Former Chicago Ald. Rick Munoz to return to prison for 7 months after DUI arrest
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A federal judge is sending former Ald. Rick Munoz back to prison for 7 more months, after he was arrested for drunk driving in May while on supervised release from his previous corruption conviction.
U.S. District Judge John Kness granted a request from federal prosecutors to revoke Munoz's supervised release on Thursday. Munoz must report to prison on Aug. 26 to serve his additional 7-month term.
Munoz was arrested on May 23 in west suburban Berwyn, after veering into oncoming traffic and crashing into another car, according to federal prosecutors. Munoz was seen slumped over the wheel of his car when police arrived, and he had a half-empty bottle of Captain Morgan rum in the front seat.
His blood alcohol level was later confirmed at 0.3, or nearly four times the legal limit, according to prosecutors.
Munoz was sentenced to 13 months in prison in 2022 after pleading guilty to charges of stealing money from a campaign fund to spend on vacations, jewelry, tickets to sporting events, college tuition, and other personal expenses.
After his release from prison last year, Munoz faced 18 months of supervised release – the federal equivalent of parole, and was still on supervised release at the time of his arrest.
Munoz, who represented the 22nd Ward in Chicago from 1993 until 2019, was indicted in 2021 on 15 federal counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He later pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to his plea agreement, while Munoz was serving as chairman of the Chicago Progressive Reform Caucus, he absconded with $37,891.99 from the group's political action committee to use on personal expenses.
The caucus removed him as chairman in 2019, after accusing him of questionable spending in filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections. The complaint led to the federal charges against Munoz.
Munoz admitted to using the money he stole for jewelry from a Louis Vuitton store, an insurance payment on his car, women's clothing from Nordstrom's, three iPhones, a skydiving excursion, tickets to Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Kings games, and travel to Los Angeles. He also paid overdue college tuition for a family member.
Munoz retired in 2019, after his wife accused him of physically abusing her. He was later acquitted of a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery. He had been arrested on Jan. 2 of that year after police said he got into a quarrel with his wife on New Year's Eve two days earlier, and shoved and hit her.
A month after the alleged incident, the Chicago Tribune reported Munoz's wife, Betty Torres Munoz, said she wanted to reconcile with her husband – calling him a "really good man" dealing with alcohol addiction.