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Press Releases / News Articles

Please review the following press releases and news articles pertaining to the Chicago RCFL program:

  • 10/18/11: A High-Tech Good Deed, Indeed... — The owner of a lost iPad is "ecstatic" to have the device back after Oak Park , IL Detective Paul Kerley, a member of the Chicago RCFL, recovered files and photos from the damaged device — read the article featured in OakPark.Com.

  • 6/27/11: Ex-Illinois Governor Found Guilty — The outcome of Rod Blagojevich's second trial on public corruption charges turned out quite differently from his first — he was convicted on nearly all the charges against him. The Chicago RCFL provided digital forensics expertise to prosecutors — learn more.

  • 6/1/11: RCFL Program Featured on FBI.gov — The RCFL Program, specifically the Chicago RCFL, featured on the FBI homepage in June 2011 - click here to read the full article.

  • 5/6/11: Audio/Video Forensics Benefits Diverse Investigations — The ability to enhance images extracted from video and digital cameras has helped solve many investigations — from fleeing bank robbers caught on camera to actual crimes recorded on tape. Chicago RCFL Examiner Paul Rettig is applying his video forensics skills to aid two very different investigations — one for the National Hockey League and another involving a violent criminal who not only robs but chokes his victims — learn more.

  • 4/12/11: The Chicago RCFL provided digital forensics expertise to federal prosecutors who won a 10-year conviction against James Thielberg, 61, for transporting child pornography. Read the FBI Chicago Division's press release.

  • 3/9/11: Rod Blagojevich Files Motion to Cancel Retrial   On April 20, 2011, the ex-governor of Illinois is scheduled to face a jury on public corruption charges for a second time. However, in a five-page motion filed in U.S. District Court on 3/8/11, Mr. Blagojevich requested a cancellation of the retrial followed by prompt sentencing from his one conviction on lying to the FBI. The Chicago RCFL is providing digital forensics expertise to prosecutors – learn more.

  • 8/18/10: Judge Declares Mistrial for Blagojevich — After 14 days of jury deliberations and a single unanimous verdict on one count, Judge James. B. Zagel declared a mistrial in the public corruption case against ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich — the Chicago RCFL provided digital forensics expertise for the investigation.

    Mr. Blagojevich was accused of seeking lucrative jobs or cash in exchange for an appointment to the Senate seat left vacant by President Barack Obama. The jury convicted him on one count of lying to the FBI which carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail. They could not reach a unanimous verdict against him on the other 23 charges. Prosecutors announced they would retry Mr. Blagojevich — a hearing date of August 26, 2010 was scheduled to decide the manner and timing of the retrial.

    To accommodate the varying requests for digital forensics expertise, CGRCFL participating agency representatives from the Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, FBI-Chicago Division, Joliet Police Department, and the Lombard Police Department supported the lengthy investigation.

  • John T. Dziedzic, a 13-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department, was named Director of the Chicago RCFL (CGRCFL) by the laboratory’s board, succeeding FBI Special Agent Keith Johnson, who returned to Washington, D.C. last month. Investigator Dziedzic has served as the Acting Director of the laboratory since March and has been the Assistant Director of the facility since 2007. Click here to read more.

  • The Chicago RCFL (CGRCFL) is supporting an international terrorist investigation against three Chicago men who may have been involved in plotting to bomb a Dutch newspaper, along with the attacks in Mumbai, India in October 2008, which killed approximately 170 people. To date, CGRCFL personnel examined approximately two dozen computers—providing their findings to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in less than 24 hours. Click here to read the FBI Chicago Division's press release dated 1/14/10.

  • 12/3/09: FBI Techno-sleuths Find Evidence In Digital Codes  With FBI agents closing in on him, one suspect tried to burn down his own home in hopes the flames would destroy the computer hard drive holding the evidence to send him to prison. He failed. Another fired a shotgun into his computer at point blank range in hopes that blowing its two hard drives to smithereens would save him from the federal pen. He ruined one hard drive but the other survived and he went to prison...

  • 12/4/09: Chicago lab goes after digital crooks  Trying to conceal wrongdoing, criminals often do whatever possible to get rid of digital evidence, sometimes acting in a moment of panic. That can include anything from deleting e-mails to shooting computers with a shotgun or even burning the house down. It's left to the Chicago Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory to try and recover the data. "The stuff isn't always looking pretty when it comes in here," John Parcol, a Chicago forensic examiner, said Thursday...

  • 12/3/09: FFBI's electronic sleuths find key evidence buried on hard drives and in cellphone messages  The FBI is celebrating a new honor for its high-tech Chicago Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory. The laboratory, which handles 500 cases a year in northern Illinois, on Thursday received full accreditation from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors-Laboratory Accreditation. The recognition puts it in the top level of such laboratories nationwide...

  • 12/3/09: FBI’s Chicago RCFL Receives Prestigious AccreditationThe American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) recently accredited the Chicago Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) in digital and multimedia evidence. According to ASCLD/LAB, 51 laboratories in the nation are currently accredited in this discipline. With the Chicago RCFL’s accomplishment, 12 out of 14 operational RCFLs have earned accreditation from ASCLD/LAB. Additionally, the North Texas RCFL recently earned the organization’s international accreditation...

  • 12/9/08: Chicago RCFL Supporting Blagojevich Investigation - On 12/9/08, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff were arrested on federal corruption charges. The Chicago RCFL is providing digital forensics support of the federal investigation – read the press release from U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office.

  • 4/2/08: Schaumburg woman indicted in theft of business secrets intended for China: She is accused of attempting to take confidential telecommunications documents from Chicago-area company A Schaumburg woman has been indicted on charges that she stole business trade secrets and attempted to take them to China, which could have cost a suburban telecommunications company more than $600 million over the next three years, federal authorities said Wednesday...


  • 03/01/06: Although it appeared to be a suicide, an investigation supported by the CGRCFL that was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Chicago Police Department (a CGRCFL participating agency), and the U.S. Attorney's Office revealed a far different conclusion...


  • 02/16/06: Alleged sexual predator arrested outside library A 19-year-old Buffalo Grove man was arrested last week for allegedly soliciting sex on the Internet from someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl...


  • 11/21/05: Digital Forensics: Fighting Crime One Byte at a Time AFTER 7-YEAR-OLD DANIELLE van Dam went missing from her suburban San Diego home in February 2002, circumstantial evidence quickly led police to her neighbor, David Alan Westerfield. Initially, police were stumped by the motive... (CreationDate: 11/21/05) Web version, PDF version


  • 07/29/04: Will County sheriff lends an officer to fight terrorism, child pornography When it comes to matters of homeland security, the Will County Sheriff's Department is doing its part, lending one of its officers to help fight terrorism as well as child pornography and computer fraud....


  • 4/12/04: Update on Image Scan Software On February 19, Philip Basak of the FBI's Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory(RCFL) in Chicago traveled to the Northern District of Ohio and provided high-quality training in the use of Image Scan....


  • 11/03: Kane County Sheriff's Office Press Release THE KANE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE JOINS THE FBI, ILLINOIS STATE POLICE, COOK AND WILL COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICES, ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO POLICE AND THE CHICAGO AND PALATINE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AS PARTICIPATING AGENCIES IN THE CHICAGO RCFL....


  • 07/18/03: New FBI lab targets computer crimes The FBI, in partnership with seven state and local law enforcement agencies, this week opened the nation's third regional computer forensics facility in Chicago, where a 14-person team will examine computers and digital media used in crimes ranging from terrorism to fraud. The Chicago lab, located at 610 N. Canal St., is one of five facilities funded by Congress. An FBI spokesman said Chicago was selected for one of the sites because it's located in the center of the country and, as a major city, is home to a large FBI office that can devote resources to the new operation...


  • 07/18/03: High-tech lab helps police tackle crime byte by byte Chief David Peters remembers a time when his University of Illinois at Chicago police force had to ask outside agencies for help with any computer-based evidence. With the recent opening of the Chicago Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, Peters' department and law enforcement agencies throughout northern Illinois can find specially trained researchers with the resources to analyze digital evidence. "The crooks nowadays know how to use a computer and are not afraid of it," Peters said Thursday at news conference offering the first public glimpse at the new high-tech lab...