Inside these posts: U.S. Attorney Northern District of Illinois

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Disbarred Chicago lawyer convicted of fraud

A disbarred Chicago lawyer faces the possibility of a lengthy prison term after a jury convicted her this week in a mortgage fraud case.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago says jurors convicted Lorie Westerfield on three counts of wire fraud and acquitted her of an additional fraud count after a weeklong trial. Each count carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Westerfield remains free on bond as she awaits sentencing on Aug. 4. Get the full story »

Ex-Chicago fund manager charged in $3.5M fraud

A former Chicago hedge fund manager accused of engaging swindling more than $3.5 million from approximately 48 victims who invested in funds he purported to operate, has turned himself in to federal authorities.

James Brandolino, 42, of Joliet and formerly of Chicago, was charged with mail fraud in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Prosecutors said he obtained about $4.7 million from 48 high net worth investors since 2003 for purported managed futures trading accounts and a commodity pool investment. He provided about $1.1 million in investor redemptions and allegedly lost roughly half of the total invested funds through trading and misused most of the remaining funds for his own benefit, prosecutors said. Get the full story »

3 Chicago ‘entrepreneurs’ accused of $4M fraud

A federal indictment accuses three Chicago residents who allegedly posed as successful entrepreneurs with defrauding more than 50 victims out of approximately $4 million. Get the full story »

Companies hope sourcing will stem illegal honey

A beekeeper stirs honey at an apiary near Wuhan of Hubei Province, China. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Honey companies and importers are launching a program in January to try to stop the flow of illegally sourced honey from coming into the country.

The True Source Honey Initiative is an effort by a handful of producers and importers looking to certify the origin and purity of the honey sold to U.S. consumers in jars and products such as cereals, snacks and glazes. Get the full story »

Suburban man pleads guilty to trade secret theft

A former Arlington Heights resident has pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets, valued between $7 million and $20 million, from a local paint manufacturing company where he worked as a chemist. Get the full story »