A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has been indicted on federal civil rights charges, accused of sexually assaulting and robbing several women in Chicago suburbs.
According to an indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Luis Uribe, 44, of Pingree Grove, Illinois, faces ten counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Uribe was arrested and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling scheduled a detention hearing for December 15.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office; and Erin Silk, Special Agent-in-Charge with the Midwest Region of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is representing the government.
Uribe served as a CBP officer handling customs and immigration duties in the Chicago area with authority to carry a firearm and make arrests for felonies and other offenses. The indictment alleges that he used his official position to sexually assault and rob two women, including allegedly brandishing a firearm during at least one incident.
He is also accused in the indictment of robbing and attempting to sexually assault two additional women. These incidents are alleged to have taken place in Schaumburg and Naperville, Illinois in 2022.
If convicted on all charges, Uribe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison with a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment under federal statutes and sentencing guidelines.
Authorities emphasized that an indictment is not evidence of guilt: "The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
Officials urged anyone with information about these crimes or who may have been victimized by Luis Uribe to contact (312) 239-7423. The phone service will be available in both English and Chinese.
