A Chicago rabbi is facing federal charges alleging that he defrauded at least 75 people out of a reported $23 million. One of the people, federal officials noted, was a survivor of the holocaust. The fraud involved the purchasing of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Zvi Feiner will face charges related to 10 counts of wire fraud, federal officials say.
The Indictment
There is a lot of misinformation out there concerning Kyle Rittenhouse and the prospects of a conviction. The political lines are being drawn, with the left suddenly playing the role of prosecutor in an apparent role switch. The right, for reasons that ought to shock and appall, is rallying around Rittenhouse. So what is the deal?
What Law Did Rittenhouse Break?
Matters such as self-defense are questions that a jury will answer. They will determine, in accord with Wisconsin law, whether or not Rittenhouse is guilty of first-degree intentional murder, first-degree reckless homicide, and reckless endangerment.
A growing trend in the American cityscape is workers at dollar store and drugstore chains getting assaulted and murdered during robbery attempts. These have resulted in several personal injury and wrongful death actions alleging that the chain stores don’t provide adequate security for their workers.
Just recently, an 18-year-old was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 32-year-old Olga Marie Calderon. She was on her shift at a Walgreens when 18-year-old Sincere Williams tried to rob the store with a knife.
Police say that Williams grabbed Calderon from behind by the neck as she was stocking shelves. She attempted to push him away, and Williams began stabbing her. By the time medics arrived at the scene, Calderon was already dead.
President Trump’s “Operation Legend” has been underway now for about six weeks. In that time, federal agents have charged looters, rioters, and others with 42 felonies (and counting). Surprisingly, however, the feds appear to be targeting felons with illegal weapons.
The feds, of course, are assuring the media that there are several anti-gang operations happening right now. These operations involve confidential informants, aerial surveillance, and dangerous street work. However, looking at the numbers, the majority of those who have been charged during Operation Legend are felons in possession of weapons.
Feds Target Man Parked 12 Inches From Curb
The DA’s office is charging David Pasulka with sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and criminal sexual abuse charges related to allegations dating back to 2012. Pasulka, a prominent Cook County family law attorney, is being accused of acting too friendly with a female associate at his law firm and then raping her on the couch of his office. Another female associate leveled similar charges against Pasulka.
Pasulka’s case will involve two accusers discussing three separate incidents.
Examining the Charges
24-year-old Darius Young will face charges related to a two-day crime spree during which he held up a UPS driver in broad daylight. Young will face one count of armed robbery, which will be prosecuted under the federal Hobbs Act.
The UPS driver says that he was approached from behind when a man ordered him to the ground. The man held the gun on him while two of his buddies rifled through the truck and removed packages. They sped off together in a “light-colored” vehicle.
During the robbery, however, a witness who was parking his car noticed the UPS driver face-down on the ground while several men were removing packages from the truck. The witness was able to record some of the robbery on his phone and emailed the evidence to Oak Park police.
Two men are facing charges for conspiring to burglarize Walgreens during the civil unrest that has been plaguing Chicago since the George Floyd murder. William Lorenz, 40, and Ivan Bermudez, 42, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit burglary of a controlled substance. The two men were arrested by federal agents, meaning that they will be facing federal charges.
Conspiracy Charges
As you may have noticed, the two men are not facing charges for committing burglary, they are facing charges of conspiring to commit burglary. However, the two men were arrested after illegally entering three Walgreens stores that were closed while looting and vandalism were occurring. The complaint accuses the men of entering the stores for the purpose of removing drugs from the shelves.
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) has filed a complaint with the Illinois Labor Relations Board after several officers were allegedly unfairly suspended during investigations. Across the U.S., police departments have been taking complaints about officers more seriously since the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests that gripped the nation.
Sidelined officers include notable ones such as the officer who punched activist Miracle Boyd in the face after a confrontation in front of the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park. Others include police officers accused of dragging a woman out of her car by her hair and then kneeling on her neck, and another officer caught on film giving someone the finger.
The FOP insists that none of those officers should have either been fired or suspended until the investigations were complete. They have filed an unfair labor practices complaint over the handling of police misconduct investigations.
The Chicago District Attorney’s Office will file charges against 42 people, they announced recently, but there is concern that several individuals who had no criminal record prior will now have enhanced felonies on their record.
One such individual is Steven Yates. Police say that they caught Yates handing out jewelry from a downtown store. When they attempted to apprehend him, he tried to escape through the back, only to find more cops. He turned around and attempted to barrel out of the front of the store when he ran into police commander Jill Stevens. Stevens was knocked to the ground.
Yates will face felony charges for looting, burglary, and aggravated battery on a police officer.
Renowned butcher and bookie, Dominic Poeta, will face federal charges over his illegal gambling operation. He is also facing tax evasion charges.
Federal agents believe that Poeta was operating a sportsbook out of his butcher shop. Poeta found himself jammed up in 2007 when federal agents attempted to collect on a judgment from Adam Resnick. Resnick, a degenerate gambler, went to prison over a $10 million check-kiting scheme that also saw the demise of Universal Federal Bank. Resnick likely found himself in the hole and owing Poeta money.
However, federal agents never brought charges against Poeta until last month. Poeta pleaded guilty to a gambling charge and form filing a fraudulent tax return.
Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
