Illinois Quick Hits: Chicago police sergeant charged with COVID relief fraud
(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.
Latest News Stories
TVA to keep two coal-fired power plants operating indefinitely
Lawmakers probe nationwide child care fraud
WATCH: Attorney cites positive impact of corruption trials 1 year after Madigan conviction
Illinois Quick Hits: $10M scheme alleged in heath care fraud case
GOP governor candidate Heidner wants Illinois to ‘make,’ not ‘take’
Op-Ed: If Illinois wants clean energy, it needs data centers
Illinois senator’s bill on transgender ‘mental illness’ sparks debate
Lawmaker says Illinois behind 44 states in legislative transparency
Illinois Quick Hits: Foreign national faces harboring, forced labor charges
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Legislative Committee for February 3, 2026
Village to Revise Noise Ordinance Following Trucking Complaints
Health & Safety Committee: Opioid Overdose Deaths Drop to Zero in January as Behavioral Health Department Expands Role