Judge found guilty of fraud in mortgage scheme

A federal jury on Thursday found Cook County Judge Jessica Arong O'Brien guilty of mail and bank fraud as part of a real estate scheme, marking a stunning end to the career of a once rising star in the Cook County legal community.

The feds accused O'Brien of pocketing $325,000 as she lied to lenders amid a $1.4 million scheme involving two South Side properties more than a decade ago. But O'Brien's attorney, Ricardo Meza, told jurors that his client, at worst, made mistakes.

O'Brien faces signification prison time when she is sentenced. A hearing has been set for July 6.

O'Brien in 2012 became the first female Filipino-American elected judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County. She is married to Cook County Judge Brendan A. O'Brien and has been on administrative duty since her indictment.

Under state law, the conviction means O'Brien loses her spot on the bench.

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