A federal jury has convicted Jalal Nimer Asad, 61, of Lindenhurst, Illinois, on twenty-one felony counts related to tax evasion, mail fraud, and structuring financial transactions. The verdict was delivered on September 10, 2025. Asad was found guilty in two separate but related cases. The first case included charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate tax laws, six counts of tax evasion, and nine counts of mail fraud. In the second case, he was convicted of conspiracy to structure financial transactions and four counts of structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements.
According to evidence presented during a seven-day trial, Asad led a group that operated several convenience and liquor stores in the Central District of Illinois. Prosecutors demonstrated that Asad and his associates maintained two sets of financial records—one accurate and one falsified—to underreport earnings and reduce state and federal tax payments. Testimony also established that Asad structured cash withdrawals totaling more than $4 million to evade bank reporting thresholds.
Indictments against Asad and his co-defendants were issued by a federal grand jury in 2009. While all other defendants either pleaded guilty or were convicted over fifteen years ago, Asad remained a fugitive overseas until recently returning to the United States.
The court has allowed Asad to remain free on bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for January 8, 2026 at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria. He faces statutory penalties of up to twenty years in prison.
The investigation involved the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Field Office with support from local law enforcement agencies such as the Decatur Police Department. Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Eugene L. Miller and Assistant United States Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer prosecuted the case.
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