Former Alderman Ricardo Munoz is facing the prospect of returning to prison after a recent DUI arrest that could violate the conditions of his supervised release. In May, Munoz was arrested in Berwyn on drunk driving charges, following a collision that left him slumped over the wheel, a half-empty bottle of rum beside him. His blood alcohol level was measured at 0.30, significantly above the legal limit, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Federal prosecutors are seeking to revoke Munoz's supervised release from his prior conviction for wire fraud, and money laundering – charges that stemmed from his misappropriation of nearly $38,000 from the Chicago Progressive Reform Caucus's funds for personal expenses. The misconduct included expenditures on vacations, jewelry, sporting event tickets, and college tuition. Munoz served 13 months for these offenses before being released into supervised freedom, as detailed by CBS News.
Munoz has previously opened up about his battle with alcoholism, including a public announcement in 2010 about seeking help through Alcoholics Anonymous. "In recovery, we learn to find those moments, those ‘golden nuggets’ in life, those ‘a-HA!” moments," Munoz said, "If my story can cause one drinker to have an ‘a-HA!’ moment that ‘I need to quit,’ that’s sort of my work. I mean, I’m doing this to help myself, but also to help others," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. Munoz's history with alcohol and prior criminal cases are now juxtaposed with the recent developments, which may lead him back to a prison cell.
