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

GOP, Dems compete in Arizona congressional races

GOP, Dems compete in Arizona congressional races

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square Arizona Republicans and Democrats in the 7th and 8th congressional districts are battling it out to see who will advance to the general election. Primaries...
Abbott directs state investigation into ICE Houston shooting

Abbott directs state investigation into ICE Houston shooting

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday said the Texas Rangers are investigating the fatal shooting of a Mexican national in Houston last week by a U.S....
Industry leaders: Feds can more effectively combat fraud, but privacy rights at risk

Industry leaders: Feds can more effectively combat fraud, but privacy rights at risk

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The federal government faces fraudsters utilizing technology more powerfully than ever before to take advantage of taxpayer-funded programs and steal taxpayer dollars. But it must...
Union sues to stop $110B Paramount-Warner Bros. merger

Union sues to stop $110B Paramount-Warner Bros. merger

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square State attorneys general are not the only ones suing to block the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance. The Writers Guild of America...
Bipartisan bill would force vote before Social Security cuts hit

Bipartisan bill would force vote before Social Security cuts hit

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would fast-track a floor vote on Social Security's looming insolvency, using an independent board to draft a...
Court OKs $45M verdict in talc asbestos case, including $30M for ‘reduced lifespan’

Court OKs $45M verdict in talc asbestos case, including $30M for ‘reduced lifespan’

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square (Legal Newsline) - An Illinois appeals court has thrown open a new avenue for personal injury lawyers and others to claim potentially...
Taxpayers to fund $424.9M soccer stadium infrastructure

Taxpayers to fund $424.9M soccer stadium infrastructure

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago Fire may be building their own soccer stadium, but city taxpayers will be on the...
Illinois Quick Hits: Benton pulls name from ballot after resignation

Illinois Quick Hits: Benton pulls name from ballot after resignation

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Former state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, who resigned from his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives...
Fraud enforcement, weaponization swirl around Blanche's nomination

Fraud enforcement, weaponization swirl around Blanche’s nomination

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square A marathon Wednesday confirmation hearing for Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, touched on fraud enforcement, the anti-weaponization fund, documents associated with Jeffrey...
Income tax cut on Missouri ballot; Illinois may see more outmigration

Income tax cut on Missouri ballot; Illinois may see more outmigration

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A ballot measure in front of Missouri voters next month could give some Illinois residents in the...
Michigan's U.S. Senate primary heats up as El-Sayed holds lead

Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary heats up as El-Sayed holds lead

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Recent polling in Michigan's open U.S. Senate race shows Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leading establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens as the Democratic primary approaches. The winner...
Decades of policy choices makes gas more expensive for Blue states: Report

Decades of policy choices makes gas more expensive for Blue states: Report

By Tate MillerThe Center Square Policies made decades ago cause gas prices to be on average higher in Blue states than Red states, with a 55 cent gap per gallon,...
EXCLUSIVE: New ethics complaint targets U.S. Sen. Gallego

EXCLUSIVE: New ethics complaint targets U.S. Sen. Gallego

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square A nonpartisan oversight organization filed a Senate ethics complaint on Wednesday against U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, over a social media statement he made about...
DOJ releases evidence related to Operation Metro Surge shootings

DOJ releases evidence related to Operation Metro Surge shootings

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Six months after two people were killed during Operation Metro Surge, the U.S. Department of Justice has handed over evidence related to the deaths to...
Iranian in Massachusetts convicted of violating US sanctions against Iran

Iranian in Massachusetts convicted of violating US sanctions against Iran

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square An Iranian businessman has been convicted in federal court in Boston, Mass., after a 14-day jury trial for charges related to violating U.S. sanctions against...