FORMER EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO WIRE FRAUD IN PANDEMIC LOAN FRAUD SCHEME

A former Amtrak Chicago Mechanical Yard Foreman pleaded guilty to wire fraud on September 3, 2026, in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. The plea stems from a large-scale, family-run pandemic fraud scheme in which members of the former employee’s family facilitated and submitted approximately 125 fraudulent applications for Small Business Administration pandemic assistance loans totaling approximately $2.3 million. The former employee and his family received approximately $560,000 in fraudulent loan proceeds and kickbacks to which they were not entitled. The former employee used some of the illicit proceeds to purchase several fur coats and open a restaurant.

Judicial proceedings for the codefendants are ongoing.