John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney
www.justice.gov/usao-ndil
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Man of Shooting ATF Agent
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man of shooting an agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
ERNESTO GODINEZ shot the agent on May 4, 2018, in the Back of the Yards neighborhood of Chicago. At the time of the early morning shooting, the agent and several other law enforcement officers were conducting a covert law enforcement activity in the 4300 block of South Hermitage Avenue. The agent was wounded but survived, and he testified at the trial.
The jury returned its verdict on Monday in federal court in Chicago. Godinez, 29, was found guilty on both counts against him, including one count of assault of a federal officer, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, which is punishable by a minimum sentence of ten years in prison that must be served after any term of imprisonment imposed on the assault conviction. U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber set sentencing for September 19, 2019.
The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of ATF; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Illinois State Police. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kavitha J. Babu and Nicholas J. Eichenseer.
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