Uber driver, Ahmed Tawfeeq, was recently sentenced to five years for sexually assaulting one of his passengers. Now, he will face additional charges alleging that he attempted to hire someone to hurt, silence, or threaten her. The charges against Tawfeeq included criminal sexual abuse, promoting prostitution, attempted sexual assault, aggravated…
Articles Posted in Criminal defense
What is Rule 26 and How Could it Affect You?
Rule 26 went into effect on January 1st, but some counties are implementing a 30-day “trial period” to comply with the state’s new rule. Other counties have already implemented the new rule, and have seen benefits. The rule, which passed in the last legislative session, will impact how bail and…
Chicago Police Officer Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder
Cook County judge, William Gamboney, found former Chicago police officer, Lowell Houser guilty of second-degree murder recently. Houser requested a bench trial as some police officers are wont to do when facing serious charges. The trial stemmed from a 2017 off-duty shooting of Jose Nieves. Houser has been under house…
Reputed Mobster Indicted on Social Security Fraud
A Chicago mobster convicted a decade ago in an operation known as “Family Secrets” is now in front of a judge again having been charged with stealing more than $40,000 over the course of two years from social security. Mickey Marcello is the half-brother of boss James Marcello who ran…
Anton Carter Given Life in Off-Duty Cop Murder
Anton Carter yawned and smirked after the judge told him he would be spending the rest of his life in prison for the murder of off-duty Chicago police officer Michael Bailey. The prosecution argued that Carter knew Bailey was a cop, which made the life sentence mandatory according to Illinois…
State Senator Charged With Embezzling from Teamsters
State Senator Tom Cullerton is now facing federal charges that embezzled funds from the Teamsters. Federal authorities are accusing Cullerton of collecting a nearly $190,000 salary plus bonuses for vehicle and cellphone usage. He is also said to have taken $64,000 in health and pension contributions while doing apparently nothing…
Gym Coach May Lose Citizenship if Convicted of Sex Crime
Jose Vilchis is facing charges that he sexually abused one of his students at I&M Gymnastics Academy. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice is suing to revoke his citizenship. Vilchis is a naturalized U.S. citizen, meaning that he came to this country on a green card and then applied…
Kelly Brings in Plea Deal Guy
Kelly is currently facing a 13-count indictment claiming that he sexually assaulted several underage girls. According to The Chicago Tribune, he has brought in veteran criminal defense attorney Jeffrey Steinback, who is well known as a “plea bargain guy.” Plea bargain guys occupy an essential place in criminal defense and…
Federal Probe Takes Aim at Opioid Manufacturers
Criminal indictments of major executives at pharmaceutical companies have made headlines across the county as local governments point fingers over the opioid crisis. Now, the federal government is getting involved, as well. At least six companies are the target of a federal probe into whether or not these companies violated…
Prosecutors Say Suspect Killed Student After Ignoring His Catcalls
Parolee Donald Thurman is accused of raping and then murdering a University of Illinois honor student. Prosecutors say that he followed the woman to her car as she was coming out of class. They also say that she ignored several attempts to initiate conversation and that drew the ire of…