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  "path": "/crime/2026/06/18/boutros-holleb-hotaling-atf-country-club-hills",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-19T00:07:14.165Z",
  "site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
  "textContent": "<p>Trust between federal prosecutors and judges in Chicago is under new strain<b> </b>after the feds dropped charges this week tied to an <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/12/4-charged-in-connection-with-attempted-robbery-of-undercover-atf-agents-in-country-club-hills\" target=\"_blank\" >attempted robbery</a> of<b> </b>undercover<b> </b>federal<b> </b>officers<b> </b>in<b> </b>Country<b> </b>Club<b> </b>Hills<b> </b>— because new video of the incident came to light.</p><p>Frustrated by what appeared to be a lack of due diligence<b> </b>by prosecutors, U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri<b> </b>Holleb<b> </b>Hotaling said she’d hold a hearing July 2<b> </b>to decide whether the feds should be sanctioned<b> </b>in the case brought against Amir<b> </b>Fagan, Demond<b> </b>Edwards<b> </b>and<b> </b>Chashonn<b> </b>Toney.</p><p>“I think that we all know, as other colleagues in the district court bench have recently mentioned, that there is and always had been a presumption of regularity,” Holleb Hotaling told prosecutors during a Thursday hearing,<b> </b><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/38/88/179badf54ef7bb7531dfda25f35f/26-cr-291-usa-v-fagan-et-al-061826-final-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" >according to a transcript</a>.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/12/4-charged-in-connection-with-attempted-robbery-of-undercover-atf-agents-in-country-club-hills\" >4 charged in connection with attempted robbery of undercover ATF agents in Country Club Hills</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>She was referring to the legal principle that assumes federal officers act in good faith.</p><p>“This court is very concerned that I cannot rely on the information that is provided to me either from the U.S. Attorney’s Office or from agents … when I’m swearing out an affidavit now, right?”</p><p>The comments from Holleb Hotaling echoed those of U.S. District Judge April Perry, who last month told prosecutors “trust has been broken”<b> </b>after she discovered apparent prosecutorial misconduct during grand jury proceedings in the so-called “Broadview Six” case.</p><p>U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros’ office has been under fire ever since, with elected officials <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/donald-trump/2026/06/04/trump-blanche-boutros-doj-broadview\" target=\"_blank\" >calling for his resignation</a> and former prosecutors calling out a <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/06/08/broadview-six-andrew-boutros-federal-prosecutor-justice-department-doj\" target=\"_blank\" >“failure of leadership.”</a></p><p>But the case before Holleb Hotaling bears little in common with the “Broadview Six” case, which involved a grand jury indictment against six<b> </b>Operation Midway Blitz protesters. The two cases don’t even share a rank-and-file prosecutor.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center> <div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"\"> <figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-620000\" name=\"image-620000\"></a> <picture data-crop=\"medium\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c532e92/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2F4e%2F203444304cc397a75e1c71c03689%2Fboutros-260407-12.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2c785db/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2F4e%2F203444304cc397a75e1c71c03689%2Fboutros-260407-12.JPG 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0e57ff8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2F4e%2F203444304cc397a75e1c71c03689%2Fboutros-260407-12.JPG\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"BOUTROS_260407-12.JPG\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0e57ff8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2F4e%2F203444304cc397a75e1c71c03689%2Fboutros-260407-12.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7d73bcc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2F4e%2F203444304cc397a75e1c71c03689%2Fboutros-260407-12.JPG 2x\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0e57ff8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2F4e%2F203444304cc397a75e1c71c03689%2Fboutros-260407-12.JPG\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> <div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\"><p>The office of U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros (above) has been under fire since a judge discovered apparent prosecutorial misconduct during grand jury proceedings in the so-called “Broadview Six” case.</p></figcaption><span class=\"line\"></span><div class=\"Figure-credit\"><p>Anthony Vazquez</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Rather, in the latest case, the feds filed a criminal complaint June 11 against<b> </b>Fagan<b>, </b>Edwards<b> </b>and Toney. It<b> </b>accused<b> </b>Fagan<b> </b>and<b> </b>Edwards<b> </b>of<b> </b>pointing<b> </b>firearms<b> </b>at undercover agents with<b> </b>the<b> </b>Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and trying to rob them.</p><p>It also said that an officer shot<b> </b>Edwards<b> </b>and<b> </b>accused<b> </b>Toney<b> </b>of<b> </b>hitting<b> </b>an<b> </b>ATF<b> </b>vehicle<b> </b>with<b> </b>a car he was driving while<b> </b>trying to flee the scene. Fagan was also shot.</p><p>But<b> </b>prosecutors<b> </b>moved<b> </b>Wednesday<b> </b>to dismiss the charges against<b> </b>Fagan, Edwards<b> </b>and<b> </b>Toney. They sought to do so without prejudice, meaning new charges could still be filed.</p><p>The request prompted<b> </b>the<b> </b>judge<b> </b>to order the release<b> </b>of<b> </b>Fagan<b> </b>and<b> </b>Toney, who had been held in custody.</p><p>In a statement, Boutros' office called the facts of the case \"fluid and developing\"<b> </b>and said \"multiple investigations are ongoing and more facts will be forthcoming.</p><p>\"Our decision to dismiss the complaint today should not be read at all as a retreat of this case or the events giving rise to charges.\"</p><p>The four-page motion to dismiss explained that, on June 12<b> </b>— one day after the filing of the complaint — an ATF official told Boutros’ “front office”<b> </b>about<b> </b>a<b> </b>video<b> </b>depicting<b> </b>the<b> </b>shooting<b> </b>of<b> </b>Edwards.</p><p>“The front office was not aware that the prosecuting team had not seen a copy of the video that was being discussed, and in fact, assumed that the video had been given to the prosecuting team,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke<b> </b>Fiedler<b> </b>wrote.</p><p>The “front office” told<b> </b>the<b> </b>“prosecuting team”<b> </b>that such a video existed<b> </b>Tuesday<b> </b>— four days later. An ATF special agent sent<b> </b>the<b> </b>“prosecuting team”<b> </b>an<b> </b>email<b> </b>later that day containing<b> </b>two<b> </b>videos, including<b> </b>one<b> </b>of<b> </b>Edwards’ shooting, according to Fiedler’s filing.</p><p>Fiedler referred to the video as “Exhibit 2.”</p><p>“Aspects of the Edwards shooting, as depicted in Exhibit 2, appear inconsistent with the description of the shooting as set forth in the complaint,” Fiedler wrote.</p><p>A Monday<b> </b>ATF<b> </b>email<b> </b>also<b> </b>apparently<b> </b>raised<b> </b>questions<b> </b>about<b> </b>Toney’s<b> </b>alleged<b> </b>flight, Fiedler<b> </b>added.</p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/06/17/broadview-6-want-special-counsel-to-probe-boutros-office-trumps-justice-department-for-criminal-contempt\" >‘Broadview 6' want special counsel to probe Boutros’ office, Trump’s Justice Department for criminal contempt</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>When she took the bench Thursday, Holleb Hotaling said she’d “never seen something like that in a filing with the court.” Holleb Hotaling has been a magistrate since 2023.</p><p>“I know I’ve only been on the bench a few years,” Holleb Hotaling said. “But I have been up here for a few years, and I see a lot of criminal things. … I’ve never seen something like that.”</p><p>She went on to question the feds about the distinction made in Fiedler’s motion between the “front office” and the “prosecuting team,” about the accuracy of the complaint she swore out against<b> </b>Fagan, Edwards<b> </b>and<b> </b>Toney, and whether she could trust information from the U.S. attorney’s office.</p><p>First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason<b> </b>Yonan,<b> </b>the second-highest ranking official in Boutros’ office, explained that they wanted to be clear for the judge about the “folks that are actively working on the case,” so a distinction was made about the “front office.”</p><p>Still, Holleb Hotaling asked, “If you didn’t have the full information or the information was still in flux or too fluid, why present the complaint to the court at that time?”</p><p>Kees<b> </b>Vandenberg, chief of general crimes<b> </b>in Boutros’ office, said investigators always need more time to go through evidence in “reactive cases”<b> </b>that generate a criminal complaint.</p><p>“Right,”<b> </b>Holleb Hotaling replied. “But it needs to be accurate, right?”</p><p>Defense attorneys urged the judge to dismiss the charges against their clients permanently. She declined to do so, dismissing<b> </b>them<b> </b>without<b> </b>prejudice<b> </b>as prosecutors asked.</p><p>But she said she wanted to hold the additional hearing July 2 to consider sanctions against the feds.</p><p>The judge said she still had questions about what was known by an FBI agent when<b> </b>he<b> </b>swore to the facts supporting the criminal complaint.</p><p>“These are serious things,” Holleb Hotaling said.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center><div class=\"Enhancement-item\"> <div class=\"ExternalContent-wrapper\" data-embed> <iframe src=\"https://docs.google.com/viewer?embedded=true&url=https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/38/88/179badf54ef7bb7531dfda25f35f/26-cr-291-usa-v-fagan-et-al-061826-final-1.pdf\"></iframe> </div> </div></div><p></p>",
  "title": "Charges dropped against suspects in attempted robbery of undercover fed agents",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-19T01:17:06.676Z"
}