawler and Lee robbed Bank Financial in Westmont, Ill.
• Jan. 3, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed BMO Harris Bank in Woodridge, Ill.
• April 14, 2022: Lawler and Lee robbed DuPage Credit Union in Downers Grove, Ill.

Lawler, 54, of Villa Park, Ill., was arrested in 2023 and has remained detained in law enforcement custody.  He pleaded guilty to the first three robberies and stipulated to his role in the final two.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman sentenced Lawler to seven years and eight months in federal prison.

Lee, 45, of Bolingbrook, Ill., was arrested in 2023 and has remained detained in law enforcement custody.  A federal jury in Chicago earlier this year convicted Lee on all four robbery counts against him.  Lee’s sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Lawler’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Downers Grove, Ill. Police Department, Bellwood, Ill. Police Department, Woodridge, Ill. Police Department, and Villa Park, Ill. Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro G. Ortega and Jonathan L. Shih.

CHICAGO — A man who fraudulently arranged for more than $5 million in utility services to be provided to two thousand Chicago-area properties has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge.

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

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

Brown typically received payments ranging from $50 to $150 every few months from the property owners and tenants who received the services, the plea agreement states.  In total, Brown admitted in the plea agreement that from 2017 to 2024, he caused utility companies to fraudulently provide more than $5 million in services to more than two thousand residential and commercial properties in the Chicago area.

Brown, 55, of Chicago, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal wire fraud charge.  The conviction is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt set sentencing for Oct. 15, 2025.

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

CHICAGO — A man who committed multiple carjackings and robberies in Chicago, including carjacking a vehicle with an infant in the back seat, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

DWIGHT HASBERRY, 32, of Chicago, and three others engaged in a series of carjackings and robberies in the overnight hours of Sept. 28 and 29, 2022.  The defendants have been in law enforcement custody since 2022.  On July 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah sentenced Hasberry to 15 years in federal prison.  Earlier this year, Judge Shah sentenced the three other members of the carjacking and robbery crew—DAMANDRE HENLEY, TYLER OATES-NELSON, and DAVARIO MCDOWELL, all of Chicago—to prison terms ranging from 15 to 22 years.

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

The carjacking involving the infant occurred late on the evening of Sept. 28, 2022, when the four men carjacked a Volkswagen Tiguan SUV in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood.  Henley, Hasberry, and McDowell pointed guns at the driver and the infant in a rear car seat and ordered them out of the vehicle. The driver removed the infant from the car before Henley, Hasberry, and McDowell got into the Volkswagen SUV and drove away.

A short time later, the four men, now all traveling in the stolen SUV, drove to Chicago’s Ravenswood Manor neighborhood, where Henley, McDowell, and Hasberry robbed one victim at gunpoint of their cell phone, wallet, and keys, and another victim of their backpack.

The crew then robbed a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store.  With Oates-Nelson waiting in the stolen SUV, Henley, McDowell, and Hasberry entered the store carrying guns.  Henley used his gun to strike a store clerk in the head while forcing him to open the cash register.  The defendants fled the store with cash, cigarettes, and liquor bottles.

“Defendant’s crimes terrorized innocent Chicagoans and showed a complete disregard for human life, for societal norms, and for the law,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner argued in the government’s memorandum filed with the Court ahead of Hasberry’s sentencing hearing. “Robberies scare away businesses and ruin neighborhoods.  Carjackings like those here not only leave the victims scarred and perhaps looking for new places to live and new jobs, but they impact the sense of safety and security for all Chicagoans.”

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for threatening Federal Emergency Management Agency employees and local law enforcement officers.

DARREN D. WALTON, 31, of Midlothian, Ill., made more than 100 phone calls to FEMA employees in connection with an application for disaster assistance that Walton filed with the agency for alleged damage to his vehicle due to flooding in 2023.  Many of the calls contained threats of violent and destructive behavior against FEMA and its employees.  In one call, Walton told a FEMA employee, “Y’all better stop [expletive] playing with me, bro.  Before there be a mass shooting in a little bit, bro.  Real talk.  And I’ll smile in court on camera on the news, letting ‘em knowing I killed them [expletive] ‘cause you was playing with me, bro.”

When FEMA reported the calls to local law enforcement, Midlothian Police Department officers performed a welfare check at Walton’s residence, after which his calls began to reference police officers.  In a call to FEMA on the day after the welfare check, Walton stated, “Send ‘em again.  And I’ll kill the [expletive].  Tell them I kill they [expletive] this time.  I’m ready to kill.  And I’m going to kill.  And I’m gonna make sure I kill.  I’m going to kill a good four, five officers before the police even take me out the [expletive], guaranteed.”

Walton pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.  U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the two-year prison sentence during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  The investigation was led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Federal Protective Service-Region 5.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Midlothian Police Department.

“Defendant’s threats were terrifying to the FEMA employees who received them,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Rosenbloom argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “The FEMA employees who received the calls were public servants doing their job.  They did not deserve to be exposed to the terrifying threats contained in defendant’s calls.”

CHICAGO – OVIDIO 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, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges.

Guzman Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of knowingly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.  The guilty plea was entered as part of a multi-district plea agreement with the government that resolves charges against Guzman Lopez brought by grand juries in the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of New York.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman did not set a sentencing date.  Guzman Lopez has been detained without bond following his extradition from Mexico to the United States in 2023.

The guilty plea is the result of a collaboration between the Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of New York, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Jose A. Perez, Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, Steven Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona, and Robert Murphy, Acting Administrator of the DEA.  Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Justice Department’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Erika Csicsila, and Michelle Parthum of the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, and David J. Robles of the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton 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), 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 historic guilty plea sends yet another crystal-clear message that this Administration is going to shut down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.  Our enforcement work will also extend to drug trafficking organizations, narcotics traffickers, and other dangerous criminal enterprises that seek to poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs.  Our successes stem from our close partnership with federal prosecutors across the country as well as our tight collaboration with our many law enforcement partners.”

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 coordinated 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, and other means, the plea agreement states.

After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez used bulk cash transport, wire transfers, trade of goods, and cryptocurrency to launder the illicit proceeds and ensure that the money was transmitted to Guzman Lopez and other members of the cartel in Mexico, the plea agreement states.  Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, civilians, and rival drug traffickers in order to protect the cartel’s drug trafficking activities.

As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of an $80 million forfeiture money judgment.

“Today’s guilty plea is another major step toward holding the Sinaloa Cartel and its leaders accountable for their role in fueling the fentanyl epidemic that has plagued so many Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Clayton.  “We remain committed to dismantling the Cartel’s entire fentanyl infrastructure and ensuring that the Chapitos and their violent organization can no longer flood our communities with this poison.”

“With each passing day, you are seeing the sunset of the Sinaloa cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.  “The Chapitos’ latest violence reflects their fading future.  Their leaders who remain free are now paranoid, distrusted and desperate.”

“The guilty plea by Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of ‘El Chapo,’ is a real victory for both the United States and Mexico but also a clear win for the rule of law,” said HSI Acting SAC Rede.  “So much blood and violence lay with the Guzman family as well as spreading terror and plaguing both sides of the border with deadly drugs and weapons–no more.  It’s impossible to measure the amount of work HSI and partner agencies have spent in securing this guilty verdict, but what is clear and evident is that no one is beyond the reach of law enforcement and our nation’s laws.  Deliberate and coordinated teamwork resulted in today’s victory.”

Guzman Lopez’s three brothers—IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ—were also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested last year and remains detained in U.S. custody without bond.  He pleaded not guilty to charges filed in the Northern District of Illinois and is awaiting trial.  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, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez are merely allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man who cultivated a corrupt relationship with a federal law enforcement agent while trafficking cocaine has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.

In 2018, GARY HOWARD, 48, of Oak Lawn, Ill., attempted to purchase ten kilograms of cocaine.  Unbeknownst to Howard, the seller was confidentially working on behalf of law enforcement.  When the pair met in the parking lot of a furniture store in Chicago, Howard possessed more than $133,000 in a backpack and offered to buy half of the cocaine. Howard was arrested, and a subsequent search of his residence turned up more than $106,000 in cash, a drug ledger, and a loaded handgun.

At the time of the attempted drug deal, Howard was a registered confidential informant for Homeland Security Investigations and his handler was Special Agent Anthony Sabaini.  Howard and Sabaini had cultivated a corrupt relationship in which Howard paid Sabaini thousands of dollars in exchange for sensitive law enforcement information and protection from other law enforcement agencies.

A federal jury last year convicted Howard of drug conspiracy and attempted drug possession.  On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Howard to 13 years in federal prison.

Sabaini was convicted in 2023 of illegally structuring financial transactions, concealing material facts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and filing false federal tax returns.  He was sentenced in October 2023 to more than six years in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division.  Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation.

“The Sabaini-Howard partnership stained the reputation of HSI and law enforcement at large, as their actions eroded the public trust,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Shih and Jared Hasten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Corrupt confidential informants and those who work to corrupt federal law enforcement will be held accountable.”

CHICAGO — A federal inmate has been sentenced to an additional seven consecutive years in prison for threatening a U.S. Probation officer in Chicago.

GLENN BOWDEN was incarcerated in a federal prison in 2023 when he mailed a letter threatening to injure a U.S. Probation officer. The officer had conducted a presentence investigation of Bowden prior to Bowden’s sentencing on a federal robbery conviction in 2022.  Bowden was serving a nine-year federal sentence in the robbery case.

In addition to the threatening letter, Bowden authored a letter purportedly from his prison chaplain and caused it to be filed with the Court in support of a motion for compassionate release.  The chaplain had no knowledge of the letter. When interviewed by the FBI, Bowden falsely claimed that he did not type or send the letter to the Probation officer and that he knew nothing about the Chaplain’s letter or who wrote it.

Bowden, 64, most recently of Riverdale, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to mailing a threatening communication, obstructing an official proceeding, and willfully making false statements to the FBI.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold sentenced Bowden to seven years and three months in prison, which must be served after the completion of his sentence for the robbery case.

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 LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois.  The Federal Bureau of Prisons provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Kirsten Moran.

“Threats against Court personnel and other federal staff have no place in our system of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The sentence that the Court imposed in this case should send a clear message that such reprehensible conduct will be met with harsh punishment.”

“Threatening to assault federal personnel is a grave offense that risks the safety of all those who selflessly choose to protect and serve our communities,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “Any attempt to elicit violence against the federal workforce will be met with swift and full action by our dedicated law enforcement and prosecutorial partners.”

CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted three individuals for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

TANIKA ECHOLS, ANTONIO ECHOLS, and TAMIA THOMPSON DAVIS 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, according to an indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois.  The indictment charges Tanika Echols, 45, of Austin, Texas, and formerly of South Holland, Ill., with 13 counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering. Antonio Echols, 50, of Austin, Texas, and formerly of South Holland, Ill., who is Tanika Echols’s husband, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, while Davis, 27, of Austin, Texas, who is Tanika Echols’s daughter, is charged with four counts of wire fraud.

The indictment alleges that the defendants defrauded lenders of approximately $1.7 million in PPP loans and defrauded the SBA of approximately $307,000 in EIDL funds.  Much of the money was used for the defendants’ personal benefit, including the purchase of mink coats from Andriana Furs in Chicago, the indictment states.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignments last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert.  A status hearing was scheduled for Aug. 13, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Basil Demczak, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General, and Mark Reeves, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Inspector General.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.

Pursuant to the CARES Act, a PPP loan allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll, rent, and utilities, while the EIDL program provided loan assistance or grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses.

According to the indictment, the defendants from 2020 to 2022 submitted more than 100 fraudulent applications to lenders, loan service providers, and the Small Business Administration, on behalf of themselves, seven other individuals, and two businesses owned by Tanika Echols and Antonio Echols.  The applications and supporting documents contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the defendants’ companies, including the number of purported employees, revenue and payroll amounts, and other expenses, the indictment states.

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.  Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the maximum penalty for each count of money laundering is ten years.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

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.

ROCKFORD — A man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for robbing a post office in Rockford, Ill. in May.

ANTHONY M. JOHNSON, 58, of Rockford, was charged with one count of robbing a person having lawful charge, control, and custody of money of the United States and putting said person’s life in jeopardy by the use of a dangerous weapon. The count carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison.  Arraignment in U.S. District Court in Rockford has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Chicago Division. 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 is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CHICAGO — A drug and firearm investigation centered on the South Side of Chicago has resulted in federal criminal charges against seven individuals.

A superseding indictment returned by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses the seven defendants of participating in a criminal conspiracy that utilized armed security to protect drug trafficking activities in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago.  The law enforcement investigation, led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Chicago Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Marshals Service, targeted an open-air marijuana market in the 1200 block of West 73rd Place in Chicago.  Under the protection of the armed security, the defendants sold large quantities of marijuana in the area and stored drugs, guns, and cash in nearby houses, the indictment alleges.  As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 2,000 pounds of marijuana, approximately 81 firearms, including five assault-style rifles, approximately $425,000 in cash, and jewelry valued at approximately $300,000.

Charged with federal drug conspiracy are KEJUAN BRYANT, 31, of Chicago, JAMARI GOODMAN, 29, of Chicago, JOSEPH ALBERT HEATH, 32, of Chicago, MATTHEW FURDGE, 22, of Chicago, KEWANN WHITAKER, 32, of Chicago, IGOR DZE, 44, of Miami Beach, Fla., and KHIRY STRICKLAND, 34, of Lemont, Ill. Bryant faces an individual drug distribution count and is also charged, along with Goodman and Heath, with illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Most of the defendants were arrested last week and have made their initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.

In addition to the federal charges, 15 individuals were charged in state court as a result of this investigation.

The federal charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division, Larry Snelling, Superintendent of CPD, Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the USSS Chicago Field Office, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA) and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Schied represents the government in the federal cases.

The federal superseding indictment is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, among other areas of focus.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The drug conspiracy charge is punishable by up to life in federal prison for Bryant, and up to forty years for Goodman, Furdge, Whitaker, Dze, and Strickland. The firearm charge against Bryant, Goodman, and Heath carries a maximum sentence of life, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years per defendant.  The individual drug distribution count against Bryant is punishable by up to 20 years.

CHICAGO — A California businessman has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge for fraudulently obtaining more than $14 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

DARREN CARLYLE SADLER participated in a scheme to fraudulently apply for loans pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which was created by the CARES Act to provide financial relief for small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.  A PPP loan allowed for the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll.  Sadler admitted in a plea agreement that in 2020 he submitted and caused the submission of at least 63 PPP loan applications for himself and his clients. The applications falsely represented the number of employees, if any, and the average monthly payroll of the purported businesses.  The false applications resulted in the issuance of more than $14 million in loan funds to Sadler and his clients.  Sadler also received more than $1.9 million in fees from clients for fraudulently obtaining the loans on their behalf.

Sadler used the fraud proceeds to rent a villa for several months during the pandemic and to travel across the country on private jets to meet clients at bank branches to secure fund transfers. He also purchased luxury vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, multiple Mercedes-Benzes, and a Land Rover, and purchased designer clothing, a luxury watch, and numerous meals at expensive restaurants.

Sadler, 38, of Costa Mesa, Calif., pleaded guilty on Monday to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin has not yet set a sentencing date.

The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The investigation was worked jointly with the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman.

A federal jury convicted an Illinois businessman yesterday for his role in schemes to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit and for submitting fraudulent applications to obtain COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

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

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

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

Shah was convicted of seven counts of bank fraud, five counts of making false statements to a financial institution, two counts of money laundering, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13. Shah faces up to 30 years in prison on each count of bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution, up to 10 years in prison on each count of money laundering, and up to two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG) Chicago Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Chicago Field Office and SBA OIG Chicago Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant Chief Patrick Mott and Trial Attorney Lindsey Carson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.

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

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

CHICAGO — A federal investigation into fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine sales in Chicago has resulted in a grand jury returning multiple drug and/or firearm charges against six individuals.

A superseding indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses the six defendants of conspiring to distribute the drugs in Chicago in 2024.  Two of the defendants are charged with firearm offenses for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns as previously convicted felons.

Charged with drug conspiracy are ANDRE DEBRUCE, 40, of Schiller Park, Ill., TERRANCE PATTON, 40, of Chicago, CRAIG CALDWELL, 43, of Chicago, TIMOTHY BELIN, 48, of Chicago, JENNIFER WORD, 39, of Chicago, and DENOMOIUS WELLS, 41, of Chicago.  Patton and Caldwell are the previously convicted felons charged with illegal firearm possession.  Caldwell also faces an additional gun charge for allegedly possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The charges against Caldwell carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years. Patton and Debruce face maximum sentences of 40 years, with a mandatory minimum of five years.  Belin, Word, and Wells each face up to 20 years, with no mandatory minimum.

Wells pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman.  The five other defendants have also been arraigned and also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The superseding indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, the Chicago Police Department, and the Evanston, Ill. Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hayley Altabef and Adam Rosenbloom.

The superseding indictment in this case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, among other areas of focus. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

CHICAGO — Thirteen defendants in the Northern District of Illinois are facing federal criminal charges as part of the largest national health care fraud enforcement action in Department of Justice history–and the largest ever in the Northern District of Illinois.  The Administration has identified health care fraud as a top priority for white-collar enforcement.

More than 320 defendants were charged nationwide for allegedly participating in various health care fraud schemes involving more than $14.6 billion in intended losses.  The government seized more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the national enforcement effort.  The takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represented an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit both patients and taxpayers.

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

The nationwide takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies.  The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 48 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and nine State Attorney Generals’ Offices.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is proud to partner with the Department of Justice and multiple law enforcement agencies in the largest health care fraud takedown in our District’s history,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “Health care fraud is an insidious crime that siphons off hard-earned tax dollars meant to provide care for people of limited means as well as the vulnerable and disabled.  It leads to increased health care costs, including higher insurance premiums and taxes, as well as potentially jeopardizing the quality and safety of treatment.  At nearly $2 billion, the alleged combined fraud at issue in these cases is staggering. This type of criminal conduct not only undermines the very fabric of our health care system, but also can lead to mistrust between patient and health care provider, especially when the criminal conduct is committed by medical professionals in a position of trust.  Our Office will continue to vigorously pursue those who seek to exploit these critically important health care programs by placing greed and profits above patient care.”

“This record-setting health care fraud takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.  “Make no mistake–this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

The thirteen defendants in northern Illinois were charged in five cases filed in the Northern District of Illinois:

U.S. v. Charolia, et al

RUKNUDDIN “RICK” CHAROLIA, 43, AAMIR ALI ARIF, 32, SHEARYAR ARIF, 28, and FIZZA FARID, 29, all foreign citizens, were indicted for their alleged participation in a $700 million health care fraud scheme in which false and fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits, durable medical equipment products, and genetic tests that were not requested, not medically necessary, and/or not provided to the beneficiaries.  As alleged in the indictment, Charolia and Aamir Ali Arif operated a call center in Pakistan called Hello International Marketing Solutions (“HIMS”), that obtained Medicare beneficiary information, including Medicare beneficiary identification numbers, through theft and deception.  HIMS then purportedly contacted beneficiaries to obtain patient consent for the durable medical equipment products, Covid-19 test kits, and genetic tests, even though the products and services were often not requested or medically necessary.  The purported consent for the Covid-19 test kits was sometimes even faked through artificial intelligence.  Charolia, Aamir Ali Arif, Shearyar Arif, and Farid allegedly caused the durable medical equipment providers and laboratories to submit approximately $703 million in fraudulent claims for products and services that were not requested, not medically necessary, or not provided to beneficiaries, receiving at least approximately $418 million from Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.  Additionally, Charolia, Aamir Ali Arif, and FAIZAN SALEEM, 28, also a foreign national, were charged for their alleged participation in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute for their sale and distribution of Medicare beneficiary information, including Medicare BINs, to durable medical equipment providers and laboratories in the United States. 

All five defendants were also charged with participating in a money laundering conspiracy in which fraud proceeds were transferred to various U.S. accounts controlled by the defendants in an effort to conceal the source, location, ownership, and control of the funds.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kelly M. Warner and Claire Sobczak Pacelli of the Midwest Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic of the Northern District of Illinois.

U.S. v. Ahmed, et al

ANOSH AHMED, 41, formerly of Chicago and Houston, Texas, MOHAMED SIRAJUDEEN, 53, of Chicago, MAHMOOD SAMI KHAN, 36, of Houston, Texas, and SUHAIB AHMAD CHAUDHRY, 34, of Houston, Texas, were indicted for their roles in an alleged $894 million fraudulent Covid-19 testing scheme.  As alleged in the indictment, Ahmed, Sirajudeen, and Khan caused clinical laboratories in Illinois and Texas to submit false and fraudulent claims to the U.S. government’s HRSA Covid-19 Uninsured Program seeking reimbursement in the amount of approximately $894 million for Covid-19 testing, of which approximately $293 million was paid. 

According to the indictment, Ahmed was a physician who used patient information obtained from a variety of sources, including a patient list from a hospital where he previously worked, to generate false claims that were submitted through a laboratory in Illinois.  Dr. Ahmed allegedly falsely represented that the identifiers were associated with uninsured individuals who had submitted biological samples for Covid-19 testing, knowing that the purported patients had not submitted any samples.  Ahmed allegedly also submitted false claims through labs in Texas that he owned but which were not operational.  According to the indictment, Ahmed, Sirajudeen, Khan, and Chaudhry then laundered the fraud proceeds through various bank accounts to conceal the origin of the funds.  Ahmed and Khan were charged with wire fraud and, along with Chaudhry, with conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Ahmed was also charged with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, obtaining individually identifiable health information without authorization and for commercial advantage, and money laundering.  Sirajudeen was charged with money laundering.  

The government has seized approximately $100 million in assets in this matter.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sheri Mecklenburg and Kelly Guzman of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Claire Sobczak Pacelli of the Midwest Strike Force.

U.S. v. Elkoussa

JAMIL ELKOUSSA, 35, of Orland Park, Ill., was charged with five counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the U.S. government’s HRSA Covid-19 Uninsured Program.  As alleged in the indictment, Elkoussa operated Meridian Medical Staffing, which purported to collect samples for Covid-19 tests at numerous sites in Illinois and Florida.  Elkoussa allegedly caused a laboratory to submit approximately $233 million in fraudulent claims to the HRSA Uninsured Program for Covid-19 test specimens purportedly collected from patients, even though he knew that such test specimens had not been collected from the purported patients, and many of those patients did not exist.  According to the indictment, Elkoussa’s fraudulent conduct resulted in approximately $154 million in HRSA payments to the laboratory, for which Elkoussa received more than $60 million.   

Approximately $6 million in assets have been seized in this matter.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Claire Sobczak Pacelli of the Midwest Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Guzman of the Northern District of Illinois.

U.S. v. Muhammad, et al

MINHAJ FEROZ MUHAMMAD, 37, and SUFYAN FEROZE, 34, both of Naperville, Ill., were charged in connection with their involvement with FZ Medical Inc., d/b/a Next Labs Inc., which allegedly submitted more than $72 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for Covid-19 laboratory testing services that were not provided to insureds.  According to the indictment, the lab was paid more than $9.7 million for these claims.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kelly M. Warner, with substantial assistance by former Trial Attorney Victor B. Yanz of the Midwest Strike Force.

U.S. v. Farley

CHER FARLEY, 52, of Earlville, Ill., was charged in connection with her acquisition of foreign-sourced drugs labeled as Botox and Sotox, and the subsequent dispensing of those drugs without a prescription.  As alleged in a criminal information, Farley caused foreign-sourced Botox and Sotox without proper labeling to be introduced into interstate commerce from China and dispensed without a prescription to multiple victims.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly of the Northern District of Illinois.

~~~

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which works in partnership with U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide.  Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

The public is reminded that charges are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly carjacking two vehicles and robbing two credit unions in Chicago.

MAURICE D. LEE, JR., committed the carjackings and robberies in May of last year, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The first carjacking and robbery occurred on May 10, 2024, when Lee took a Toyota from a driver and robbed a credit union at the University of Illinois Chicago, the indictment alleges.  The second carjacking and robbery occurred on May 17, 2024, when Lee took a Toyota and robbed another credit union at the University of Illinois Chicago, the indictment states.  Lee allegedly brandished a handgun in all the carjackings and robberies. 

The indictment charges Lee, 32, of Chicago, with two counts of carjacking, two counts of robbery, and four counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  Each firearm count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, resulting in a total mandatory minimum sentence of 28 years in federal prison.  Each robbery count is punishable by up to 20 years, while each carjacking count is punishable by up to 15 years.

Lee was arrested two days after the second robbery.  He was in state custody until his arrest last month in the federal case.  He remains detained without bond awaiting trial in federal court.  Arraignment is set for July 7, 2025, at 9:45 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the University of Illinois Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Asheeka Desai.

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

CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged a man with assaulting a federal employee outside of the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago.

The assault occurred on Tuesday afternoon as the victim was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop neighborhood of Chicago.  JOSHUA ROWELL, 36, of Chicago, approached the victim from behind and punched her on the side of her face, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The force of Rowell’s punch sent the victim stumbling into the street onto Jackson Boulevard, the complaint states.

The victim is an employee of the federal judiciary and was working in her official capacity as a federal employee when the assault occurred, the complaint states.  She suffered a concussion and received treatment at a Chicago hospital.

Chicago Police arrested Rowell about an hour after the alleged assault. He remains detained in law enforcement custody.  The complaint charges Rowell with one count of forcible assault of a federal employee, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison.  His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.

The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione.

“Under my leadership, there will be zero tolerance for attacks against federal employees or attacks at the federal courthouse or any other federal government building or land in the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Our federal employees and the people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve to be able to go to and from work and enjoy all that downtown and Chicagoland have to offer without looking over their shoulders out of fear of being attacked. When assailants cross the line, they will be swiftly prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

The public is reminded that U.S. Attorney Boutros earlier this month created new Project Safe Neighborhoods enforcement zones in the economic centers of Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, which was a first for the nation.

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

CHICAGO — A United States District Court judge sitting in Chicago has sentenced a man to nearly six years in federal prison for assaulting and robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in a Chicago suburb.

MALIK WASHINGTON robbed the mail carrier on Oct. 23, 2023, in Harvey, Ill. The mail carrier was delivering mail on his route when Washington approached and initially asked for rubber bands.  Washington then reached out to grab a box from a bag the mail carrier wore around his shoulder, prompting the mail carrier to pull away.  Washington drew a semiautomatic handgun from his sweatshirt and pointed it at the mail carrier’s stomach, telling him to give up his USPS-issued Arrow Key, which is a universal key that opens postal collection boxes. The mail carrier complied with the demand, and Washington fled the area with the key.  Law enforcement arrested Washington four days later and recovered the stolen key.

Washington, 26, of Calumet City, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal robbery charge.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Washington to five years and ten 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.  The Harvey, Ill. Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Merin.

“The U.S. Postal Service is a critical government function and its employees must be allowed to deliver mail to the American people safely and securely,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who use violence against postal carriers to gain access to the public's mail will be held accountable.”

“The recent conviction and sentencing of Malik Washington demonstrate the tenacity and determination of the United States Postal Inspection Service in the agency’s pursuit for justice,” said USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça.  “Safety of Postal Service employees and protection of our nation’s mail system is paramount to the mission of the Inspection Service.  U.S. Postal Inspectors will continue to aggressively investigate those individuals who wish to do harm to public servants of the Postal Service.  With the help of our local, state, and federal partners, we will safeguard the public’s trust in the U.S. Mail system.”

A Chicago man was convicted today of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS’s enemies and recruit new ISIS members.

According to court documents, Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms. Al Safoo and other members of Khattab created and posted pro-ISIS videos, articles, essays, and infographics at the direction of, and in coordination with, ISIS. Much of Khattab’s propaganda promoted violent jihad on behalf of the terrorist group.

In one posting, Al Safoo encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.” In another posting, Al Safoo wrote, “Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others.”

Many of Khattab’s postings included images of violence, celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States, and encouragement for “lone wolf” attacks in western countries.

Al Safoo was arrested in Chicago in 2018. After a bench trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found Al Safoo guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, four counts of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization, and four counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

The convictions carry a maximum penalty of 130 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.

The FBI Chicago Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells, Barry Jonas, and Thomas P. Peabody for the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

CHICAGO — A Chicago man was convicted in federal court today of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS’s enemies and recruit new ISIS members.

ASHRAF AL SAFOO was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms.  Al Safoo and other members of Khattab created and posted pro-ISIS videos, articles, essays, and infographics at the direction of, and in coordination with, ISIS.  Much of Khattab’s propaganda promoted violent jihad on behalf of ISIS, which has been designated by the United States government as a foreign terrorist organization.  In one posting, Al Safoo encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.”  In another posting, Al Safoo wrote, “Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates.  Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others.”

Many of Khattab’s postings included images of violence, celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States, and encouragement for “lone wolf” attacks in western countries.

Al Safoo, 41, was arrested in Chicago in 2018.  After a bench trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey today announced his verdicts, finding Al Safoo guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, four counts of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization, and four counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

The convictions carry a maximum sentence of 130 years in federal prison.  Judge Blakey set sentencing for Oct. 9, 2025.

The convictions were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice, 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 Melody Wells, Barry Jonas, and Thomas P. Peabody of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

“Today’s conviction demonstrates that the safety and security of the American public is always a top priority for me and my entire Office,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The prosecution of Ashraf Al Safoo is a testament to the vigilance and dedication of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who stand watch to disrupt and prevent dangerous threats before they materialize.  We will vigorously pursue and bring to justice those who provide material support–in whatever form–to terrorist organizations.”

“The conviction of Al Safoo affirms the FBI’s strong commitment to protecting and defending the United States from anyone who seeks to harm our citizens,” said FBI Chicago SAC DePodesta.  “Those who willingly associate with terrorist organizations or support violent extremism will be investigated, disrupted, and held accountable.  It is thanks to the FBI Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force and its partner agencies that our community is safe from those who pose a fundamental threat to our nation.”

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been charged in federal court with fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits in the name of his deceased father.

A grand jury sitting in Chicago has indicted RICHARD YOUNG, JR., 61, of Maywood, Ill., on four counts of bank fraud and one count of embezzlement of government funds.  Young pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim in Chicago.  A status hearing before U.S. District Judge John F. Kness has been scheduled for July 23, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

According to the indictment, Young’s father died in 2006.  Seven years later, Young filed an application with the Social Security Administration for benefits in the name of his deceased father. Unaware that the purported applicant was deceased, the Social Security Administration granted the application and began issuing benefits, eventually paying them via direct deposit into a bank account in the deceased father’s name, the indictment states.  From 2015 to 2021, Young accessed approximately $178,683 from the account and used the money to make purchases at casinos, restaurants, gas stations, retail stores, and elsewhere, the indictment states.

The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit at the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.  The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Niranjan Emani.

“The indictment accuses Mr. Young of fraudulently obtaining benefits for years from a critically important retirement program,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Social Security fraud threatens the very foundation of a program that many millions of hard-working Americans depend upon in retirement—and which taxpayers fund through their hard-earned income.  My Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute anyone who seeks to fraudulently obtain Social Security or other program benefits.”

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  Each count of bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, while the embezzlement count is punishable by up to ten years. 

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine and possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. 

JOVINO RAMIREZ, 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly and intentionally possessing cocaine and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and possessing a loaded handgun in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Ramirez to 78 months in federal prison.

Ramirez admitted in a plea agreement that following a traffic stop in May 2024 he was in possession of a bag containing 19.1 grams of cocaine and 1.9 grams of methamphetamine, which he tried to conceal during his encounter with the police.  He also possessed a loaded handgun beneath the driver’s seat of his vehicle.  Ramirez admitted he intended to sell the cocaine that he possessed.

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 U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  The Illinois State Police provided assistance in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Rosati and Lisa R. Munch.

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 foreign national has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for conducting a variety of cyber fraud schemes that victimized U.S. citizens and businesses.

RIDWAN ADELEKE ADEPOJU and co-schemers operated multiple fraud schemes from Nigeria, including phishing scams, romance scams, and the submission of fraudulent tax returns.  The scams involved multiple spoofed email addresses, fictional social media personas, and unwitting money mules.  Adepoju’s schemes victimized numerous U.S. citizens and businesses, including individuals and companies in the Chicago area.

Adepoju, 33, of Lagos, Nigeria, was arrested last year in the United Kingdom and extradited to the United States.  He pleaded guilty in March to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed a 43-month prison sentence.

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.

"Defendant’s offense involved a years-long, complex scheme, involving several types of scams and many victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie E. Ursini argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Defendant chose to be a willing participant in the scheme over and over again.”

CHICAGO — The owner of a Chicago laboratory was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison for his role in a Covid-19 testing fraud scheme.

ZISHAN ALVI, 46, of Inverness, Ill., owned and operated a laboratory in Chicago that performed testing for Covid-19.  In 2021 and 2022, Alvi caused tens of thousands of claims to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for Covid-19 tests that were not performed as billed.  As part of the scheme, the laboratory released negative test results to patients, even though the laboratory either had not tested the specimens or the results were inconclusive because Alvi diluted the tests to save on costs while making them unreliable.  Alvi knew that the laboratory was releasing negative results for Covid-19 tests that were not performed or were inconclusive, but still caused the laboratory to submit claims to HRSA for those tests.  Alvi also lied to laboratory directors to conceal his fraud. HRSA paid the laboratory more than $14 million because of the fraudulent claims that Alvi caused to be submitted.

Alvi pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the prison sentence during a hearing today in federal court in Chicago.  Judge Tharp also ordered Alvi to pay more than $14.1 million in restitution and forfeit more than $8 million in cash, a 2021 Range Rover HSE, a 2022 Tesla X, and a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250W4, all of which were previously seized by law enforcement.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten of the Northern District of Illinois, and Claire T. Sobczak, Trial Attorney of the Department of Justice's Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

“At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Zishan Alvi disregarded public health concerns in favor of greed and his own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “The government’s pandemic-relief programs were intended to keep people safe, not provide an avenue for fraud and illegal profits.  Our Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out abuse of these important programs and hold accountable those who seek to fraudulently profit from them.”

“In the midst of economic uncertainty for many Americans, the defendant chose to cash in on a global pandemic by stealing millions of dollars and committing extensive fraud,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “Further, he placed patients and the public at risk by releasing false Covid-19 test results. The FBI and our dedicated partners are committed to investigating Covid con artists and ensuring they are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program.  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 $30 billion.  In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes.  More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

ROCKFORD — A Freeport, Ill. man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for knowingly and intentionally distributing cocaine. 

PARIS WALKER, 39, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.  U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence during a hearing on Thursday in federal court in Rockford.

Walker admitted that from 2019 to 2022, he knowingly and intentionally distributed cocaine to a confidential informant for the government.  Additionally, Walker possessed cocaine on multiple occasions with the intent to distribute it.  The total amount of cocaine involved in the offense of conviction and relevant conduct was at least 30.3 grams.

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

CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago today sentenced former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives MICHAEL J. MADIGAN to seven and a half years in federal prison for using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates.

A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago earlier this year convicted Madigan of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States; using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity; wire fraud; and bribery.  Evidence at the four-month trial revealed that Madigan, who served as House Speaker and occupied a number of other political roles, conspired with others to cause the utility company Commonwealth Edison to make monetary payments to Madigan’s associates as a reward for their loyalty to Madigan, in return for performing little or no legitimate work for the business.  The true nature of the payments was to influence and reward Madigan in connection with specific legislation ComEd sought in the Illinois General Assembly.

Madigan, 83, of Chicago, also schemed with an Alderman of the Chicago City Council to steer legal work to Madigan’s private law firm and Madigan’s son, in exchange for Madigan’s assistance in inducing the Governor of Illinois to appoint the Alderman to a compensated state board position.

After reviewing Madigan’s criminal conduct and finding that Madigan perjured himself repeatedly in his trial testimony, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence and fined Madigan $2.5 million.

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 Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.  The government was represented today by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz.

“Corruption at the highest level of the state legislature tears at the fabric of a vital governing body,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “It was the grit and determination of our team of prosecutors and law enforcement agents, led by our former colleague, Amarjeet S. Bhachu, who served as the Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption and Organized Crime Section until earlier this year, that allowed this case to reach a jury and send a clear message that the criminal conduct by former Speaker Madigan was unacceptable.  I couldn’t be prouder of the strong commitment of our law enforcement partners at the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.  Our Office and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to vigorously prosecute corruption at all levels of government and hold public officials accountable for violating the public trust.”

“Mr. Madigan was elected to serve the people of Illinois, but his actions demonstrated time and time again that his priority was his own personal interests and gain,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “Thanks to the dedicated investigative and prosecutorial teams, he will now be held accountable for those criminal actions.  The FBI remains dedicated to aggressively investigating corruption and fraud to ensure that the public has faith in our democratic institutions and elected leaders who are truly honest and fair.”

“Today’s sentencing marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to uphold the integrity of public service,” said IRS-CI SAC Covington.  “Through meticulously tracing the flow of illicit funds tied to legislative influence and no‑show jobs, our team has demonstrated that no individual—regardless of stature or tenure—is beyond the reach of the law.  Holding Michael J. Madigan accountable today reinforces the core principle that public trust is sacred, and those who betray it will be brought to justice.”

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

A criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges JAMES HOWARD, 32, of Frankfort, Ill., and SHANTEL ROBINSON, 31, of Oak Lawn, Ill., with drug conspiracy.  Howard and Robinson were arrested on Thursday.  They are scheduled to make initial appearances today in federal court in Chicago.

According to the complaint, law enforcement last week covertly discovered approximately 1.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and approximately 850 grams of suspected cocaine from a comforter blanket package that Howard had placed in the common area of Robinson’s apartment complex.  A subsequent court-authorized search of Robinson’s apartment revealed that it contained multiple firearms and was being used as a drug laboratory, the complaint states.  Law enforcement later conducted court-authorized searches of Howard’s residence and a storage unit Robinson leased in Alsip, Ill., and discovered additional kilograms of suspected narcotics, drug manufacturing paraphernalia, additional firearms, and two packages containing Glock “conversion devices,” which make handguns capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger, the complaint states.

The complaint and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, Will County Sheriff’s Office, Justice, Ill. Police Department, Woodridge, Ill. Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Elmhurst, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Elgin, Ill. Police Department, Buffalo Grove, Ill. Police Department, Frankfort, Ill. Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kurt Siegal and Minje Shin.  The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve 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) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

CHICAGO — An undocumented immigrant residing in northern Illinois has been arrested on a federal immigration charge for allegedly unlawfully re-entering the United States after multiple deportations.

An indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges SALVADOR GUERRERO-LOPEZ, also known as “Jovani Hernandez Pina,” 42, with one count of unlawful re-entry after removal.  Guerrero-Lopez, a Mexican national residing in Island Lake, Ill., was arrested on May 30, 2025.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

Guerrero-Lopez was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2004, 2011, and 2021 after criminal convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in California and narcotics distribution in Arkansas, according to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. Most recently, he was taken into federal custody last month after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Eagle Pass, Texas, requested assistance from law enforcement in the Chicago area to locate and apprehend Guerrero-Lopez, who is under investigation in Texas for suspected criminal offenses, the complaint states.

The unlawful re-entry charge is punishable by up to twenty years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  Defendants convicted of this offense are subject to deportation.

The indictment and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of ICE-HSI in Chicago. Substantial assistance was provided by ICE-HSI in Eagle Pass, Texas.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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 investigation into fentanyl sales in Chicago has resulted in drug or firearm charges against five individuals.

An indictment unsealed this week in federal court in Chicago accuses four of the defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin in the city in 2023 and 2024.  Three defendants are charged with illegally possessing firearms, including handguns equipped with a “switch” device, making them capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.

Charged with drug conspiracy and distribution are JARED DANIELS, 33, of Chicago, CRISTINE SERRANO, 34, of Chicago, SHERNELL ANDERSON, 35, of Chicago, and LARRY LEMON, 43, of Brookfield, Ill.  Daniels, Serrano, and JONATHAN COLLINS, 33, of Chicago, are also charged with federal firearm offenses.

All five defendants are in law enforcement custody. The charges against Daniels, Serrano, Anderson, and Lemon carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, as well as mandatory minimums ranging from ten to 15 years.  The charge against Collins is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

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 Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookfield, Ill. Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago, FBI Minneapolis, Minn. Field Office, and the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Satellite Office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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

ROCKFORD — A Rockford woman has been sentenced to thirty-two months in federal prison for straw purchasing five firearms.

JESSICA BARRERA, 56, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of knowingly providing a false and fictitious written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer.  The statement misrepresented that Barrera was the actual buyer of the firearms, when, in fact, she knew she was not the actual buyer.

Barrera admitted that in 2021 and 2022, she purchased five firearms in four separate transactions for her son, ANGEL BARRERA-ESTEVES, who was legally prohibited from owning a firearm and did not have a valid Firearm Owners Identification.  Barrera completed firearm-transaction records indicating that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. She then provided the firearms to her son, knowing that he intended to sell the guns to others without a license.  Barrera also purchased firearm ammunition for her son at his direction.

Barrera was sentenced on Monday 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 the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza L. Tomlinson.

Angel Barrera-Esteves, 27, of Rockford, pleaded guilty to federal firearm offenses and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, 2025.

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 suburban Chicago physician has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for billing Medicaid and private insurers for nonexistent and unnecessary services.

MONA GHOSH owned and operated Progressive Women’s Healthcare, S.C., a medical office in Hoffman Estates, Ill., specializing in obstetrics and gynecology services.  From 2018 to 2022, Ghosh submitted and caused her employees to submit fraudulent claims to Medicaid, TRICARE, and numerous other insurers for procedures and services that were not medically necessary, including endometrial ablations and biopsies, ultrasounds, vaccinations, laboratory blood tests, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.  Some of the procedures were performed without patient consent.  Ghosh also fraudulently overstated the length and complexity of in-office and telemedicine visits and submitted claims using billing codes for which the visits did not qualify in order to seek higher reimbursement rates.  Ghosh prepared false patient medical records to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims.

Ghosh, 52, of Inverness, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to two counts of health care fraud.  On Monday, U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama imposed the ten-year prison sentence and ordered Ghosh to pay approximately $1.5 million in restitution.

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; Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jason Sargenski, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office; and Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kavitha Babu and Hayley Altabef.

“When physicians submit fraudulent claims to federal health care programs, they divert taxpayer-funded resources away from those who truly need them,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Dr. Ghosh’s fraud scheme was particularly egregious because she endangered the health of her patients by performing unnecessary medical procedures, including procedures that severely limited some patients' ability to have children in the future. We applaud the victims’ strength to come forward and confront this defendant.  Our Office will fight tirelessly for victims and work diligently with our law enforcement partners to safeguard taxpayer funds and hold accountable those who steal from the American public.”

“Dr. Ghosh spent years traumatizing patients, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money to feed her greed,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “The depraved conduct uncovered in this case represents an extreme betrayal of trust toward patients who were simply seeking care and integrity from their doctor.  The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue and hold accountable any medical professional who seeks to harm patients for their personal enrichment.”

“Physicians and other medical professionals who place profits ahead of patient care do so at the expense of the very people they swore an oath to protect,” said HHS-OIG SAC Pinto.  “The sentence imposed in this case reflects the severity of the defendant’s crimes and the harm inflicted on numerous patients.  This investigation underscores our agency’s commitment to aggressively pursuing those who fraudulently submit claims to federal health care programs and put patients at risk.”

“It is imperative that our service members have full confidence that the medical care they receive is both legitimate and delivered by healthcare providers who are unwaveringly committed to their well-being,” said DCIS SAC Sargenski.  “Today’s outcome should reassure the public that DCIS, alongside our investigative partners, remains steadfast in our pursuit of those who harm the health, safety, and readiness of our men and women in uniform.”

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man of trafficking six rifles, including AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, and a handgun in Chicago.

CEDRIC CURTIS, 32, of Chicago, sold the six rifles and handgun to a buyer in 2018 and 2019.  Unbeknownst to Curtis, the buyer was cooperating with federal law enforcement.  Curtis was not a licensed firearms dealer and, having been previously convicted of a felony offense, could not legally possess a firearm.

The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago last week convicted Curtis on one count of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn D. McCarthy and Margaret A. Steindorf.

A co-defendant, DEONTA MOORE, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty prior to trial to a charge of illegal firearm possession by a previously convicted felon.  Moore was sentenced to three years and a month in federal prison.

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

CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a man of robbing a bank in Lake County, Ill.

FRANCISCO MARTINEZ entered a First Midwest Bank branch in Round Lake, Ill., on Dec. 20, 2021, and handed the teller a folded piece of paper that read, “40k, 30 seconds, no tricks, go now.”  Martinez then raised his shirt, showing what appeared to be the handle of a firearm tucked into his waistband.  Martinez briefly grabbed a customer and threatened to take her with him from the bank. The teller complied with Martinez’s demands and handed him cash before Martinez fled the bank.

Martinez, 32, of Des Plaines, Ill., was arrested in June 2022 and has remained in law enforcement custody since then.  Martinez committed the robbery while on court-supervised release following a prior bank robbery conviction.

On Monday, the jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted him of one count of bank robbery, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Aug. 29, 2025.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Round Lake Beach, Ill. Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.  The government has been represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jimmy Arce, Adam L. Rosenbloom, and Caitlin S. Walgamuth.

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

DAVID R. LIRA, 65, of Pasadena, Calif., entered the plea on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland in the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Rowland set sentencing for Oct. 8, 2025.

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

During those months, Lira admitted that the victims demanded their money but were not paid, and that there was nothing about the Covid-19 pandemic that precluded the firm from paying the money.  Lira confronted another attorney at the firm, THOMAS GIRARDI, who was also Lira’s father-in-law, and demanded that Girardi pay the money to the clients, Lira’s plea agreement states.  Lira admitted in his plea that he knew Girardi had misappropriated the money and that Lira was willfully violating Judge Durkin’s orders.

Lira ultimately resigned from the firm.  The Lion Air Victims eventually received their settlement funds following a hearing before Judge Durkin when another law firm’s insurer paid the amount that Girardi had misappropriated.

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

Lira’s guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten, Emily Vermylen, and Thomas Peabody.

“The willful failure to ensure distribution of settlement funds compounded the grief and anguish of the clients who lost loved ones in the Lion Air crash,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Attorneys who violate the trust of their clients and breach the fiduciary duty that is paramount to the practice of law will be held accountable.”

“The FBI stands committed to protecting victims of crime and holding those who have violated federal laws accountable, no matter how much time may have passed,” said FBI SAC DePodesta.  “The FBI is thankful for our continuing partnerships with law enforcement and our prosecutorial partners who have ensured justice in this case.”