CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Demolition began Wednesday on a building long a target of community complaints in West Ridge, just a day after city, state and federal officials raided it amid an investigation into fraud and illegal betting and drug sales.
A search warrant was served at 6948 N. Western Ave. Tuesday evening and, within hours, an emergency demolition order was issued. The Chicago Department of Buildings said an inspection “determined that the building was severely structurally compromised and an imminent hazard.”
Few details of the raid were released, but it involved the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the city’s Office of Inspector General and a “robbery burglary mission team” from the 24th police district.
A man arrested inside told authorities he was the “host” and that he “loads and unloads money from the gambling machines in the premisis [sic].” He was charged with gambling and a woman was charged with drug possession unrelated to the search warrant, according to police.
The report did not describe the machines or say how many there were.
The Buildings Department issued 15 citations after the raid, including failing to abide by current public health orders, operating without a business license and operating after a cease and desist order was issued, an agency spokesperson said.
The building had housed a barbecue restaurant several years ago, but in recent months it had come to be known as a social club and was a frequent target of citizen complaints, particularly after a nearby shooting earlier this year.
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Chicago city records indicate a business license for that location was granted on Oct. 10 to JNG 1, Inc. NFP, a nonprofit that was registered with the Illinois secretary of state’s office less than five months earlier.
The license is for retail sales of general merchandise and non-perishable items. The nonprofit’s registered agent, Grace Fajardo, didn’t respond to requests for comment. The man who was arrested told investigators he gave money from the gambling machines to a woman described in the police report only as “Grace.”
Ald. Debra Silverstein, whose 50th Ward includes the building, said the raid was conducted “due to numerous citizen complaints of illegal activity over the past several months.” She did not elaborate.
Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, said in a social media post that the building “is under investigation for multiple violations of local and federal laws, and I’m sure more details will come to light soon.”
But by Wednesday afternoon, with demolition equipment parked in front of the building, neither the police department nor Homeland Security would publicly say what exactly those violations are.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2022. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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