Criminal defense

April 23, 2021

Woman Sentenced to Six and a Half Years for Enslaving Immigrants

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Even criminal defense attorneys recognize that it takes a special type of awful to prey on the hopes and dreams of the less fortunate only to exploit them later. It takes a certain black-heartedness that most of us cannot understand. Especially when the exploitation takes so much planning and years of consistent pressure to execute.

Such is the plight of one Cicero woman who was recently sentenced to six and a half years for the forced enslavement and labor of Guatemalan immigrants. In this article, we will discuss what the woman did.

The Scam

April 21, 2021

Adam Toledo: A Lot to Unpack

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

For those of you who have not followed the story, Adam Toledo was a 13-year-old person of color who was shot dead by police officer Eric Stillman. Police received a call of weapons fire and they responded. Toledo and an older boy were allegedly firing into vehicles with loaded weapons. The cops responded, they caught up with Toledo on foot. The police officer was running with his weapon drawn when Toledo dumped his weapon and turned around with his hands up. The officer, not knowing whether or not Toledo was turning to shoot or to surrender, fired on the spot, killing Toledo. Should the officer be held accountable for this crime?

Where do We Lay the Blame?

Already, lines are beginning to form. On the one side, you have people blaming the police officer for using cowboy tactics to contain the situation. Others blame the 13-year-old, his parents, or the older boy who was with him at the time, Ruben Roman, who put the gun in his hands. Roman will face charges for putting the gun into the hands of the 13-year-old. But police-reform advocates believe that police are scapegoating Roman for their own mistake. Could it be that they are actually all right?

April 16, 2021

16-Year-Old Charged With Murder During Crime Spree

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A 16-year-old who was recently released from juvenile detention will face charges as an adult for murdering 53-year-old Guillermo Antonio Quiles. This will be the second teen to face charges related to Quiles’s death.

Ricmeal King Bolden had just been released from a juvenile detention facility for a weapons charge and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Presenting the Defendant in the Best Possible Way

April 14, 2021

Chicago Tax Preparer Charged With COVID Relief Fraud

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

The federal government considers fraud of public funds earmarked from natural disaster relief programs a particularly black-hearted crime. A Chicago tax preparer is facing charges that he helped his clients obtain millions in coronavirus relief aid under The CARES Act. While helping your clients secure loans is not in itself a federal crime, helping them secure loans under false pretenses is. Hadi Isbaih is charged with four counts of wire fraud. An indictment returned recently confirmed the charges.

The government reinforced its commitment to prosecute those who steal from public coffers and deprive those who need the money of much-needed relief.

Evaluating the Accusations

April 9, 2021

Former State Senator Charged With Tax Evasion

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Annazette Collins has been charged with failing to report income and underreporting income after a grand jury decided to indict her just recently. Collins is facing a five-count indictment related to her political consulting firm. The federal government accused Collins of willfully attempting to hide income streams for the purpose of avoiding taxes.

The charges stem from a bribery probe involving embattled former Congressman Michael Madigan. Collins is the latest collateral damage in the corruption probe that is still ongoing. Collins left office in 2013 as a Democrat. She was then hired by Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) after her retirement. An attorney for Collins characterized the charges as a “blatant attempt to squeeze Collins” for information concerning the ComEd case. That is probably true. It is unlikely that Collins would have faced these charges (at least now) if there was not a more important case that might involve her.

Collins is not the only former Congressperson facing charges related to ComEd. Recently, Ed Acevedo and his three sons pleaded not guilty in relation to similar charges. If convicted, Collins could spend three years behind bars.

April 7, 2021

Prosecutors Allege That Defendant Stole Judge’s Vehicle During Crime Spree

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

File this one under Crime in the 21st Century. A teen live-streamed himself smoking pot with a gun in his lap after eluding police during a traffic stop. Antonio Butler has been charged with five counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, armed robbery with a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, and more. Prosecutors also hinted that the crime spree was still under investigation, and that the teen may face additional charges. Since Butler is 18 years of age, he will be tried as an adult.

The Spree

The Audi was stolen on March 25. It was then reported in an armed robbery, but Butler was able to get away. Later that day, the Audi was reported in two gas station robberies, a carjacking, and another armed robbery. Police eventually caught up with the vehicle and found Butler asleep inside. They tapped on the window to wake him up and then broke through the window to get him out. Butler hit the gas and drove the Audi into police vehicles, before successfully fleeing the scene. He then posted a video to Instagram showing him smoking marijuana with a gun in his lap while bragging about losing the police.

March 26, 2021

Two Men, Girl Charged in Organized Dating App Robberies

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Two 18-year-old men are facing charges of terrorizing two other men who had arranged dates on the popular Tinder App. Jahziah McDonald and Jeremiyah Mannie were denied bail after the prosecutors said that the attacks were organized. The men have been charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated vehicular hijacking, and aggravated robbery—all of which are felonies. The men did not have adult records. However, one faced juvenile charges related to auto theft. A third female teenager was used to lure the men to the attack. The teenaged girl will face juvenile charges. A fourth individual who attended the attacks was released uncharged.

Hook-up Site Robberies Targeting Men

Men are not usually the target of hook-up site robberies. Generally, it is women who have to be more careful. However, anyone can be the victim of this sort of attack without regard to their gender. In this case, men hoping to hook up with a pretty girl were lured to a secluded place where the attack could be conducted. One man was forced to withdraw money from his account at an ATM.

March 24, 2021

The Death of Irony: Use of Force Instructor Charged in Off-Duty Shooting

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A Chicago police officer who instructed other Chicago police officers in the use of force was recently arrested in relation to an off-duty police shooting. The officer shot the man in the hand. 39-year-old Kevin Bunge is charged with aggravated battery and the unlawful use of a weapon. Both are felonies. Bunge was held on a $10,000 bond.

Police say that Bunge was on his way home from the police academy where he taught when a vehicle pulled up behind him. Bunge was parked, listening to a book on tape when the vehicle approached. The two men were going to meet a friend. The one man was providing directions to the other man using Google Maps. The driver did not believe that the directions were accurate, so they pulled their vehicle over.

At this point, Bunge exited his vehicle with his gun and his badge. Although neither man was armed, Bunge fired into the vehicle. Both men inside the vehicle have filed a personal injury lawsuit against Bunge. Meanwhile, Bunge is facing criminal charges related to the incident.

March 19, 2021

Teen Faces Felonies in Rideshare Carjacking

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

An 18-year-old who ordered a ride from Lyft is now facing carjacking charges after police say he hailed the ride with the sole intention of stealing the car. Cornelius Carr has been charged with vehicular hijacking and armed robbery.

According to the driver, he was on his way to pick up a fare when two teens approached his vehicle wearing masks and surgical gloves. They got into the back seat, and one of the teens demanded the driver’s keys and money. The driver complied, and the two teens drove off with the stolen car. The vehicle was recovered later with the plates removed. Police were able to track the account used to hail the Lyft driver back to Cornelius Carr. The Lyft driver then identified him in a lineup, according to police. The police did not say how this was accomplished when the teens were wearing masks.

The Case Against Carr

March 17, 2021

Woman Arrested for Trying to Take Free Flights

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A woman described as a “serial stowaway” has been arrested yet again after her ankle monitor malfunctioned. Marilyn Hartmann, who claims she has taken over 30 free flights, will now face charges of criminal trespass after wandering off from her halfway house. She was spotted by TSA and authorities were notified that the woman was in the airport. Hartmann is facing felony charges from a prior attempt to stowaway aboard a plane. Prosecutors will likely file more felony charges against the woman.

The same woman was the subject of an interview broadcast on television where she told reporters that she began hopping planes in 2002. Hartmann has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but that likely will not help her after repeated attempts to violate the same law.

Will a Mental Health Defense Work?