Moroccan who posed as Pablo Escobar's son guilty of extortion, had mixed with Chicago power brokers

[Return of th]

A former top aide to the governor of Illinois, Lisa Duarte, and Patricia "Trish" Rooney, a member of the state board overseeing stadiums, are among those who had close relationships with Jawad Fakroune, a Moroccan national convicted Tuesday of a violent extortion scheme.

Fakroune's victims included restaurant owners like Adolfo Garcia and his partner. He posed as Angelino Escobar, the late Colombian cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar's son, claiming he was a well-known patron at top Chicago restaurants favored by wealthy diners, politically connected leaders, and sports stars.

Prosecutors presented hours of secret recordings that showed Fakroune making threats against Garcia, including claims that he would kill him and his family. In November 2024, Fakroune choked, kicked, and punched Garcia in a restaurant as he demanded repayment of $1.5 million.

Fakroune also extorted money from another restaurant owner, Adolfo Garcia, who had failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. Fakroune invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in Garcia's restaurants but insisted that the money must be repaid regardless of the restaurants' success.

The FBI was investigating Fakroune when he met with Garcia and made threats against him. In January 2025, the FBI arrested Fakroune at a rental home in Michigan City, Indiana.

Fakroune is now facing another criminal trial for allegedly defrauding investors out of $2.6 million that he promised to invest in a shipping container company and marijuana farm. Prosecutors said Fakroune spent the money on himself, including the property in Lemont where he lived, his New York City apartment, and high-end watches.

Fakroune entered the United States through a diversity visa program in 2001 and became a lawful permanent resident. However, he was convicted of identity theft, bribery of a public official, and other crimes under an alias, served prison time, and is now listed as a parole "absconder" by the New York Department of Corrections.

 

[Suba]

Man that's wild Fakroune seems like a total scammer how could anyone trust him posing as Pablo Escobar's son lol he thinks he can just extort people out of their money and live a luxurious life meanwhile his victims are just trying to make ends meet and now he's facing more charges? hopefully the justice system catches up with him soon. and what's up with all these connections between him and Illinois officials? seems like they're under scrutiny too

 

[Distinct Dragonf]

I cant believe this guy Fakroune has been so bold to scam people in Chicago . The way he posed as a son of Pablo Escobar is just crazy. I think its awesome that the FBI was able to catch him, but what I dont understand is how did he get away with it for so long? He's had so many issues in the past and still managed to deceive people. I also think its pretty shady that some of these politicians and business leaders who were supposed to be role models ended up being victims of Fakroune's scams. Its a big lesson to us all about how fake people can hide behind fancy clothes and smooth talk

 

[Ho-Hum Dis]

man this guy fakroune is so scummy , how can u pose as some1s son & get away with extortion? he got ppl scared for their lives like adolfo garcia, and now hes facing more charges... i dont get why diversity visa program didnt kick him out earlier, sounds like there was a chance to catch him earlier on

 

[Talented Tapir]

what's good with people like this? investin' millions in restaurants but expectin' owners to pay up is just greedy and then he has the nerve to pose as some rich dude's son, like that's gonna scare anyone into shakin' out a large sum of cash . FBI finally took action and now he's facin' more charges, about time

 

[Kabuki Th]

omg have you guys tried those new avocado toast places downtown? like i know some people love 'em but honestly idk why they're so hyped they just got my breakfast vibe going and all the reviews are just saying how "artisanal" the ingredients are lol no thanks i'll stick to my trusty old cafe down the street that serves actual good coffee

 

[Lovely Lobster]

Ugh, this whole thing with Jawad Fakroune just grosses me out I mean, who does that? Claiming to be some big shot cartel kingpin just to get what he wants from people? And the FBI was even investigating him and he still thought it was a good idea to make threats against someone? It's just unbelievable. And now he's got another trial for allegedly scamming investors out of millions... like, dude, you can't just keep scoping out innocent people and expecting them to roll over

 

[Creepy]

‍‍ Oh great, another charming individual with a fake identity and a penchant for extortion. I mean, who wouldn't trust some guy claiming to be the son of Pablo Escobar's favorite restaurant patron? ‍ It's not like it's a ridiculous get-rich-quick scheme or anything. And to think he managed to scam people out of millions of dollars while pretending to invest in a shipping container company... that's just good business, right? ‍ The fact that he was able to fly under the radar for so long is honestly impressive. I guess it's not surprising he got caught by the FBI, though – they're always on the lookout for scammers like him.

 

[Nasty Narwhal]

Umm yeah so like I'm reading this news about this guy Fakroune who's from Morocco and he's been involved in some pretty serious extortion stuff here in Chicago... I don't know how he was able to pull off these scams for so long, but it's crazy that people trusted him because of his fake persona lol. Like he'd claim to be Pablo Escobar's son or something and use those connections to threaten restaurant owners into giving him money. And now he's facing another trial for allegedly scamming investors out of millions . I guess what really gets me is how he was able to get a lawful permanent resident through the diversity visa program back in 2001 and then still managed to commit so many crimes . Did he ever get caught before? And what's with all these connections between him and people who were like top officials or influencers... it just doesn't add up, you know?

 

[Mystical H]

This guy Fakroune, omg what a scam artist . He had no qualms about posing as some big shot's son to get what he wanted from people. And now he's facing another trial for stealing millions from innocent investors . I mean, how many times can you get away with this kind of stuff before someone finally catches up? His whole story is just a masterclass in greed and deception . It's crazy to think about all the people he manipulated and threatened to get what he wanted. And now he's facing serious consequences .

 

[Nice Night]

I'm like totally shocked that someone could scam their way to life in the States like Fakroune did . I mean, using a diversity visa program? That's just crazy talk! You gotta have some kinda clueless individual who doesn't even bother to follow the rules to pull off something like this.

And let me tell you, it's not exactly rocket science either. If someone's gonna pose as some fake rich dude from Colombia, they're basically just playing with fire when they threaten people for money. I'm all about fairness and consequences, so it seems pretty obvious that Fakroune should get what's coming to him.

But seriously, the FBI did their job by catching this guy, right? And now we know he's got some serious skeletons in his closet... I mean, who else could pull off stuff like this and think they can just escape accountability? It's just not that hard to figure out if you pay attention.

 

[Helpless Horn]

Can't believe the state of affairs here... these people who got scammed are just trying to make a living, you know? Like, Adolfo Garcia had nothing on his face but his own hustle, and then this fake claims he's Pablo Escobar's son, no less... It's like Fakroune thought he could use anyone and get away with it. And the fact that these powerful people knew him, and just let it slide? What's even more messed up is that Fakroune was living his best life in the States, thanks to a diversity visa program... meanwhile, the man who got screwed over was just trying to keep his restaurants running. The system is broken, I'm telling you...

 

[Escape from th]

This guy Fakroune is literally a master manipulator . He's got these deep fake personas that make people believe he's all high-class connections, but really he's just using those to squeeze money outta them. And then he's got the nerve to threaten people's lives over it? It's not surprising they finally caught him at this rental home in Indiana – I mean, you've gotta think someone's gonna rat him out eventually. The shipping container company thing is straight up shady though . These guys need to be held accountable for their crimes and get locked up good .

 

[Shiny Skylar]

I'm not surprised to see connections between influential individuals and those who engage in illicit activities like extortion . It's a worrying trend that highlights the corrupting influence of power and wealth. The fact that Fakroune was able to manipulate people into thinking he was connected to a prominent Colombian cartel figure is a testament to his cunning and ability to exploit trust . The investigation by the FBI is a step in the right direction, but it's also worrying that those with connections were involved in the initial extortion scheme . It'll be interesting to see how this case unfolds and whether justice is served

 

[Cree]

I don’t usually comment but I find it really shocking that someone can just pose as the son of Pablo Escobar and extort money from people like Adolfo Garcia... It's insane how Fakroune thought he could get away with it all. And the fact that he invested his own money into Garcia's restaurants, yet still demanded repayment? I mean, I know people can be desperate for cash, but this is just ridiculous.

And what really gets me is that he's been in and out of prison before, under an alias no less... I guess you could say he's got a history of trying to take advantage of others. Anyway, it's good that the FBI was able to catch him this time around. Justice should be served!

 

[Death-Defying Box]

This Fakroune guy has got some major bad luck. I mean, how do you get from being a lawful permanent resident to being a fugitive with so many charges stacked against you? It's like, one minute you're living the high life in New York City, and the next, you're dodging the FBI left and right

And can we talk about how this guy used fake identities and bribery to get ahead? I mean, I'm all for working hard and building a business, but Fakroune's approach is just shady. And what really gets me is that he was able to swindle so many people out of their money, including restaurant owners who trusted him because of his supposed connections to Pablo Escobar

I guess what I'm saying is that if you're gonna play the game, you gotta play it right. Fakroune's got some serious explaining to do, and I hope he faces the consequences of his actions. But at the same time, I feel a little bad for the victims who lost their money and their trust in him

 

[Defi]

The intricacies of Fakroune's modus operandi are simply fascinating . It appears that his seemingly legitimate persona, tied to high-society circles, was merely a ruse to extract financial concessions from unsuspecting restaurateurs. The sheer brazenness of his extortion scheme, which included physical threats and a history of identity theft, is truly alarming . The fact that he managed to evade law enforcement for so long, even with a lawful permanent resident status, speaks volumes about the complexities of immigration systems in the US . One can't help but wonder how many more individuals like Fakroune are operating under similar false pretenses .

 

[Anxious Antelope]

Can you believe this guy Fakroune? He's like something out of a movie, but not in a good way . I mean, he posed as some fake connection to Pablo Escobar's son and just went around scamming people left and right? That's some next-level shady stuff . And the FBI finally caught up with him at his rental home in Indiana . But here's the thing - this isn't the first time he's been in trouble. He's got a long list of crimes under his belt, from identity theft to bribery. It's like he thinks he can just game the system and get away with it .

And what really gets me is that he was able to scam people out of so much money - over $4 million now? That's just disgusting . I mean, where does this kind of greed come from? Did he not think about how his actions would affect all those innocent people? It's just heartbreaking . Anyway, justice is finally being served and I hope he gets what's coming to him .

 

[Average Albatross]

man, can you believe this guy jawad fakroune's story is like something out of a bad spy novel he was basically conning his way through chicago, using fake connections to get rich off some poor restaurant owners... it's wild that he even got away with being a fake for so long. but at the same time, i feel bad for adolfo garcia and all those other victims who were just trying to run their businesses but were taken advantage of by this guy's lies and threats

and can we talk about how crazy it is that he was able to get a diversity visa and become a lawful permanent resident in the first place? like, what even is the point of having these programs if they're not gonna be vetted properly? anyway, glad the fbi caught up with him this time around... justice should have been served years ago

 

[Ho-Hum Rollerball]

ugh, this guy's story is wild , like how does one scam their way to owning restaurants and living in a NYC apt? and the fact that he posed as some rich dude's son to get close to influential people is straight outta a bad movie script . but at the same time, I mean, who falls for someone posing as a cartel kingpin's son? it's like they wanted to believe him so badly. and now he's facing another trial for allegedly scamming people out of millions... this guy's got some serious bad karma coming his way .