Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog

April 30, 2021

Sheriff’s Deputy Cleared of Child Molestation Charges

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

A police officer was cleared during a bench trial of all wrongdoing after the daughter of a former girlfriend accused him of inappropriately touching her. A Cook County judge found the officer not guilty. After the charges surfaced, the officer was “de-deputized” and placed on administrative leave without pay. A case to have the officer fired is still pending.

What is a Bench Trial?

A bench trial is a trial that is heard by a professional jurist as opposed to a jury of your peers. Most criminal defendants choose to avoid bench trials preferring to instead roll the dice with the public. However, police officers tend to choose bench trials, especially nowadays, when public sentiment toward police is at an all-time low. Choosing to have your case heard by a judge is an option when you think a professional jurist would be more likely to rule in your favor than a jury of your peers.

April 28, 2021

Woman Charged with “Felony Embezzlement” After Return VHS 20 Years Late

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

A Texas woman is being charged with felony embezzlement after returning a VHS tape of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, 20 years after its due date. The woman told authorities that she had never rented the tape, but at the time, she was seeing a young man with two young daughters. The tape was never returned, and now the woman is facing felony charges.

In March of 2000, the woman was charged with felony embezzlement of a rental property. However, no one went out looking for the major criminal. So 21 years later, the woman was trying to get her name changed after a recent marriage, and that is when she found out she was a wanted felon.

What is Embezzlement?

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.

April 2, 2021

Man Faces Charges of Firing Gun at Wife’s Male Friend

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

A Hammond man is facing charges that he fired five shots from a semi-automatic pistol at his wife’s friend. Ramiro Malagon, 34, is now facing charges of attempted murder and battery with a deadly weapon resulting in serious bodily injury. Malagon’s wife told police that they had been married for 14 years, but over the past few months, they had grown estranged and did not interact much.

The wife said she was driving her friend back home when Malagon pulled up alongside her on the road. When the wife recognized that she was being followed by her husband, she pulled a U-turn and dropped him off at a liquor store. The friend said he did not want to be involved with their domestic problems. The man was walking from the lot when Malagon pulled up alongside him and demanded that he stop. He then fired five bullets at the man.

The victim was struck twice, once in the thigh and again in the back. The victim took cover behind a dumpster and eventually, Malagon gave up and drove off.

March 31, 2021

Cook County Refuses to Press Charges on Man Who Acted in Self-Defense

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

A man who caused the death of another man during a robbery attempt will not face charges after Cook County determined that they acted in self-defense. The man’s name has not been released since the County is not pursuing charges. The incident occurred during last summer’s civil unrest.

According to the police report, 31-year-old Lorenzo Thomas approached an unidentified man with another man in a robbery attempt. The man grabbed a metal bar and struck Thomas in the abdomen. The man was brought to the hospital but was released several days later. He was readmitted three days later. He died as an apparent result of those injuries. The Cook County medical examiner ruled that the man’s death was a homicide caused by assault. However, the assaulter was deemed to have acted in self-defense. Thus, he will not face charges related to the homicide.

Why Was the Man Not Charged?