A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, accused of sexually assaulting and robbing several women in the Chicago suburbs, has been ordered to remain in custody until his trial. This decision came on Monday.
Last week, a Chicago court unsealed an indictment against 44-year-old Luis Uribe from Pingree Grove. Uribe faces 10 charges for depriving individuals of their civil rights under the guise of law enforcement, along with one charge for brandishing a firearm during a violent crime.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Uribe, who served in customs and immigration roles for CBP in the Chicago region, had the authority to carry a firearm and make arrests, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.
According to court filings, Uribe was stationed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport when the alleged incidents took place. Prosecutors state that he misused his official position to assault and attempt to assault multiple women, including sex workers, in suburban hotels.
In 2022, Uribe is accused of sexually assaulting and robbing two women in Schaumburg and Naperville, allegedly wielding a firearm during at least one of these assaults.
The indictment also claims that Uribe robbed and attempted to sexually assault two additional women.
After word of the attacks started to spread among the sex worker community, court documents say that in early 2022, one worker arranged to meet Uribe at a restaurant, where they snapped a photo of him. That witness then shared the photo with others, in order to warn potential victims.
Months later, prosecutors say, Uribe assaulted a woman, identified as Victim C, in a Schaumburg hotel room. She was able to provide police with the photo taken at that restaurant, clearly identifying the suspect.
The FBI pulled tollway data showing the suspect had traveled between Devon Toll Plaza and Elgin Toll Plaza. The hotel where the alleged attack happened is located between those toll plazas.
Uribe, arrested Tuesday morning, pleaded not guilty during his afternoon arraignment that day.
The government urged the judge to deny bond for Uribe, saying, “there may be additional victims identified in the future.”
If convicted, Uribe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office asked anyone with information to call 312-239-7423.
