Federal investigation into kickback scheme at Evanston/Skokie School District 65 results in two more guilty pleas

Date: Oct. 13, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

CHICAGO – Two former vendors of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges today and admitted their roles in a kickback scheme orchestrated by the District’s former Superintendent.

Antonio Ross and Alfonzo Lewis admitted in plea agreements that they paid kickbacks to District 65’s then-Superintendent, Devon Horton, in exchange for Horton’s efforts to steer District 65 contracts to consulting companies that Antonio Ross and Lewis owned. Antonio Ross obtained approximately $119,500 from District 65 and paid Horton at least $41,900 in cash from the proceeds of the contracts with his company. Lewis obtained approximately $24,000 from District 65 and paid Horton at least $6,000 in cash kickbacks from the proceeds of a contract with his company. Antonio Ross and Lewis admitted that their companies did not perform some of the services for which they invoiced the District.

Antonio Ross of Chicago and Lewis of Chicago each pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin scheduled sentencing for Lewis on Jan. 25, 2027, and for Antonio Ross on March 10, 2027. 

The guilty pleas were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Marta Grijalva, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; Scott Wingle, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Central Regional Office; and Ryan Whalen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen, Elie Zenner, and Morris Pasqual.

Horton of Stone Mountain, Ga., pleaded guilty earlier this month to wire fraud, embezzlement, and tax charges. Horton admitted receiving the kickbacks from Antonio Ross and Lewis, as well as an additional $30,000 in kickbacks from a third school vendor, Samuel Ross, whose company obtained $124,500 from District 65 purportedly to provide loss prevention services. Judge Durkin scheduled Horton’s sentencing for Jan. 5, 2027.

Samuel Ross of Berwyn, Ill. pleaded guilty last month to a wire fraud charge. Judge Durkin has not yet scheduled Samuel Ross’s sentencing.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 16 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.