Tag: Illinois
Threats to Kill
⏱ 2 min read Trent Schneider, a 58-year-old suburban Chicago man, was convicted of making a true threat to kill multiple public officials, including President Donald J. Trump. Schneider, of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, made the threats on October 21, 2025, in a video posted on Instagram and in a statement to a judge at the…
Gang Arms Bust
⏱ 2 min read Two suspected Chicago gang members, Julian Torres, 19, and Brandon Osorio, 29, were arrested on Monday after federal law enforcement seized eleven firearms, ammunition, and twenty machine gun conversion devices from their Chicago residence in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the city’s Southwest Side. The search was conducted by agents who…
Tax Prep Scam
⏱ 2 min read Dormeshia A. Haire, a 38-year-old tax preparer from St. Charles, MO, is accused of running a tax prep scam in St. Clair County, IL, where she allegedly filed false tax returns for her clients and herself, defrauding the government of unknown amounts. The scheme, which lasted from 2019 to 2021, involved…
Synagogue Threat
⏱ 2 min read A chilling threat to shoot up a Jewish synagogue in Chicago was made by Timothy Holmes, 31, on March 3, 2026, when he posted on X, a social media platform. The post was in response to a message from the Israeli government’s official X account regarding the death of Ayatollah Sayyid…
Covid Relief Fraud
⏱ 2 min read Francesco Distefano, a 29-year-old suburban Chicago man, orchestrated a massive Covid-19 relief fraud scheme in 2020 and 2021, swindling the federal government out of more than $3.3 million in small business loans and grants. Distefano, along with co-defendant Sargis Urumieh, submitted false applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury…
Feds vs Online Extremist Networks, Nationwide, 2023
Nine-year-olds. That’s how young the feds say these predators are starting. A disturbing trend is exploding across the nation: decentralized online networks actively recruiting and radicalizing children into extremist ideologies. Forget shadowy basements – these groups are operating in plain sight, hiding within the digital spaces where kids spend their lives: social media, gaming apps,…
No Defendant Name Found, Nihilistic Violent Extremism, USA, 2023
The digital shadows are breeding grounds for a new kind of predator – one less interested in direct sexual abuse and more focused on twisting young minds towards nihilism and violence. Federal investigators are now sounding the alarm about a rapidly expanding network of online groups, dubbed ‘764’ or Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), actively targeting…
Deondre E. Jones, Credit Union Robbery, Swansea IL, 2023
Swansea, IL – A brazen daylight robbery at a Swansea credit union ended with a swift arrest Wednesday afternoon, thanks to a rapid response from local and federal law enforcement. Deondre E. Jones, 55, is now facing federal charges after allegedly walking into the First Mid Illinois Credit Union on North Illinois Street and demanding…
James Troy Martin, Receiving Child Pornography, IL, 2023
Carrier Mills, IL – James Troy Martin, a 51-year-old Saline County resident, will spend the next nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving child pornography. The case, brought by federal prosecutors, reveals a disturbing pattern of online predation and underscores the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to dismantle networks exploiting…
Rickey Martin Jr., Armed Robbery, Maryville IL, 2023
Maryville, IL – Rickey Martin Jr., 36, of Arkansas, will spend the next 17 years and 6 months in a federal penitentiary after pleading guilty to a brazen armed robbery of a local motel owner. The May 2023 incident, which saw Martin threaten the victim with a loaded handgun, culminated in a sentencing hearing this…
