CHICAGO () — A Chicago man has been found guilty in federal court of plotting to have two potential witnesses killed ahead of his cousin’s murder trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced Friday.
Federal prosecutors said Christopher Yates, 41, enlisted two people during the summer of 2024 to target individuals he believed were expected to testify against his cousin, who was awaiting trial in Cook County in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman in 2020.
According to prosecutors, Yates provided the recruits with a handgun and ammunition and made clear he wanted both witnesses killed. “I want them both off the board. Both of them got to [expletive] go,” he allegedly told them. Prosecutors said he also handed over $250 in cash and indicated additional payment could follow.
“Whatever you charge, I’m working on that,” Yates said, according to prosecutors.
Authorities arrested Yates on July 31, 2024, before the alleged plot could be carried out. He has been held in federal custody since his arrest.
Following a weeklong trial in Chicago, a jury convicted Yates on June 29 of two counts of murder-for-hire and one count of unlawfully transferring a firearm and ammunition.
Yates is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison on the firearm and ammunition transfer charge, along with up to 10 years in prison for each murder-for-hire count.
