t of those payments back to Horton as kickbacks.

In a statement before Durkin Monday, Horton confirmed that he had participated in a kickback scheme using District 65 contracts.

He worked with his co-defendants  to receive funds without disclosing to the board my financial interests,  Horton said, in pleading guilty to Count 1 (wire fraud).

Horton also admitted to improperly using his District 65 procurement card, or P-card, for personal expenses, including meals and vehicle repairs. He also admitted to purposely not disclosing income from the kickback scheme on his 2022 and 2023 tax forms.

Attorneys for Antonio Ross, Samuel Ross and Lewis also did not immediately return requests for comment.

Horton is also facing separate charges in Georgia of aggravated assault and cruelty to children after officials alleged he attempted to strangle his wife in front of his two minor children in January.

Horton will be sentenced in his Illinois federal case at 10 a.m. Jan. 5, 2027.

This story was originally published on Decaturish, a news partner of Atlanta News First. They pulled the story from the Evanston Roundtable, their news partner.

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