Jason Meisner

@jmetr22b.bsky.social

Chicago Tribune reporter covering the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse and criminal justice issues in Chicago. Signal: jmeisner48.08

NEW: Crystal Cooper, the former top operations chief for Chicago Public Schools, has been charged in a federal indictment with COVID-19 fraud alleging she lied about income generated by a side business to obtain nearly $30,000 in pandemic-related loans www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/04/f...

Former top Chicago Public Schools executive charged with COVID loan fraud

The former top operations chief for Chicago Public Schools has been charged in a federal indictment with COVID-19 fraud.

chicagotribune.com

“As I sat there innocently, two to three individuals brandishing guns suddenly entered the vicinity, filling the air with a menacing auro” Man who helped fake an armed robbery to get a crime victim visa is at large after abandoning his Chicago federal trial www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/04/t...

Man skips out in middle of trial for fake armed robbery scheme to get crime victim visas

A Florida man remained at large Monday after allegedly ditching his own criminal trial in Chicago.

chicagotribune.com

JUST IN: Imprisoned former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an extension on the deadline to ask them to hear his case. He now has until Aug. 26

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Two years after he was ambushed by a son of "El Chapo" Guzman and flown across the Mexican border, Sinaloa Cartel boss Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is given life in prison. Meanwhile the "Chapitos" are cooperating with the U.S. goverment in their case in Chicago: apnews.com/article/mexi...

Ex-Mexican drug lord Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada denounces violence as he's sentenced to life in prison

Former Mexican drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was sentenced in a U.S. court to life in prison.

apnews.com

Greg Bovino says Chicago's US Attorney wasn't aggressive enough in charging protesters during Midway Blitz... Yet charges were dropped against one man when video surfaced showing Bovino lied about being shoved. Another man was aquitted of putting a bounty on his head www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/u...

Failed Immigration Cases Leave Chicago Prosecutor’s Office Reeling

Prosecutors have fled the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago, angry about the cases they’ve been told to bring against protesters and immigrants.

nytimes.com

Ex-Summit police chief John Kosmowski gets 3 years in prison for shaking down a bar owner over a liquor license. The feds say he was captured on wiretaps talking like the criminals he was supposed to investigate -- including calling a cooperator “a rat.” www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/16/e...

Ex-Summit police chief gets three years in prison in shakedown scheme

Former Summit police Chief John Kosmowski has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for taking a bribe from a local bar owner in exchange for assisting with a liquor license transfer.

chicagotribune.com

JUST IN: In a filing calling for a full hearing, lawyers for the Broadview Six take US Attorney Andrew Boutros to task for his office-wide email on the day charges were dropped calling his prosecution team “Courageous.” They say his message should have been “exactly the opposite”

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In granting compassionate release for convicted fraudster Yale Schiff, a federal judge says she's "deeply troubled" that the U.S. attorney's office did not oppose it, which they routinely do in almost every case. She says this could influence treatment of future defendants:

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JUST IN: In a 2-1 decision, the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has REVERSED the lower court decisions overturning Illinois' law banning certain assault weapons, which passed in the wake of the July 4, 2022 mass shooting in Highland Park:

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U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros has been ordered to appear before a magistrate judge at 10 a.m. over “possible” violations of her sealing order in a murder/kidnapping case. It’s a relatively minor issue- but certainly an unusual spectacle I’ll bring the highligts: www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/08/u...

Judge to bring US Attorney Andrew Boutros to court over Tren de Aragua case

A federal magistrate judge on Wednesday refused to cancel a hearing where U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros potentially would have to explain why he publicly discussed murder and kidnapping charges against...

chicagotribune.com