chicago theft attorney

March 3, 2021

Defendants Added to Bank Embezzlement Prosecution

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

More defendants have been added to an ongoing prosecution in which several key stakeholders managed to tank a Chicago bank by embezzling millions in funds. The Washington Federal Bank for Savings failed in 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller determined that the bank was insolvent. Four new defendants have been added to the case for the theft of over $23 million in bank money. Do they face the same sorts of penalties as those who rob banks by force? No. In this article, we will discuss the charges they are likely to face.

Why Was the Bank Shut Down?

The bank was shut down after the Office of the Comptroller determined that the bank had $66 million in nonperforming loans. What is a nonperforming loan? Essentially, it is a loan in which the borrower has not made a payment in some time. Hence, the loan has been in default for a while. It is believed that the executives, including the CFO and treasurer, floated themselves major loans and transferred bank funds without the required documentation. Those who were on the receiving end of these funds are facing charges. Those who were in charge of overseeing the bank funds are also facing charges. Those who falsified bank records to ensure that the embezzlement was not discovered are also facing charges.

December 18, 2020

Police Still Running Down Suspects for Summer Looting

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

Amid the George Floyd and Brianna Taylor protests, social unrest plagued America’s largest cities. Chicago was no exception. While some of these protests were going on, others took the opportunity to engage in burglary, theft, and destruction of property. Droves of people went block after block, looting one store after another. Four months after, detectives are still going over hour after hour of surveillance footage to identify individuals against whom they can file charges.

The police force is asking for tips on identifying suspects who were seen on camera looting Chicago stores. At the writing of this article, there have been over 1,300 tips based on over 100 clips of footage excavated from security feeds. Likewise, they have been monitoring online retail platforms like Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, and Facebook marketplace to determine if any of the stolen merchandise was placed for sale online.

The effort has resulted in the arrests of over 100 people. Most are felony charges related to theft, looting, destruction of property, fencing stolen goods, and weapons charges.

November 11, 2020

Brothers Accused of Stealing Stimulus Checks

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

Akeem Kosoko and his brother, who worked as a mailman, had been stealing money from the mail for months before the Trump administration announced it would be sending $1,200 checks to every American. Kosoko, who called the stimulus funds “Trump checks,” knew that this would be a great time to cash in. The federal government, however, caught up with them when they tried to sell several Trump checks for a reported $5,000. Now, the brothers are facing charges of conspiring to steal U.S. mail and stealing government funds.

Kosoko was believed to be among several post office employees who would steal tax refunds, social security checks, and more from the U.S. postal system. The checks would then be exchanged for cash to those who had the ability to anonymously cash them.

The Anatomy of a Fraud

August 28, 2020

Man Will Face Federal Charges for Carjacking

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

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.

August 19, 2020

Chicago Files Charges Against 42 Looters

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

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.

June 10, 2020

Three Facing Federal Charges After Attempted ATM Heist

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

Three men are facing federal charges after using a crowbar to break into a Bank of America ATM. These are among the latest charges levied against Chicagoans during the several days of civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd. Chyenne Simpson, Rickie Foy and Pierre Harvey have each been charged with one count of attempted bank theft.

The three were among a larger group of people who were caught on the bank’s security footage attempting to use various tools to crack open the ATM located in the vestibule outside of the bank. While the ATM contained at least $300,000 worth of cash, authorities report that none of the money was actually stolen.

The group scattered once officers arrived, but they were able to detain the three men near the scene of the heist. The men denied being part of the attempted robbery of the ATM.

September 20, 2019

Will Criminal Charges be Filed Against Lincoln Park Nursing Home?

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

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx will decide whether or not to press charges against employees at a Lincoln Park nursing home who swindled a resident with dementia out of $700,000. Public Guardian Charles Golbert took custody of 98-year-old Grace Watanabe removing her from the care of Symphony Residences.

Watanabe was removed in 2018 after her bank noticed a series of unusual withdrawals and alerted authorities. Currently, there is a civil action against the Nursing Home naming individual staff members who attempted to drain the woman’s bank account dry. Those close to the woman, however, are hoping that criminal charges are filed against those who directly perpetrated the theft. Criminal charges would take precedence over civil charges and that case would be prosecuted first. If the defendants in the criminal case lose in court, it severely limits their ability to defend themselves in civil court.

Golbert Asks for Criminal Charges Against Five Employees

November 16, 2018

Defining Theft Charges in Chicago

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

A teenager from Rosemont is facing multiple felony charges for credit card theft.

18-year-old Salvador Nunez was charged with 30 felonies for using stolen credits card at various northwest suburban Rosemont locations. Rosemont police stated Nunez was charged with 15 Class 3 felonies for stealing someone’s identity and an additional 15 for the unlawful use of a credit card.

The most serious offense in the category of criminal charges is a felony. Felonious acts also carry with them the most severe penalties. The degree of the punishment depends on the class of the felony committed. According to Illinois law, they range from the least serious, a Class 4, to the most serious, a Class X.

August 29, 2018

Common Defenses to Theft Charges in Chicago

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

Facing an arrest and charges of theft in Chicago is never an easy situation. Whether this is the first time you have been arrested or you have gone through this before, it never gets easier. You might have to face a different judge or have your case handled by a different prosecutor. Either way, there are defenses available to you to fight the theft charges so you do not simply have to give up your freedom and spend time in jail.

Right of Ownership

One of the most commonly used defenses to theft charges is right of ownership. You can not simply tell the judge that you thought the item belonged to you and hope that this will work in your favor. You will need to provide some sort of evidence that proves it makes sense that you would believe the item you took belonged to you. This can be an invoice, receipt, warranty, owner’s manual, or any other piece of evidence that proves you either own the property or that you believed you owned the property.

January 19, 2018

The Differences Between Robbery and Theft in Chicago

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

U.S. courts are facing many criminal cases that are somehow associated with robbery or theft. When these two almost identical crimes are coupled with an uninformed population, the result is a high number of convicted felons who do not know their rights based on their crimes.

While these two forms of crime may sound the same, they are different in nature. Many law enforcement units across the country report drastic reductions in cases linked to robberies and thefts, but the numbers are still high. A recent report by the Chicago Police Department shows a slight decrease in theft-related crimes over the past decade when compared to robbery incidences. This raises the question as to what is the difference between these two types of crime?

What You Should Know About Robbery Laws in Chicago