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Cook County jail guard found not guilty in handcuff beating case

A Cook County jail guard accused of beating a detainee with handcuffs was acquitted Friday in a bench trial, with a judge finding that the veteran sheriff’s officer’s testimony was more believable than that of the man he allegedly battered.

Video of corrections officer Reginald Roberson punching 29-year-old inmate Jamiah Stuckey in the intake area of the jail on Dec. 29, 2021, were “damning” and showed the veteran jail guard striking Stuckey with handcuffs over his fist, said Judge William Gamboney on Friday.

Both Roberson and Stuckey testified throughout the trial, but Gamboney said he credited the 54-year-old Roberson’s version of events. Gamboney said Stuckey seemed “strident” on the stand, and that prosecutors revealed mid-trial that the inmate may have believed that if Roberson was convicted it would mean that Stuckey would no longer be under restrictions in the jail as an inmate who had assaulted a guard.

“The manner in which he testified was consistent with fabrication,” Gamboney said of Stuckey’s time on the stand, noting the inmate suffered only minor injuries. Charging documents described Stuckey’s wounds as a “laceration under his eye.”

Roberson had testified that he was acting in self-defense, as Stuckey had laid hands on him after a doorway had opened accidentally, surprising Roberson, who had been fidgeting with his cuffs.

Stuckey’s concerns about his “orange card” status came to light in an email disclosed to the defense last month, prompting a motion for a mistrial. After the verdict Friday, defense attorney Tracey Harkins said the case against her client was “fabricated.”

Roberson was placed on leave soon after he was charged in May 2023 with counts of aggravated battery and official misconduct, and the sheriff’s office moved to fire him. A Sheriff’s Merit Board hearing has been stalled while the criminal case was pending, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman said Friday. Stuckey’s federal lawsuit against Roberson and the sheriff’s office was dismissed in April, according to court records.

Outside the courtroom, Roberson said he would like to get his job back.

“This [verdict] has been a long time coming,” he said. “The video did look terrible, but it didn’t show him putting his hands on me. But everything comes to light eventually.”



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Cubs non-tender Mike Tauchman and Nick Madrigal

The Cubs didn’t tender contracts to outfielder Mike Tauchman and infielder Nick Madrigal among a series of roster moves Friday, making both players free agents.

MLB teams had a 7 p.m. deadline to tender contracts to unsigned players for the 2025 season, including those who are eligible for arbitration.

The Cubs announced they had tendered contracts to left-hander Justin Steele, third baseman Isaac Parades and relievers Nate Pearson and Eli Morgan. They also agreed to contract terms with catcher Matt Thaiss and relievers Julian Merryweather and Keegan Thompson, avoiding arbitration.

Manager Craig Counsell showed how much he valued Tauchman’s skills by telling him at the beginning of spring training in February that he would have a spot on the Opening Day roster. And while Tauchman held on to a bench spot all season, a strained groin in mid-June sidelined him for a month. His role later shrunk when rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong proved he could be an everyday player, crowding the position group.

Tauchman, 33, finished the season with a .248/.357/.366 slash line. It was his second season with the Cubs after he rebooted his major-league career when he returned after spending the 2022 season playing in Korea.

Madrigal, 27, played in only 51 major-league games in 2024 because of injury. The Cubs optioned him to Triple-A Iowa in early June, but he suffered a fractured left hand in his first game there and missed the rest of the season.

Injuries have been a common issue for Madrigal, who most notably had season-ending hamstring surgery while with the White Sox in 2021. The Cubs traded for him and reliever Codi Heuer at the trade deadline that season, sending closer Craig Kimbrel to the South Side.

Since making his big-league debut in 2020, Madrigal has played 60 or more games in a season only once (92 in 2023).

With the Cubs, he made the transition from second base to third to fill a team need and exceeded defensive expectations. In three seasons with the team, he hit .251.



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Tapping opening day for Illinois deer

Weather mellowed for opening day Friday of the first part of Illinois’ firearm deer season.

“We’ve had steady flow, steady traffic,” said Dan Skinner, forest wildlife program manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

At the Ogle County check station, Skinner said about one in three deer were killed with a rifle, of which select single-shot centerfires were legalized for deer last year.

“I think guys who made the switch did it for accuracy and reduction in recoil,” he said.

By the end of the seasons, he expects rifles to account for 25 to 33 percent of harvest, up from roughly 20 percent the first year.

As to conditions, Skinner noted, “The weather moved out of the area.”

Ken Jahnke messaged Thursday, “I’m down in Clark County. Snowing hard and windy tonight. Lots of deer eating in fields tonight.”

Bob Coine messaged from Ogle County that two big bucks were down opening morning, “For your rut-gun season report: I guess my prediction of good hunting this weekend was accurate.”

On Thursday from Edwards County, Gary Bloom messaged, “Scouting last two days and saw one shooter buck, 13 does. Watching now.”

Skinner said the Kankakee station reported a couple big bucks opening morning while the Jo Daviess station was running about three bucks to every doe.



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Loyola ends Lincoln-Way East’s season for the fourth consecutive year as Catholic League dominance continues

The seeds for Saturday’s game of the year were planted over the summer when junior quarterback Jonas Williams transferred from Bolingbrook to Lincoln-Way East.

It appeared that the state’s elite public school program had the difference-maker that could end the Catholic League’s stranglehold on Illinois high school football.

A massive crowd showed up in Frankfort on Saturday to see if that would happen. It did not. Loyola ended Lincoln-Way East’s season for the fourth consecutive year with a 27-24 win in the Class 8A semifinals.

“They have our number,” Griffins coach Rob Zvonar said. “We aren’t going to pretend they don’t. It’s just an elite-level program with elite-level coaching. They are just a wonderful, amazing program that knows how to win.

“We’ve played eight quarters of football against them in the last two years and their punt team hasn’t been on the field.”

Loyola took over the game in the third quarter. The Griffins led 16-13 at halftime. The Ramblers opened the second half with a long, confident drive anchored by quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald’s running ability.

That was Loyola’s recipe for an undefeated season last year. Fitzgerald picked up an injury early this season that has limited his running. But he was back to the old ways on Saturday.

“It is the semifinals against Lincoln-Way East,” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t care what bumps and bruises I have. I’m just going to put my head down and beat you.”

Fitzgerald had 21 carries for 70 yards. He was 22-for-29 for 222 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Fitzgerald connected with Gavin Vradenburg for a four-yard TD with 5:12 left in the third quarter to put the Ramblers ahead for the first time at 20-16. They never trailed again.

“We had to score,” Fitzgerald said. “We were down and had to bring the momentum back to our side and send a statement that this game is not over.”

Iowa-bound running back Drew MacPherson had 13 carries for 89 yards and a TD for Loyola (11-2). Conlon Kane caught six passes for 71 yards.

Williams and Lincoln-Way East (12-1) started hot, scoring on a 72-yard pass on the third play of the game. The Griffins led 13-3 late in the first quarter after Williams connected with Talan White for a second TD pass.

Williams was 13-for-24 for 279 yards. The Oregon recruit had 10 carries for 37 yards. But Lincoln-Way East didn’t complete a pass in the second half until the final three minutes of the game.

“They are a prolific offense and very well coached,” Loyola coach Beau Desherow said. “We knew in the first half they caught us on a few things. We didn’t change much, just some of our calls and rotations and took away the underneath stuff and dared them to beat us deep.”

Loyola will face York in the Class 8A state championship game at ISU on Saturday. The Ramblers have won the last two 8A titles. Mount Carmel, which has won the last two 7A titles, will face Batavia in the 7A title game. And Nazareth, which has won the last two 5A titles, will face Joliet Catholic in the 5A championship.

Private schools went 6-0 against public schools in the semifinals on Saturday.

“It showed that [Lincoln-Way East] hadn’t played a four-quarter game all year,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s a problem. Obviously, they are a public school and they play those teams. It’s not fair to them that they don’t get to play the best competition. They just don’t get to have those games in the regular season where they play four quarters against the best teams in the state.”



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Hate crime suspect accused of looking up synagogue locations before shooting Jewish man

A man now facing hate crime charges after shooting an Orthodox Jewish man and firing on police and paramedics last month had mapped the locations of several Chicago synagogues and Jewish schools in the days leading up to the attack in the North Side’s West Ridge neighborhood, prosecutors said.

At a detention hearing Friday, prosecutors said Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi’s cellphone data showed the 22-year-old had been seeking out targets for days before shooting a 39-year-old man who was on his way to worship services on Oct. 26. Among several addresses Abdallahi had mapped on his phone was a synagogue just a block from the shooting scene.

“This was not anything but a planned attack … an attempted assassination of these people,” Assistant State’s Attorney Anne McCord Rodgers said. “This was a calculated plan, on a public street… and an attempted slaughter of that person and law enforcement officers.”

Friday marked the first in-court appearance for Abdallahi, who was hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds after a shootout with police who arrived at the shooting scene. Abdallahi walked into the hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse slowly, shuffling as he pushed a walker in front of him on his way to a seat beside his public defender.

Abdallahi, an immigrant from Mauritania, had lived in the U.S. for “at least two years” and worked at an Amazon warehouse, Assistant Public Defender Josh Thigpen said. Judge Susana Ortiz ordered Abdallahi detained on multiple counts of attempted murder, and hate crime and terrorism charges.

Sidi_Mohamed_Abdallahi.jpg

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi faces multiple counts of attempted murder, and hate crime and terrorism charges.

Cook County Sheriff’s Department

McCord Rodgers said the victim, wearing a traditional Jewish kippah and prayer shawl as he walked to synagogue, did not see Abdallahi as the gunman walked behind him in the 2900 block of West Farwell. The man heard the gunshot and felt the bullet hit his shoulder, but realized he had been shot only after noticing a hole in his jacket where the bullet exited, McCord said.

A surveillance camera showed Abdallahi fire at the man, run off, then try to clear his apparently jammed semi-automatic pistol while walking back toward the victim, before again running off, McCord Rodgers said.

Moments after the shooting, another camera captured Abdallahi driving a few blocks away, then parking and returning on foot to the shooting scene, walking past a woman with a baby stroller, she added.

From an alley, Abdallahi fired twice in the direction of four police officers searching for evidence and a pair of paramedics tending to the wounded man, McCord Rodgers said. Abdallahi ran down the alley, cutting through a yard, then circled back toward the ambulance as paramedics were loading the injured man. Abdallahi again shot at the ambulance, hitting it twice as a fifth police officer returned fire.

Abdallahi again ran down the alley, cutting through a front yard and pausing to fire a shot at a police officer, McCord Rodgers said. Abdallahi took cover, then emerged on Washtenaw Street and exchanged gunfire with police, she said. Abdallahi was shot and fell to the ground, but rose again to allegedly fire on the police before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Abdallahi’s phone was found inside his car, and data on the device allegedly showed he had saved the locations of a nearby synagogue on Oct. 20 and Oct. 24. On Oct. 22 and 23, he had saved the location of another synagogue in Hyde Park. Two weeks before the shooting, his Google search history showed he had looked up “Jewish Community center” and a gun store in suburban Lyons. McCord Rodgers said. The phone also had more than 100 “antisemitic and pro-Hamas” images and videos, McCord Rodgers said.



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Bulls’ Patrick Williams confident latest injury isn’t serious

There’s a reason why Bulls forward Patrick Williams isn’t overly concerned about his sore left foot. He clearly remembers the pain he experienced last year before he underwent season-ending surgery.

The discomfort he’s dealing with now?

“Not even close,” he said Friday. “I couldn’t even really push off of it [last year]. Every step, every run, was tough before the surgery. . . . I remember what it felt like. It’s not even close to that.”

Williams sounded as though he wanted to suit up against the Hawks on Friday night. Instead, he missed his second consecutive game with what’s being described as inflammation in the foot.

“I’m not really concerned,” he said. “Obviously, with this type of stuff, [I’m] just leaning on the doctors, obviously our training staff, the team I worked with back home over the summer. Nobody seems to be worried. It’s kind of a thing that happens post-surgery. First year after surgery is always the toughest. [We’ll] try and work through different things.

“I think it’s an accumulation of minutes overall. It wasn’t a specific play or anything like that.”

Until the inflammation and discomfort subside, no one can say when Williams — drafted fourth overall in 2020 — will return.

“I just don’t know how long that will take,” coach Billy Donovan said. “They didn’t think it would be too long, but like I mentioned [Wednesday], he’s definitely going to be out these [back-to-back] games [over the weekend]. The biggest thing is he still has some soreness there, some discomfort there, so I think the doctor really wants to see that calm down and then get him on the court, back up.”

Torrey Craig started in Williams’ spot Wednesday because of the Bucks’ size in the frontcourt. On Friday, it was Ayo Dosunmu getting the nod against the Hawks’ smaller lineup. Expect “forward by committee” to continue until Williams returns, and possibly after. A restriction of his minutes is realistic, since the issue with his foot has been linked to a heavy workload.

“Once it settles down and he gets back, does this reoccur? Does it not reoccur? Is he totally fine?” Donovan said. “I don’t know. Nobody knows. It wasn’t a situation where we’ve got to shut this guy down for a couple of months or we’ve got to do something to the foot. None of that has been mentioned.”

Buzelis finding his voice

Donovan said rookie forward Matas Buzelis’ biggest improvement over the last few weeks is he’s no longer shy about speaking up when he doesn’t understand.

“I think sometimes he needs to understand, as a young player, it’s OK to ask questions,” Donovan said. “It’s OK not to get it the first time. What’s not OK is to be unsure, go out there and then not execute.”

With Williams still sidelined, Buzelis is expected to see an uptick in playing time.



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Palos Hills man sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison for shipping firearm parts to Israel

A southwest suburban man has been sentenced to almost four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally mailing firearm parts to Israel.

That 46-month sentence was handed down Thursday by U.S. District Judge John Kness.

Amin Betuni, 37, of Palos Hills, shipped various firearm components at least three times in 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

The parts included rifle barrels, gas blocks for rifles and bolt carrier groups. Betuni packed the firearm pieces with auto parts and George Foreman grills in packages with false shipping labels, prosecutors said.

Betuni failed to obtain the required license or written approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce to ship firearm parts, which are subject to federal export regulations, prosecutors said.

A search of Betuni’s home in December 2022 led law enforcement to seize more than 1,200 rounds of assorted ammunition, a shotgun, rifle and handgun. They also found several bolt carrier groups and three “switch” devices, which illegally convert handguns into automatic weapons that fire continuously with just one pull of the trigger.

Betuni pleaded guilty in August to knowingly and fraudulently exporting firearm parts.



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Unrivaled will offer Angel Reese ample opportunity for development

Unrivaled, a new three-on-three basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is best summarized by its name.

It’s not the WNBA. It’s not trying to emulate the league from which all of its stars have been plucked or any other women’s sports league, for that matter. Unrivaled is precisely what it says: without equal.

The rules, expectations, media-rights deal and pay reflect the approach of a hungry industry newcomer. Sky forward Angel Reese is one of 36 players who will head south for the winter to participate in Unrivaled’s inaugural six-team season, which tips off Jan. 17 in Miami. She’ll be teamed up with former Sky star and 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, now with the Mercury.

‘‘Hi Coppppppp,’’ Reese shared on social media after the rosters were announced.

Joining Reese and Copper on the Rose Basketball Club are Aces guard and three-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray; Sparks forward Azurá Stevens, another member of the Sky’s championship roster; Mystics guard Brittney Sykes; and Fever guard Lexie Hull. They will be coached by Sparks assistant Nola Henry.

According to Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell, the league will focus on player development. For Reese, that means growing defensively.

Three-on-three naturally exposes players’ weaknesses. Success is determined by which team can best exploit its opponent in the pick-and-roll. Opponents are going to target Reese on ball screens to create mismatches. How she uses her size and length to avoid getting broken down by guards such as Courtney Vandersloot, Kelsey Plum and Arike Ogunbowale will be a point of emphasis.

Offensively, Reese’s efficiency will be challenged. She’s going to have more space to operate because of limited help defense. She also will have more mid-range scoring opportunities and looks from the corner, giving her a chance to work on her goal of expanding her shot profile.

Aside from the All-Star Game in July, this will be Reese’s first time playing on a roster of WNBA stars who have some title experience. Not only will that benefit her in terms of developing her skills, but it also will help how she approaches her role as the Sky’s franchise player.

‘‘I think Chelsea Gray will definitely help [Reese’s] development,’’ Henry said. ‘‘It’ll speed up her development just from a leadership standpoint but also from understanding angles of the floor and screening. Most important for Angel — it doesn’t matter [if it’s] three-on-three, five-on-five or college — she’s an incredible rebounder. So I expect to see rebounding from her.’’

In addition to Henry, Unrivaled’s other coaches are former Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon, Mystics assistant Andrew Wade, NBA player-development coach Adam Harrington, NBA/WNBA skills coach DJ Sackmann and longtime NBA assistant Phil Handy.

Collier’s and Stewart’s teams will face off at 6 p.m. on opening night on TNT. Reese’s and Weatherspoon’s team will go head-to-head at 7:15 p.m. the same night. Every Unrivaled game will be streamed on Max. Monday and Friday games also will be broadcast on TNT. Saturday games will be broadcast on TruTV.

The game will be slightly different from international three-on-three, which is played on a half-court. Unrivaled will be played on a scaled full-court and will feature four quarters, as opposed to playing to 21 points.

The league still has two roster spots it must fill. ESPN reported Wednesday, however, that WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark won’t be one of the final additions after months of speculation about her participation.



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Men sentenced in romance, inheritance scams that cost victims $3.5 million

Two suburban men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in fleecing at least $3.5 million from people through romance and business fraud schemes.

Anthony Ibekie, 59, of Oswego, was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison. He had been found guilty in a jury trial this year on all 14 charges — counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, making false statements to a bank, and passport fraud.

Samuel Aniukwu, 50, of Romeoville, pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and money laundering. He was sentenced earlier this month to 10 years in prison.

A third person, Jennifer Gosha, 52, of Oak Park, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 18. She pleaded guilty earlier this year to wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agent in relation to the schemes.

The trio built trust with victims through social media and online dating websites, including Match.com and OKCupid, and convinced them to send money to a predetermined recipient, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

In another scheme, they told victims that the victims had received significant inheritances, but to claim it, they needed to send money to people associated with Ibekie and Aniukwu, prosecutors said.

In a third scheme, they compromised corporate email accounts and tried soliciting wire transfers, prosecutors said.

A search of Aniukwu’s home uncovered several digital devices, including one with bogus letters from Standard Charter Financial Group asking for money, prosecutors said.



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Bulls finally win their first NBA Cup game, beating Hawks

Bulls coach Billy Donovan found himself in an uncomfortable place Friday night: up by double digits late against the Hawks with his starters still on the floor, trying to run up the score like a college football coach trying to impress poll voters with a lopsided victory.

That’s the NBA Cup for you.

Thanks to a game-high 26 points from guard Zach LaVine, the Bulls ended their winless streak in the league’s in-season tournament, beating the Hawks 136-122 at the United Center to improve to 1-1 in pool play. Point differential is one of the tournament tiebreakers, which is why Donovan had his starters in late. Shoot first, answer questions later.

It’s not a format he enjoys.

“I don’t know if there’s a different way to do it,” Donovan said. “When you’ve only got these four games, there’s got to be some sort of separation if these teams have the same record. But I don’t love that part of it, personally. It is what it is, those are the rules, and we’ve just got to play with them.”

The Bulls (7-10) weren’t used to being on the dominant side of the situation, having lost all four pool-play games last season in the inaugural tournament and dropping their Cup opener in Cleveland last week.

“It’s a little different,” rookie forward Matas Buzelis said of the format. “But for me, I care about the win. We got that done, and that’s all I cared about.”

Buzelis was more involved than he has been, scoring nine points in 20 minutes of playing time.

“Offensively, [I] could have been better,” he said. “Two travels, so I’ve got to be better on that. I’m a learner. I’m always going to learn, but offensively, I didn’t think I was that good.”

His coach thought differently, which is part of why Buzelis got the minutes. But it wasn’t the only reason. With Patrick Williams (inflamed left foot) out for a second straight game, others were needed to step up. Donovan started Ayo Dosunmu in Williams’ place rather than Torrey Craig for matchup purposes. Dosunmu set a tone right from the opening tip, scoring seven points in the first quarter with two assists and a steal.

It didn’t come as much of a surprise. Dosunmu usually has been good when thrown into a starting role out of the rotation.

“I think his decision-making has steadily improved the last two years,” Donovan said of Dosunmu, whose outside shooting numbers remain lower than expected. “The shooting part, I think, will be fine. He’s taken the right [shots]. He hasn’t shot the ball well, but I think he’s the one guy on our team, especially in transition, [who] can get to the rim, and that’s an area that we’ve struggled.

“His decision-making and the pressure he can put on the defense, that’s helped. I think he’s done a good job in terms of setting the pace for us. He’s able to play fast and move it up the floor really well.”

That continued most of the night for Dosunmu, especially late in the third quarter. With the Bulls up by 14 in the final seconds of the quarter, Dosunmu had a steal that led to a three-pointer by guard Coby White. He then made a layup that finished off a 41-point third quarter for the Bulls.

The Bulls’ next Cup game is Tuesday night against the Wizards on the road.



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