Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog

August 14, 2020

Chicago Butcher Facing Federal Charges Over Gambling

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

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.

August 12, 2020

Three Men Face Weapons Charges After “Operation Legend”

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

Three Chicago men are facing weapons charges after President Donald Trump deployed federal agents to Chicago during “Operation Legend.” These three men are the first to face charges under Operation Legend.

In late July, Trump announced the deployment of “hundreds” of federal agents. The move was initially met with skepticism and outright anger by Chicago officials, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot eventually welcomed the troops after a personal phone call from President Trump.

Since announcing the operation, federal agents have aided in the arrests of the Black Disciples gang, which operates on Chicago’s south side and these three weapons charges, which we will discuss in more detail below.

August 7, 2020

Civilian Office of Police Accountability Finds Officer Lied After Shooting

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

COPA, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, has called for the firing of Officer Saharat Sampin. They have found that Sampin lied in a report concerning the death of 19-year-old Roshad McIntosh. According to Sampin, McIntosh had a gun before another officer shot him.

The incident occurred in 2014 after police were called to the scene of a complaint involving armed men. Upon arriving at the scene, officers say that one of the men tried to run and pointed a gun at officers while he did so.

COPA documents indicate that Sampin said he saw a man wearing dark clothing take a silver gun from his waistband and point it at officers. Another officer fired three shots, ending McIntosh’s life. Sampin also said that he saw McIntosh with a gun pointed at the officer who ultimately shot him, Robert Slechter.

August 5, 2020

Suspect Arrested in Murder of 9-Year-Old

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

It was a case in which everything worked the way it was supposed to work. A 9-year-old was murdered, yes, but witnesses came forward to finger the gunman and help the police arrest a suspect.

It happened like this. A gunman rolled up on the 900 block of North Cambridge Street, got out of his car, and fired a gun at an intended target. He missed that target and ended up shooting a 9-year-old boy several times before the child died of his injuries.

According to the Alderman of this community\, the men involved in the dispute had known each other for over 50 years and a feud between them led to the shooting. The Alderman stated that neither man was a member of the community and that neither man lived in the row houses where the shooting took place.

July 31, 2020

Parolee Charged With Firing on Officers

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

Lorelle Jordan, a 25-year-old parolee, is charged with six counts of attempted murder after opening fire on Chicago police officers outside of a Northwest Side police station. Three officers were injured in the attack.

Jordan was wanted for questioning in relation to a carjacking that occurred the month before. Officers spotted a white Porsche that was stolen in the carjacking and ran the VIN and the plates. They realized that the vehicle was stolen. As they were running the numbers, Jordan walked right up to the Porsche, got in the car, and attempted to drive away.

Officers then physically removed Jordan from the Porsche, placed him in cuffs, and drove him down to the police station. What they did not realize was that Jordan had a gun on him. By the time the officers got to Grand Central District Station and attempted to remove Jordan from the vehicle, Jordan had pulled the gun and fired on the officer opening the door. This officer was shot in the face and is in serious condition. Another officer was shot in the hip, and a third took a bullet to his protective vest.

July 29, 2020

Feds File RICO Charges Against Black Disciples

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

The feds arrested the alleged leader of the Black Disciples gang, Darnell “Murder” McMiller. The Black Disciples are believed to be involved in gun and drug trafficking and are one of the major players on Chicago’s south side.

These arrests come amid Trump initiatives to send federal officers into major cities, all democratic strongholds. Trump and Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who initially opposed the move, came to an agreement. Trump appears to be interested in helping these democratic cities fight violent crime. However, his tactics have garnered nationwide condemnation in Portland, where allegedly plainclothes DHS officers grabbed people off the streets and took them to federal facilities without filing charges.

Most of the Portland mission seemed geared toward protecting the federal courthouse that had been vandalized by protesters over the course of several nights. This, however, appears geared toward reducing some of the violence in the most troubled parts of Chicago.

July 24, 2020

Derek Chauvin Facing Tax Evasion Charges

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

The man whose videotaped murder of a defenseless detainee resulted in several months’ worth of protests is now facing felony tax evasion charges. Chauvin will now face charges of second-degree murder and multiple felony counts of tax evasion.

Chauvin and his wife are accused of hiding income streams on their taxes including more than $95,000 in income from his side job providing security.

Is His Wife Also Guilty?

July 22, 2020

Feds File Criminal Charges Against ComEd

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

While Donald Trump has recently announced that federal authorities will be unleashed in major democratic cities, by now, federal involvement in Chicago has been an ongoing fact of life for major developers and politicians for centuries. Most recently, the feds filed a criminal case against ComEd, and they are also targeting House Speaker Michael Madigan.

The feds have lobbyist Mike McClain speaking to a ComEd executive. He told this executive that he should not put anything in writing and that putting things in writing could “only hurt ya.” The two men then discussed a favor for Mike Madigan that federal authorities believe is part of a larger bribery scheme.

How Did the Bribery Scheme Work?

July 17, 2020

CPS Football Coach Facing Sexual Assault/Child Pornography Charges

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

A former Chicago Public Schools football coach has been accused of sexual misconduct with one of his players. This individual is also accused of taking nude photos of the student and then posting those photos in the victim’s apartment building and in areas that would be on the way to his school.

Curtis Thomas worked at the Bronzeville Scholastic Institute High School when the alleged assault occurred. His official title was “school community representative.” Thomas was fired in 2014 and placed on a “do not hire” list.

CPS officials are not speaking publicly about the incident. They refused to indicate whether Thomas was a football coach on the team when the student was assaulted. Prosecutors, however, said that Thomas was among the football coaches on the team at the time of the assault. The boy was 15 in 2010 when the assault occurred.

July 15, 2020

CTA Employees Facing Charges After Fist Fight Goes Viral

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

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on a CTA incident in which two CTA employees allegedly got into an altercation with a bus rider. The incident occurred on June 11. 28-year-old Leonard Anders Jr. and 46-year-old Milan Williams, both transit employees, have been fired and now face charges for their role in the incident. The victim, 43-year-old Lawrence Madden can be seen on video getting body slammed by Lawrence Madden who entered the altercation after a fight broke out between Anders and Madden.

CTA announced that the two men were being fired for violation of a number of rules, including conduct unbefitting of a CTA employee and failure to report the incident. The two men also face charges of misdemeanor battery and aggravated felony battery.

Who Threw the First Punch?