A Chicago man is facing federal charges after an indictment accused him of arranging the murders of two witnesses scheduled to testify against his cousin. Christopher Yates, 39, has been slapped with two counts of murder-for-hire and one count involving the illegal transfer of a firearm and ammunition.
The indictment unveiled by the U.S. District Court in Chicago outlines that Yates attempted to obstruct justice by way of violence, allegedly enlisting another individual to execute the plan and furnishing him with a handgun and ammunition last month. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, Yates's explicit instructions were, "I want them both off the board. Both of them got to [expletive] go." Further, Yates is said to have provided $250 in cash upfront promising more to come, emphasizing, "Whatever you charge, I’m working on that."
Yates, who pleaded not guilty during his arraignment last Thursday, was apprehended on July 31 and is currently being held in federal custody, denied the possibility of bond, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois. The indictment lands amidst the approaching trial of Yates's cousin, who is behind bars on murder and attempted murder charges related to a 2020 shooting incident.
The case has drawn together various arms of law enforcement for its investigation, with contributions from Homeland Security Investigations, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Special Agent-in-Charge Sean Fitzgerald, of the Chicago Office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual announced the charges. Meanwhile, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Moran holds the reins in representing the government.
