Criminal justice reform is a complicated process involving small victories and occasional backsteps. As much as some wish for sweeping reform that sticks, the reality is more nuanced. Recently, Illinois passed the SAFE-T Act. One of the laws included in part of the...
federal crimes
3 Medicare fraud and abuse laws of importance to physicians
Medicare fraud costs the federal government billions of dollars each year and investigating this kind of fraud involves several government agencies. Here are three examples of fraud and abuse laws that apply to physicians. 1. The False Claims Act (FCA) The goal of the...
Illinois woman pleads guilty in disability fraud case
Naturally, disability fraud is taken very seriously when someone uses it to claim federal benefits or workers' compensation. It's also a crime, however, to just take advantage of people's generosity and other programs geared toward people with disabilities by...
2 found guilty of witness tampering in federal trial
Two people have been convicted of witness tampering -- among other charges -- in a federal drug case. The 46-year-old Michigan man is now facing life in prison. His co-conspirator, a 45-year-old Illinois woman, is facing 20 years behind bars. A third co-conspirator...
What’s ‘Zoom-bombing,’ and can it get you into big trouble?
You've heard of Zoom, the video conferencing app that everybody from schoolchildren to senior executives is using these days, right? It creates electronic "rooms" for meetings that can be joined by anyone with the right link.Those electronic rooms can also get invaded...
Former Illinois state senator enters guilty plea for bribery
Martin Sandoval, a 56-year-old former Illinois state senator, pleaded guilty in late January 2020 to tax fraud and bribery charges. He has admitted to taking $250,000 in bribes from a local red-light cameral company as well as other individuals and their business...
U.S. House passes bill making animal cruelty a federal crime
Illinois animal lovers might be happy to learn that the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that makes animal cruelty a federal crime. The measure was passed by a unanimous vote on Oct. 22. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, also known as...
Man faces multiple federal charges
An Illinois resident was charged with multiple counts of money laundering after it was discovered that he was running an illegal sports betting business. The 35-year-old defendant paid a fee to use an online sports betting platform in Costa Rica. He would then collect...
Businessman sentenced in Operation Varsity Blues case
Illinois residents may have heard that actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced for her role in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scam. However, a second parent has also been convicted for paying an individual $250,000 to help get his son into college as a...
When kidnapping may be charged as a federal crime
In Illinois, kidnapping may be charged under state or federal law. The offense can become a federal crime if the circumstances meet one of six different scenarios. People who are charged with kidnapping may be initially arrested by state or local law enforcement...