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Five Individuals Charged in Federal Court in Chicago With Assaulting or Resisting Federal Agents Engaged in Immigration Enforcement Operations
Five individuals have been charged in federal court in Chicago with assaulting or forcibly resisting federal agents who were engaged in immigration enforcement operations in Broadview, Ill. over the weekend.
The defendants were among a crowd of people who descended in front of the entrance to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Saturday evening, according to criminal complaints filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The charges allege that the defendants made criminal physical contact against federal agents who were working outside of the facility to ensure the safe passage of agents, detainees, and vehicles into and out of the building.
Two of the defendants possessed loaded firearms while assaulting federal agents, according to the federal complaint.
“Under my leadership, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will take swift action when law enforcement personnel are criminally assaulted or individuals cross the line from peaceful protests to criminal mischief, assaults on federal officers, obstruction of justice, or the destruction of federal property,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
“We are working hand-and-glove with our federal law enforcement partners across the various federal agencies to maintain peace, respect individual rights, and prosecute those who violate federal criminal laws, including through activity that endangers officer and public safety. We will not hesitate to hold accountable those who attack and undermine the rule of law, including by resorting to violence and criminal mischief to interfere, obstruct, or impede the important work of the federal government as it is conducted in the Northern District of Illinois.”
The defendants made their initial appearances today in federal court in Chicago. The charges are as follows:
- RAY COLLINS, 31, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Collins allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when he charged toward agents and struggled with them, causing an injury to one of the agents.
- JOCELYNE ROBLEDO, 30, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Robledo allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when she pushed agents who were attempting to extend a safety perimeter around the facility.
- PAUL IVERY, 26, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Ivery allegedly grabbed an agent’s helmet and pulled the agent’s head down. Ivery allegedly told agents, “I’ll [expletive] kill you right now.”
- DANA BRIGGS, 70, of Rockford, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Briggs allegedly made physical contact with an agent’s arm while the agent attempted to extend the safety perimeter around the facility.
- HUBERT MAZUR, 21, of Medinah, Ill., is charged with forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer, a misdemeanor. Mazur allegedly grabbed an agent’s arm before he and the agent ended up on the ground. Mazur allegedly continued to resist arrest while struggling with the agent.
U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charges along with Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Havey, Caitlin Walgamuth, Timothy Chapman, and Jeffrey Snell.
“The FBI is committed to bringing swift and decisive action against anyone who seeks to bring harm to federal law enforcement,” said FBI Acting SAC Rothaar. “Officers who are sworn to protect and serve our communities must be able to do their jobs free from intimidation. The FBI will continue to work with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to investigate those who compromise the safety of our public servants.”
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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