A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted Jawad Fakroune, also known as "Angelino Escobar" or "Anjelino Escobar," on charges of extortion. The indictment alleges that Fakroune threatened and assaulted a local restaurateur to collect a debt he claimed was owed.
The indictment was returned on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Chicago. Fakroune, 45, originally from Morocco, is scheduled for arraignment on February 5, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah.
According to a criminal complaint filed earlier in the case, Fakroune loaned approximately $405,000 to the restaurateur between 2023 and 2024 for starting a new restaurant in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. A portion of the loan was repaid; however, by November 2024, disputes arose over the remaining amount owed.
On November 25, 2024, Fakroune allegedly visited the restaurant and threatened the owner regarding repayment terms. He claimed that $1.5 million was still outstanding and proceeded to choke, kick, and punch the restaurateur while demanding money and threatening his life and his family's lives.
The announcement of the indictment came from Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office; and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation's Chicago Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt are representing the government.
It is important to note that an indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. The defendant remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.