On July 7, 2015, Daniel Rankins was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $115,809 in restitution to the City of Chicago by U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow Jr.
Rankins pled guilty in December of 2014 to devising or intending to devise a scheme and participating in a scheme to defraud the City of Chicago in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 157. United States of America v. Daniel Rankins 13-CR-331 (U.S.D.C. ND IL).
The investigation, which was conducted by the Chicago Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, revealed that Rankins (also known as “Little D”) assisted 80 people in the filing of false Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions to avoid paying City impound fees. Specifically, Rankins solicited and accepted $600 cash payment from an undercover officer in exchange for assisting the officer in filing a false bankruptcy case.
As a result of OIG and FBI work, the Law Department is now working more closely with the U.S. Trustee’s Office to carefully screen suspicious bankruptcy petitions before releasing an impounded vehicle whenever the owner submits proof of bankruptcy.