Chicago criminal defense lawyer

January 17, 2020

Chicago Pastor Charged With Fraud

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

A Chicago pastor has been charged with fraud after bilking funds earmarked for needy children to purchase a Bentley. Federal authorities allege that Rev. Clarence Smith Jr. stole thousands of dollars from a federal program that helped feed children whose parents could not afford to feed them. Authorities say that Smith used the money to buy a $142,000 Bentley and for other expenses that had nothing to do with starving children.

Smith’s ministry is geared toward those who had a history of criminal activity. The motto outside of his church reads: “Ministry meaningful to the imperfect man.” Smith was convicted a decade ago of using forged signatures to rob the estate of a dead man of over $100,000.

Since his release from prison, Smith has had some financial struggles. In 2012, he filed for bankruptcy, claiming that he only had $20 to his name. He was still paying restitution for the theft for which he went to prison. Court records show that he owed the man’s estate an estimated $80,000. He also owed $8,000 in overdue property taxes for his church.

December 25, 2019

Chicago Police Officer Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder

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

Cook County judge, William Gamboney, found former Chicago police officer, Lowell Houser guilty of second-degree murder recently. Houser requested a bench trial as some police officers are wont to do when facing serious charges.

The trial stemmed from a 2017 off-duty shooting of Jose Nieves. Houser has been under house arrest since being charged with first-degree murder.

The judge ruled that Nieves may have been aggressive toward Houser, but the man was unarmed at the time of the shooting. He therefore decided that Houser’s actions were unreasonable and that the shooting was unjustified.

November 27, 2019

Prosecutors Say Suspect Killed Student After Ignoring His Catcalls

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

Parolee Donald Thurman is accused of raping and then murdering a University of Illinois honor student. Prosecutors say that he followed the woman to her car as she was coming out of class. They also say that she ignored several attempts to initiate conversation and that drew the ire of Thurman who put her in a chokehold until she passed out and then raped her in her own car. Prosecutors used surveillance footage of a nearby parking garage to show that Thurman followed the woman to her car. They traced a palm print from the woman’s car to Thurman and searched his home finding a distinctive white jacket that he wore in the video.

Thurman’s Confession

Thurman confessed to sexually assaulting the woman and physically attacking her, but he denied technically raping her. The woman was found in her car and pronounced dead at the scene. She died from strangulation.

October 18, 2019

Illinois Man Kills Five People After Facing Eviction

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

Krysztof Marek entered a neighboring apartment and killed four people who were gathered around the table for dinner. Then he went upstairs into another apartment and executed a fifth. Why? According to police, the man was being evicted from his Chicago condo. Marek left behind a note in his native Polish: “Tomorrow!! No Mercy! Enough!! They have to pay for it!!”

After executing the five people, Marek went back to his own apartment and greeted officers as they came to his door. He told them that he thought they were looking for him and then he confessed to the murders.

Investigators later found multiple grievances against his neighbors although it was not clear specifically which neighbors had incited Marek’s anger. Marek had accused one neighbor of walking too loudly on the floor above his apartment. He left behind a series of unhinged messages that seem to be gearing himself up for the attack.

September 27, 2019

Chicago College Student Accused of Being a Spy

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

If you are into intrigue, the case against Chicago exchange student Ji Chaoqun has got to be one of the most fascinating developments in recent memory. Ji is accused of being a Chinese spy tasked with gathering information on eight Chinese nationals working for major U.S. aerospace companies and many of whom have worked for Department of Defense contractors.

Officials believe that Ji met with handlers in China where he was tasked with uncovering biographical information on these individuals and attempting to recruit them for the Chinese government. Officials say that China was attempting to steal U.S. secrets related to aerospace engineering and Ji was meant to help turn the eight scientific experts against the U.S. and leak our secrets to the Chinese government.

The student now finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy.

July 17, 2019

Lyft Faces Fine After Failing to Report Driver

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

City officials are holding Lyft responsible after one of their drivers karate kicked a taxi driver, causing his death. The driver, Fangqi Lu, had previously been “deactivated” after punching one of his own customers in the face. The same driver then picked up a job driving for Uber weeks later during which he committed the fatal assault against Anis Tungekar.

In this case, city officials are slapping Lyft with a fine for failing to disclose to authorities that one of their drivers committed an assault against a passenger. They are further alleging that had Lyft reported the crime to city officials, it would have prevented the death of Tungekar.

The city’s early warning system is aimed at weeding out violent drivers, but Lyft faces significant liability issues in an assault case. Lyft may have been attempting to avoid a hefty payout by failing to report the incident. Now, Lyft may face one lawsuit for the assault and another one for wrongful death.

June 28, 2019

Federal Prisons Filled With Chicago Aldermen

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

Yet another Chicago Alderman is headed to prison after being handed a one-year sentence for defrauding a personal charity. According to prosecutors, Willie Cochran used his charitable fund to pay for gambling trips, expensive meals, and accessories for his Mercedes. Cochran pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which ended his City Council position.

Cochran’s lawyers hoped to secure probation for their client with six months of house arrest. Instead, Cochran will spend the next year behind bars.

Since 1972, 30 Chicago Aldermen have been convicted of crimes and several more have been charged. Cochrane, who was charged by federal authorities, will spend the next year in federal prison along with several other Chicago Aldermen who were convicted in a federal sting aimed at uprooting corruption in the Chicago City Council. These include “Fast Eddie” Vrdolyak and William Beavers who were both convicted after leaving the City Council and most recently, Edward Burke who is accused of using his position to force prospective developers to use his tax law firm to secure building permits. Another Alderman, Carrie Austin, is under investigation for the suspicious purchase and construction of a Chicago home.

June 21, 2019

Yet Another Politician Charged with Fraud

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

While charges of fraud are not exactly rare when it comes to political candidates, Chicago Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno stands accused of filing a false police report to defraud his insurance company. This is generally not the kind of fraud charges that politicians face. Nonetheless, it is still illegal.

Authorities have charged Moreno with fraud and obstruction of justice after reporting his Audi A6 stolen. After Moreno had reported the car stolen, his girlfriend, Liliya Hrabar was pulled over by police while driving it. Hrabar herself was charged with criminal trespass. During the interrogation, Hrabar produced text messages indicating that Moreno had willingly lent her the car one day prior to filing the police report. The charges against Hrabar were subsequently dropped and Moreno was charged with filing a false police report, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, and insurance fraud.

According to police, Moreno attempted to file a $30,000 claim with his insurance company to replace the car. The police contacted the insurance company and found that he had given differing accounts of the theft. After Hrabar was caught, Moreno claimed that he had loaned the vehicle to her but could not get it back. Moreno then claimed that because she was a single mom, he just wanted to help her out and that the road to Hell is often paved with good intentions. For that reason, he reported it stolen.

April 10, 2019

Did Chicago Police Cover Up Evidence in Laquan McDonald Shooting?

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

While the city is still fuming over the Jussie Smollett plea bargain, four Chicago cops are facing termination after the shooting death of Laquan McDonald. At least part of the accusations surrounding that teen’s death claim that the police officers covered up key elements of the case to clean their hands in the shooting. While shooting deaths of young black men have taken center stage in the media over the past few years, resulting in the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement and riots in both Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, convictions of police acting in the line of duty remain rare.

Five Years Later, an Evidentiary Committee Will Decide Their Fate

While for many, it may appear reassuring that these four officers are being held accountable for the killing, there is an intriguing question as to why the case is being brought before committee now. Laquan McDonald was shot to death in 2014. Part of the reason has to do with whether or not the four officers involved in the shooting lied to investigators and gave false statements. However, five years seems an awfully long time for the officers to remain on the force while the slow wheels of internal affairs built a case against them.

November 2, 2018

Possible Defenses to Involuntary Manslaughter Charges

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

Involuntary manslaughter is a common charge in the Chicago area. It is typically levied against an individual who was involved in an incident in which someone died because of his or her actions. Involuntary manslaughter is not murder. It is also different from voluntary manslaughter. It typically means that the defendant did not mean or wish to cause the death of the victim, but that their actions, which were negligent, led to the victim’s death. Let us take a look at the possible defenses to involuntary manslaughter charges in today’s post.

The Incident Was an Accident

One of the most commonly used defenses to involuntary manslaughter charges is that the incident was an accident. Accidents can still happen when there is no recklessness or negligence present. To argue that the incident was an accident and involved no negligence or recklessness, the criminal defense attorney will need to show that the defendant was acting appropriately at the time of the incident and that he or she did not know the actions taken were dangerous.