Jury convicts former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke
Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke was found guilty on all counts except for one in his federal corruption trial Thursday. Burke faced multiple counts, including racketeering and extortion. Racketeering, attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion charges each carry sentences of up to 20 years. House Republican Leader Tony McCombie released a statement which said Democrat’s complacency with the status quo continues to cheat and take advantage of Illinois families.
State’s unemployment rate ticks up to 4.7%
The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday that the unemployment rate increased to 4.7%, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The October revised unemployment rate was 4.6%. Illinois’ neighboring states, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana all have unemployment rates around 3%. The national unemployment rate was 3.7% in November, down slightly from the previous month.
Illinois real estate agent convicted in fraud scheme
An Illinois real estate agent faces a long prison term after being found guilty for defrauding financial institutions out of millions of dollars. Federal prosecutors said David Izsack of Byron stole about $4 million through a scheme in which he obtained residential loans through false statements. Izsak was the owner of Premier Assets Inc. in Skokie. Izsak obtained a loan to buy a 57-foot yacht by submitting fraudulent tax returns. The federal government has since seized the yacht.
