Former Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent Anthony Sabaini was sentenced today to over six years in federal prison for tax, structuring, and concealment offenses, reports the Department of Justice.
Operating from the Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois located field office of HSI, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Sabaini conducted unlawful financial activities, concealed crucial facts from the DHS, and submitted false federal tax returns. His trial revealed a corrupt relationship with a confidential informant that paid Sabaini roughly $50,000 for protection while getting information about investigations led by other agencies.
This misuse of power, pointed out by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Jonathan Shih, casts a shadow over law enforcement and undermines the capacities of institutions like the FBI and DEA. Sabaini misappropriated investigation funds and even stole from drug dealers, disregarding the potential widespread impact on the justice system.
In a plot to evade federal reporting, Sabaini made over 160 bank deposits totaling up to $250,000, with each deposit being less than the $10,000 mark which would trigger a U.S. Department of the Treasury notification. In addition, he underreported his income on tax returns from 2014 to 2018.
Additionally, in a separate case in 2021, Palos Heights police officer Fernando Zambrano, assigned to an HSI task force, was sentenced to three months in federal prison for lying to investigators during the Sabaini probe.
