The Department of Justice has announced charges against hundreds of individuals for COVID-19 relief fraud following an operation conducted by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Many of those facing charges have ties to organized crime, according to the DOJ. In one case, authorities allege that the pandemic relief…
Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Charges Dropped Against Man Who Spent 34 Years in Prison for Crime He Did Not Commit
Cook County prosecutors dropped charges against a man who was exonerated on an appeal for a crime he claimed he never committed. Throughout his time in prison, he maintained his innocence for a double murder that he says police pinned on him. He spent 34 years in prison on charges…
Chicago Man Faces 15 Years in Prison Over Child Pornography Charges
A Chicago man who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography charges was sentenced to 15 years behind bars. Investigators from the Sheriff’s Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) arrested a 41-year-old man on charges of possessing child pornography in October of 2022. He had already been arrested and was…
Chicago Man Gets 11-Year Sentence for Sexual Assault Witnessed During Remote Learning Class
A Cook County judge recently sentenced a Chicago man to 11 years in prison after he was seen sexually assaulting a 7-year-old female relative. The assault was broadcast during a remote learning class. The 21-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to felony sexual assault for the attack that occurred in October 2020…
El Chapo’s Son Extradited to Chicago to Face Drug Trafficking Charges
The son of notorious drug trafficker El Chapo has been extradited to Chicago from Mexico on charges of drug trafficking. Ovidio Guzman Lopez was charged in April along with two dozen others who are suspected of being a part of the Sinaloa Cartel. According to the lawsuit, the Sinaloa Cartel used…
Cash Bail Officially Eliminated in Illinois
Illinois has officially become the first state in the country to eliminate cash bail. Proponents of the measure say that it punishes the poor unfairly. The Pretrial Fairness Act prevents judges from setting bail but gives them broader discretion to deny release to those accused of violent crimes. Those opposed…
Chicago Man Found Guilty of Rape of 15-Year-Old Girl
A Chicago man was recently found guilty of the rape of a 15-year-old girl while she was walking home in 2017. The 66-year-old defendant had been charged with two counts of rape, attempted rape, criminal confinement, armed robbery, and battery with a deadly weapon. The defendant was convicted on each of…
Ron Jeremy Ruled Mentally Incompetent to Stand Trial Over Rape Charges
Former porn star Ron Jeremy has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial by the judge presiding over his case. He faced dozens of rape charges but was only recently in the news after victims came out to share their stories. A judge declared that he was in “incurable neurocognitive decline,” and…
Chicago Wrongly Places Felonies on the Records of Those in Diversion Programs
The City of Chicago has been wrongly placing felonies on the records of those in diversion programs. Having a felony on your record can make it difficult to find housing or apply for a job. In one case, a man who was identified as Malcolm in an article published by…
Chicago Chiropractor Charged With Fraud
A Chicago chiropractor is facing federal fraud charges after billing a private insurer for nonexistent services. The defendant is alleged to have owned and operated Movement Health and Rehab, also known as Motu Chiropractic. According to federal authorities, he submitted false claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for health care…