CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for
the Northern District of Illinois, today announced progress in combatting
violent crime through a series of targeted strategies as part of the Department
of Justice’s revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the
revitalization and enhancement of PSN, an evidence-based program that the
Department made the centerpiece of its violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S.
Attorney Lausch has employed the enhanced PSN program to tackle the full
spectrum of violent crime issues facing the district. Northern District of Illinois prosecutors
target criminal organizations, leading to prosecutions of complex RICO, narcotics,
and drug trafficking enterprises. The
PSN program also identifies criminals with the most violent backgrounds and
removes them from the community through prosecution of individual violent
crime, drug, and firearm possession cases.
Resources are also invested in local prevention and reentry programs
that seek to implement lasting reductions in crime through community
engagement.
“A fundamental duty of our government is to keep people
safe, and one of our primary goals as federal prosecutors is to reduce violent
crime, particularly in large urban areas like Chicago,” said U.S. Attorney
Lausch. “As part of DOJ’s revitalized
PSN program, we have worked closer than ever with federal, state, and local law
enforcement partners to increase prosecutions of trigger-pullers, drug
traffickers, carjackers, and those who illegally use and possess firearms. We will use every available federal law
enforcement tool to reduce the unacceptable level of violent crime and help keep
our citizens safe.”
The PSN program has enabled the U.S. Attorney’s Office to
sustain and expand upon its recent increase in the prosecution of violent crime
and gun offenders. For example, during
each of the last two fiscal years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged more
federal firearms offenses than were charged in any prior fiscal year for more
than a decade. Crime statistics from the
Chicago Police Department (CPD) reveal significant reductions in violent crime
in Chicago in the past year. Through
Oct. 31, 2018, Chicago has seen 107 fewer murders (a reduction of 19%) and 387
fewer shootings (a reduction of 16%) compared to 2017.
“While we are making progress, we realize that a great deal
of work remains to be done to attack our stubborn violent crime problem in
Chicago,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
Through enforcement actions and community partnerships, the
U.S. Attorney’s Office works to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods
safer for everyone.
Enforcement Actions
Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has worked tirelessly
with its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and
prosecute criminal organizations and individuals who commit violent crime
across the Chicago area. The office
works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to
investigate and prosecute violent offenders.
Our key state and local partners in this effort include the Chicago
Police Department (CPD), the Illinois State Police (ISP), the Illinois
Department of Corrections (IDOC), the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office,
and numerous county and local police departments and municipalities throughout
the district.
“The thriving partnership we have with federal, state, and
local law enforcement is essential to our collaborative efforts to combat
violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
“Our goal for the remainder of 2018 and into 2019 is to continue to
bring to justice those offenders who commit drug, gun, and violent offenses in
our neighborhoods.”
During the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has
prosecuted hundreds of defendants for violent crimes, firearms offenses, and
drug trafficking, including:
RICO Prosecutions
Last month, a
joint federal and state investigation resulted in racketeering and murder
charges against five alleged members of a Chicago street gang faction known as
the Goonie Boss. The charges allege that
Goonie members and their associates terrorized the Englewood neighborhood on
Chicago’s South Side and were responsible for eleven murders, six attempted
murders, and two assaults. The U.S.
Attorney’s Office worked closely in the multi-year investigation with the FBI,
CPD, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In February 2018,
more than 30 alleged high-ranking members of the Latin Kings street gang were
charged with participating in a racketeering conspiracy in a case investigated
by the FBI, CPD, and several other state and local law enforcement agencies
under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
(OCDETF). The indictment charged
numerous acts of violence, including six murders and three attempted murders in
Chicago and the surrounding area.
Firearm Trafficking and Firearm Theft Prosecutions
A Kentucky man and
two Illinois men were charged in May 2018 in an alleged scheme to purchase
dozens of guns in Kentucky and illegally re-sell them in Chicago. Many of the guns were later recovered by law
enforcement during criminal investigations.
ATF, CPD, and ISP participated in the investigation as part of a High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
In January 2018,
an Indiana man was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for bringing
firearms into Illinois from Indiana and illegally selling them.
One defendant was
sentenced in May 2018 to seven and a half years in federal prison, while another
was sentenced in November 2017 to eleven years, in connection with the theft of
more than 100 guns from a cargo train.
The investigation, led by ATF and CPD, resulted in the conviction of
eleven individuals involved in the theft.
Two Chicago men
were indicted last month by a federal grand jury in Memphis for stealing 366
firearms from a shipping facility in Tennessee and transporting them to the
Chicago area. The U.S. Attorney’s Office
in Chicago provided assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Memphis, ATF,
the FBI’s Cargo Theft Task Force, the Midlothian, Ill., Police Department, and
the Memphis Police Department.
After an
investigation by CPD, ATF, and FBI, a Chicago woman was indicted last month for
allegedly straw purchasing handguns in Indiana on behalf of a convicted felon
in Chicago, whom the woman knew could not legally purchase or possess a
firearm.
Carjacking Prosecutions
Federal carjacking
and gun charges were brought against two teenagers in March 2018, after they
allegedly stole a sport-utility vehicle at gunpoint in the Goose Island
neighborhood of Chicago. The case was
investigated by the Chicago 11th District Violent Crimes Task Force, which
consists of agents and officers from the FBI, CPD, ATF, DEA, and HSI.
Based on work by
CPD and ATF, federal charges were brought in April 2018 against a Chicago man
for allegedly taking multiple vehicles at gunpoint in various neighborhoods of
Chicago. In the indictment, the
defendant was charged with five counts of carjacking or attempted carjacking,
and five counts of using, brandishing, or discharging a firearm during a crime
of violence.
Illegal Possession of Firearm Prosecutions
As part of PSN, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works directly
with local police and state prosecutors to identify offenders in the most
violent areas in our district, including neighborhoods on the west and south
sides of Chicago. The office adopts many
of these cases for federal prosecution.
As noted above, over the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has
increased its prosecution of illegal possession of firearms cases. More than 195 individuals were charged with
federal gun crimes in Fiscal Year 2018, according to preliminary data.
“If you are a felon
and you are caught with a gun in one of the high-crime neighborhoods in Chicago
or elsewhere in the district, you should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law, and face the possibility of going to federal prison for a
long time,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
Examples of felon-in-possession sentencings in federal court
over the past year include:
DEMONE RULE, of
Chicago, and ALBERT DOWTHARD, of Rockford, were deemed Armed Career Criminals
after previously being convicted of several felonies. Rule, whose criminal history includes
convictions for drug trafficking and attempted murder, was sentenced to 19
years in federal prison, while Dowthard, who was previously convicted of
multiple domestic battery offenses, was sentenced to 15 years.
RICARDO BURGOS,
previously convicted of aggravated battery of a peace officer and aggravated
robbery, was also an aspiring rapper known as “Nation.” Police arrested him in Chicago in possession
of a firearm that Burgos brandished while filming a rap video. The same .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol had
been used in a shooting just two days prior to his arrest. Burgos was sentenced in January 2018 to 15
years in federal prison.
MAURICE WALKER, of
Chicago, was sentenced in August 2018 to more than six years in federal prison
for illegally possessing a loaded handgun equipped with a laser sight. Walker was arrested after initially
attempting to flee from police.
JAMES HARRISON, a
convicted felon from Chicago and a member of a street gang, was sentenced in
August 2018 to more than six years in federal prison for illegally possessing
an AR-15 assault rifle and a handgun with a laser sight and extended magazine.
TARNCHE HULL, of
Chicago, was sentenced in January 2018 to more than five years in federal
prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun. Hull had previously been convicted of crimes
more than 20 times, including three firearm-related convictions.
QUINTREL MOORE, of
Chicago, was sentenced in November 2017 to more than five years in federal
prison for illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic pistol while on parole
for a state drug conviction. Tests performed by ATF’s National Integrated
Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) showed that the gun was linked to three
separate shootings within seven months, all occurring near the location of
Moore’s arrest in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago.
Last month, the Department of Justice announced that it is
funding five additional violent crime prosecutors in the Northern District of
Illinois. With these additional resources,
U.S. Attorney Lausch is creating a Gun Crimes Prosecution Team to enhance the
prosecution of illegal firearm cases in certain police districts in
Chicago. Working collaboratively with
federal and local law enforcement, the new unit will focus on charging
Chicago’s most dangerous criminals quickly after arrest, endeavoring to disrupt
the cycle of violence in the neighborhoods most in need.
“We welcome the additional resources from the Department of
Justice to strengthen our efforts to reduce violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney
Lausch.
Narcotics Trafficking Prosecutions
The U.S. Attorney’s Office targets traffickers who bring
illegal drugs into Illinois from other states or countries, with a particular
focus on traffickers who use guns, violence and threats of violence to protect
and promote their illegal businesses.
The office also investigates and prosecutes large-scale dealers who
distribute powerful opioids like fentanyl and heroin. Many of these investigations are conducted by
OCDETF and HIDTA task forces, which involve teams of law enforcement agents and
officers from multiple federal agencies and police departments working together
to combat drug trafficking and its attendant violent crime in the Chicago
area. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s
Office often works directly with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to
ensure that individuals selling drugs on the streets are charged with
appropriate offenses in either federal or state court.
Recent examples of federal narcotics prosecutions include:
Eleven defendants
were charged in March 2018 with trafficking fentanyl, heroin and cocaine in
Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side. The OCDETF investigation
involved extensive undercover and surveillance work, and resulted in the
seizure of distribution quantities of the narcotics.
A federal investigation
into drug and gun trafficking in the west suburbs of Chicago led to charges in
March 2018 against six defendants.
Authorities seized four military-style assault rifles, three handguns,
and several hundred rounds of ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked closely with the FBI, CPD, Cook County
Sheriff’s Police Department, Maywood Police Department, Illinois State Police,
and Johnsburg Police Department.
More than 12
individuals, including the owner of an auto body shop where drugs were stashed,
were charged in April 2018 as part of an OCDETF investigation into alleged drug
sales in Chicago’s Little Village and West Garfield Park neighborhoods. Authorities seized distribution quantities of
heroin, fentanyl, MDMA pills and cocaine, as well as 12 illegal firearms,
including an assault rifle.
An Elmwood Park
man was charged in May 2018 with importing fentanyl from China to sell in the
Chicago area. This OCDETF investigation was led by DEA, FBI, and USPIS.
The U.S.
Attorney’s Office partnered with HSI for the June 2018 arrest of a man who
allegedly sold a kilogram of fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer
near Midway Airport on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
More than 50
defendants were charged in June 2018 as part of a joint federal and state
investigation into heroin and fentanyl sales on the West Side of Chicago. As
part of the probe, law enforcement shut down two open-air drug markets in the
city’s North Lawndale and East Garfield Park neighborhoods. Authorities seized
three kilograms of heroin, a kilogram of cocaine, 230 grams of fentanyl, and
eight illegal firearms, including a semi-automatic assault rifle with a drum
barrel magazine.
An investigation
by the Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force (RAVGTF) and the Winnebago County
Sheriff’s Police led to drug conspiracy charges in July 2018 against six
individuals for alleged heroin and crack cocaine sales in the Rockford area.
RAVGTF includes members of the FBI and Rockford, Loves Park, and Freeport
Police Departments.
An OCDETF investigation led to federal or
state charges in August 2018 against nine individuals in connection with
alleged cocaine and heroin sales in Joliet.
The charges allege that the leader of this drug trafficking organization
is affiliated with the Joliet faction of the Black Gangster Disciples street
gang.
Two Chicago
pharmacy technicians were charged in August 2018 as part of a DEA investigation
with stealing 56,000 pills of Hydrocodone and selling them for a profit.
Federal drug
charges were brought in August 2018 against seven individuals for alleged
heroin and cocaine sales in Freeport. The investigation was jointly conducted
by the RAVGTF and the Stateline Area Narcotics Team (SLANT), which is a task
force led by ISP and the Freeport Police Department.
The leader of a
network of drug dealers was sentenced in September 2018 to 35 years in federal
prison for trafficking heroin and cocaine to Chicago from California aboard
Amtrak trains.
A CPD and HIDTA
task force investigation led to federal or state charges in September 2018
against more than 25 individuals for allegedly selling fentanyl, fentanyl-laced
heroin, or heroin in Chicago. The federal charges describe drug sales in the
Tri-Taylor, Humboldt Park and West Garfield Park neighborhoods on the city’s
West Side, as well as deals in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side.
A dozen defendants
were charged last month with trafficking heroin on the West Side of Chicago in
connection with an OCDETF investigation. During the probe, law enforcement
seized one and a half kilograms of heroin, a half kilogram of crack cocaine,
more than $892,000 in illicit cash proceeds, and a stolen handgun.
Community Partnerships
The revitalized PSN program continues to invest resources in
many violence-prevention initiatives.
Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office participate in parolee forums and
youth outreach forums.
The monthly parolee forums, also known as offender
notification meetings, rotate among various Chicago neighborhoods. Recent parolees who have moved back into the
neighborhoods are offered the chance to make an informed choice not to engage
in further criminal activity.
Researchers at Yale University found that ex-offenders who attend a forum
are 30% less likely to commit a new offense (link is external) than those who
did not attend a forum.
The quarterly youth forums assist children aged 13-17 to
identify a path other than gang membership.
The youth forums are conducted in partnership with CPD, the Cook County
Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and the University of Chicago Crime Lab,
which tracks the progress of the children to assess results.
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