"Windy City"

The mayor of Chicago is found dead at his desk just past 11 p.m. in his boxer shorts, face-down in what's left of a poisoned extra-cheese-prosciutto-and-artichoke pizza.

As the mayor's inner circle convenes, his gay chief of staff commits suicide and his longtime secretary confesses to the cops her long-ago affair with hizzoner.

Ambitious city council members can't wait until the body is cold to start maneuvering to take over.

In a city legendary for its dead voting early and often, it's no surprise that the deceased mayor continues to weigh heavily on the postmortem proceedings.

Stepping forward as "interim acting mayor" amid this delectable political chaos is Windy City's articulate and witty protagonist, Indian-born Sundaran "Sunny" Roopini.

A stand-up alderman from the 48th district, Roopini must juggle the council members' egos, dirty secrets and dealmaking while pinch-hitting for the kingpin with appearances at weddings, church services and other mundane municipal duties.

A widower whose wife was murdered, Roopini shows so much tenderness and wisdom in quelling the storm at City Hall while raising two daughters that readers will not forget soon him.

Best known as the host of National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, Scott Simon is also the author of the sports-fan memoir Home and Away, the non-fiction book Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball, and Pretty Birds, his previous novel based in war-torn Sarajevo. But this compelling murder mystery, laden with insider big-city politics, is about Chicago and nowhere else.

Whether it's a paean to Chicago's bitter cold, or tips on how to make Indian dosas, or an embrace of the city's diverse populace, Simon leaves no doubt about his passion for the city.

The author's detailed descriptions are deep-dish, so self-indulgent sometimes that they make you feel like you've eaten too much of a good thing. And Windy City, can be a windy novel. But just as you start thinking it's all too much, Simon comes up with another great line or a sneak-up-on-you aside so clever or humorous, you read on.

For Chicago lovers and city-politics fiends, this novel is a must-read.

For everyone else, the book offers an insider's view of the kind of urban political fray — albeit fictional — that Barack Obama emerged from as an Illinois state legislator representing Chicago's South Side.

Thanks to Don Oldenburg

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Green Card Warrior: My Quest for Legal Immigration in an Illegals' System

How One Man Took On The State Department and Won

Nick Adams had it all: charisma, energy, a promising TV career, a new organization and an approved Green Card petition. The world was at his feet.

Then came the unexpected sabotage and political persecution from one individual. It began a spiral of destruction – finances, family, health and career. He almost lost it all.

Green Card Warrior: My Quest for Legal Immigration in an Illegals' System, is an explosive and startling exposé into the world of legal immigration and what many must endure to come to America.

Rising conservative star Nick Adams reveals how he was persecuted by the Obama Administration, and offers an incisive critique of the immigration system – both legal and illegal.

This eye-opening account shows how the Obama Administration has broken new ground in its intimidation and harassment of political opponents, now using its State Department to screen and select immigrants based on their politics.

In Green Card Warrior: My Quest for Legal Immigration in an Illegals' System, Adams recounts his personal tale, setting it against the larger story of the broken legal immigration system, and unfairness of illegal immigration in America today.

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Telephone Scam Demands Payment to Remove US Marshal Federal Arrest Warrant

The U.S. Marshals Service is warning the public of a telephone scam involving a fraudulent caller contacting members of the public and alleging they, or their family members, have an active federal arrest warrant and demanding payment of fines.

Recently, there were reported attempts of a fraudulent caller who identified himself as a Deputy United States Marshal. This phony law enforcement officer informed the potential victims that warrants were being issued for them or their family member due to being absent from a federal grand jury they were previously summoned to appear before. The potential victims were then informed they could avoid arrest by paying a fine by electronic fund transfer or cashier’s check. The Marshals Service became aware of the scam after receiving information from several calls from alert citizens.

The U.S. Marshals Service is a federal law enforcement agency and does not seek payment of fines or fees via the telephone for individuals with outstanding arrest warrants.

The U.S. Marshals Service urges individuals not to divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers and highly recommends the public report similar crimes to the FBI or their local police office if they are the victims of fraud. For internet related fraud, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center can be contacted at www.ic3.gov.

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Latin King Gang Member Indicted for Murder of Star College Basketball Player

A two-count indictment was unsealed in the United States District Court in Central Islip, New York, charging defendant Jaime Rivera, a member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation street gang, with the 2005 murder of C.W. Post student and basketball star Tafare Berryman, as well as a related firearms charge. The defendant was scheduled to be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.

The charges were announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Thomas Krumpter, Acting Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD).

“Gang violence has taken the lives of too many innocent young people with bright futures,” stated United States Attorney Capers. “This case should serve as a message to all gang members, if you engage in violent gang activity, our law enforcement partners will not stop pursuing you until you are held accountable for your actions.” Mr. Capers expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI, DEA, and NCPD.

“The mentality that an innocent person is some sort of threat to a gang member or a gang defies logic. A student who was out having a good time, ended up in the middle of a dangerous situation and was killed for absolutely no reason. No one deserves to die because they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. The FBI Long Island Safe Streets Task Force and our law enforcement partners never gave up and continued to work this case to charge the shooter and now he will be held accountable,” stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.

DEA Special Agent in Charge James Hunt stated, “Our job in law enforcement is to bring criminals to justice. By joining forces with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Nassau County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, we identified and arrested the person allegedly responsible for murdering Tafare Berryman, who was tragically taken away from his family and friends 12 years ago. Drug-related violence is just one more casualty of drug trafficking that shatters families and ends lives.”

“Today's announcement is the culmination of an extensive investigation that was worked on collaboratively by numerous law enforcement investigative agencies. Protecting the public is our number one priority and today’s indictment of defendant Rivera was of the utmost importance,” stated Acting Commissioner of Police Krumpter.

As detailed in the indictment and the government’s detention letter filed earlier today, on April 2, 2005, Rivera and other Latin King gang members were present at La Mansion bar and nightclub located at 3942 Long Beach Road, N. Long Beach. Also present at the club were numerous C.W. Post students, including Tafare Berryman and some of his friends, who were celebrating the successful presentation of a fashion show that had taken place at Post earlier that evening. At least one incident occurred inside of the club between some gang members and one of the Post students, which later spilled out into a parking lot across from the club.

At approximately 5:00 a.m. on April 3, 2005, Berryman and a friend exited the club and observed several fights occurring in the parking lot. While walking to their car, Berryman’s friend was hit in the head with a bottle causing a laceration. Berryman and his friend then entered a car and drove away. Several blocks from the club, Berryman’s friend, who was driving, pulled the car over to the side of the road to tend to the laceration on his head which was bleeding profusely. At that point, Rivera pulled up alongside of the parked car and shot Berryman once, killing him because Rivera mistakenly believed that Berryman and his friend were involved in the prior altercation in the parking lot and were a threat to the Latin Kings.

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Former Democratic Party Elections Official Indicted for Tax Evasion and Obstructing Internal Revenue Laws

An indictment was unsealed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Gerard Terry with tax evasion and obstructing the administration of internal revenue laws. Terry was arrested this morning and his arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert at the U.S. Courthouse, 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, New York.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers of the Eastern District of New York, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Enstrom, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As detailed in the indictment and in other publicly filed court documents, Terry, an attorney licensed to practice in New York state, attempted to evade substantial income tax due and owed by him, despite earning income from numerous government and quasi-government positions in Nassau County, including the Democratic Party in the town of North Hempstead, the Nassau County Board of Elections, the Town of North Hempstead, the Long Beach Housing Authority, the North Hempstead Housing Authority, the Freeport Community Development Agency, the Roosevelt Public Library, the Village of Port Washington, and the Village of Manorhaven. Since January 2000, Terry has failed to pay a federal tax debt of over $1.4 million, despite earning over $250,000 per year.

During the period charged in the indictment, Terry routinely failed to file personal Form 1040 tax returns, filing years later and only after vigorous pursuit by the IRS. Even then, Terry filed Forms 1040 that contained false information and failed to report income. Moreover, Terry has still failed to file returns for tax years 2009 and 2010. Terry also evaded the IRS’s attempts at levy collection by cashing hundreds of wage and compensation checks worth over $500,000, rather than depositing them into checking or savings accounts where they could be seized. When depositing those checks into his bank account, Terry did so in the minimum amounts necessary to cover checks and payments for his own personal expenses and luxury items, thereby making sure there were insufficient funds upon which the IRS could levy.

In his communications with the IRS, Terry routinely provided false, misleading, and incomplete information to obstruct internal revenue laws. For example, Terry created and utilized a checking account in the name of a corporate nominee so as to conceal income and avoid levy collection. Additionally, Terry had one of his employers make direct payments to his credit card rather than issuing him a paycheck, allegedly to avoid levy collection by the IRS.

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant knowingly and willfully refused to pay his federal income taxes. That he did so while earning hundreds of thousands of dollars from government and civic positions only makes his conduct more offensive,” stated U.S. Attorney Capers. “Today’s indictment demonstrates our resolve to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who fail to meet their income tax obligations under the law.”

“Taxes are inevitable, we all have to pay them. Mr. Terry allegedly tried to avoid paying them, especially egregious given his position and roles in government organizations which rely on taxes from citizens who work hard and obey laws,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney.

“As alleged in today’s indictment, not only did Mr. Terry fail to pay taxes and file tax returns for over a decade, after being steadfastly pursued by the IRS he continued with his flagrant disregard for our nation’s tax system by filing fraudulent tax returns,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Enstrom. “Fulfilling individual tax obligations is a legal requirement and those who willfully evade this obligation will be held accountable.”

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