Jeffrey R. Tobolski, Extortion and Tax Evasion, IL 2024

CHICAGO — The grimy halls of federal court saw a former suburban mayor’s fall today as Jeffrey R. Tobolski, the ex-mayor of McCook and a Cook County Commissioner, pleaded guilty to federal extortion and tax charges.

In a stunning revelation, Tobolski, 55, confessed in a plea agreement that he pocketed over $250,000 in extortion and bribe payments during his tenure. The disgraced official admitted to using his elected positions to benefit individuals who paid him handsomely. One chilling example includes Tobolski’s collaboration with a local police officer to accept cash for the approval of alcohol-selling events at a McCook restaurant.

The plea agreement also exposed Tobolski’s willful underreporting of income on tax returns from 2012 to 2018, leading to losses exceeding $56,268 for the IRS and $9,338 for the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion, Tobolski faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Additionally, he is charged with filing a false tax return, which could land him another three years behind bars. Sentencing has been deferred pending further court action.

The charges were brought forth by John R. Lausch, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Stetler and Tiffany A. Ardam represent the government.

This case is another stark reminder of the corruption that can permeate local politics and the lengths some individuals will go to line their own pockets at the expense of taxpayers.