In a disturbing development, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer has been accused of serious crimes in the Chicago suburbs. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, the officer, Luis Uribe, has been indicted on federal civil rights charges involving allegations of sexual assault and robbery.
The indictment, made public on Tuesday in Chicago, details multiple charges against 44-year-old Uribe, who resides in Pingree Grove. He faces 10 counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and an additional count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
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Uribe, who was employed to perform customs and immigration duties for CBP in the Chicago area, had the authority to carry a firearm and conduct arrests, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The alleged crimes took place while Uribe was stationed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Prosecutors claim that he misused his position to carry out assaults and attempted assaults on several women, including some who were sex workers, across different hotels in the suburbs.
Specifically, Uribe is accused of sexually assaulting and robbing two women in Schaumburg and Naperville in 2022. In at least one instance, he is alleged to have brandished a firearm during the assault.
Further allegations in the indictment suggest that Uribe also attempted to rob and sexually assault two additional women. The case is a stark reminder of the abuse of power and the serious breaches of trust that can occur within law enforcement.
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.
The government urged the judge to deny bond for Uribe, saying, “there may be additional victims identified in the future.”
Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling ordered Uribe detained and scheduled his next hearing for Monday at 1:30 p.m.
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.
