Illinois Quick Hits: Chicago police sergeant charged with COVID relief fraud

Illinois Quick Hits: Chicago police sergeant charged with COVID relief fraud

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – A Chicago police sergeant has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $41,000 in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

U.S. government attorneys say Brandi Wright, 44, applied for Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2021 on behalf of a bakery business she claimed to own but did not exist.

CWB: CTA HAMMER SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGED THREATS

A man who went viral in March when video circulated of him boarding a Chicago Transit Authority train and threatening people while wielding two hammers was detained last month after he allegedly threatened to kill a Cook County sheriff’s police officer on a train.

CWB Chicago reports that Eric Vinson, 51, of Bartlett, has been arrested at least 49 times since 2015, including twice since the video gained millions of views.

Vinson is charged with threatening a public official for the incident reported on April 19.

LEE COUNTY MAN ARRESTED FOR CHILD PORN DISSEMINATION

A Lee County man has been arrested for dissemination of child pornography. Illinois State Police say they began investigating after they received a cyber tip in January 2026.

ISP special agents arrested Cameron J. Riley, 37, of Amboy, Illinois on Tuesday.

Anonymous tips of child sexual abuse materials can be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTip line.

ILLINOIS PRODUCT FARMERS MARKET OPENS ON THURSDAY

The Illinois Product Farmers Market is scheduled to open for its 19th season Thursday from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m. at The Shed on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture says it will match every dollar spent in Link cash assistance and food benefit cards at the market.

The Illinois Product Farmers Market will be held every Thursday through Sept. 24, excluding Aug. 13, 20, and 27.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Supreme Court affirms court authority in discrimination suit

Supreme Court affirms court authority in discrimination suit

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision on Thursday, ruled that a lower court can determine an arbitration award in an employment discrimination case....
Illinois ranks 46th out of 50 states for financial transparency

Illinois ranks 46th out of 50 states for financial transparency

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A new report ranks Illinois 46 out of 50 states for financial transparency, partly due to the...
Solutions differ for Chicago Public Schools' potential $1B deficit

Solutions differ for Chicago Public Schools’ potential $1B deficit

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago Teachers Union says the city’s public schools could face a $1 billion budget deficit if...
U.S. Supreme Court rules against trucking industry

U.S. Supreme Court rules against trucking industry

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision Thursday, agreed that states can protect individuals injured in trucking accidents. The case, Montgomery v. Caribe Transport,...
Exclusive: AGO speculated WA Supreme Court might ‘punt’ on millionaire’s tax

Exclusive: AGO speculated WA Supreme Court might ‘punt’ on millionaire’s tax

By TJ MartinellThe Center Square Washington Attorney General's Office officials described the state Supreme Court as “favorable a venue as we’re likely to get” to thwart a referendum on a...
Illinois Quick Hits: Dems look at Chicago for national conventions

Illinois Quick Hits: Dems look at Chicago for national conventions

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Democrat National Convention’s committee on site selection visited Chicago this week, again considered the city for...
Paramount-Warner merger could create 40,000 jobs, report says

Paramount-Warner merger could create 40,000 jobs, report says

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square A proposed merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery could create thousands of jobs and inject nearly $1 billion annually into Hollywood movie production,...
Powell secures Democrat nomination in key swing district

Powell secures Democrat nomination in key swing district

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Denise Powell won the Democratic nomination in Nebraska's second congressional district, according to projections from multiple media outlets. Powell edged out state Sen. John Cavanaugh...
Canadian border crimes: Multi-million grandparent, crypto scam; human smuggling

Canadian border crimes: Multi-million grandparent, crypto scam; human smuggling

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Northern border crimes continue to be prosecuted against Canadian citizens for a range of multi-million-dollar scams targeting Americans nationwide. The U.S. investigations are being led...
Will County P&Z Logo Planning Zoning.2

Zinc Leaching and Flooding Concerns Dominate Testimony at Will County Solar Hearing

Will County Board Special Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 12, 2026 Article Summary: Expert and resident testimonies during Tuesday's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting highlighted severe concerns over groundwater...
Will County P&Z Logo Planning Zoning

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Special Planning and Zoning Commission for May 12, 2026

Will County Board Special Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 12, 2026 The Will County Board Planning and Zoning Commission convened for a special, court-ordered meeting on Tuesday to...
Will County Board Graphic.04

Access Will County Dial-A-Ride Reports Massive Growth After Consolidating Paratransit Services

Will County Board Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article SummaryThe Access Will County Dial-a-Ride program has seen explosive growth in ridership following a major consolidation...
Trade, Taiwan top priorities for Trump, Xi as two leaders wrap first meeting

Trade, Taiwan top priorities for Trump, Xi as two leaders wrap first meeting

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square President Donald Trump’s first visit to China in nearly 10 years has been met with pomp and circumstance as Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping...
Critics question unions after $1B in political spending

Critics question unions after $1B in political spending

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Following a report by Defending Education revealing that the nation’s largest teachers unions spent more than $1 billion on political activities, education experts are questioning...
Will County P&Z Logo Planning Zoning

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Recommends Denial of 6,099-Acre Earthrise Solar Project After Court-Ordered Hearing

Will County Board Special Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 12, 2026 Article Summary: Following a court-mandated cross-examination hearing, the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 1-4 to recommend...