A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

Oak Lawn Real Estate Executive Arrested for Trying to Hire a Hit Man to Murder Attorney Who Filed Cases Against Him

CHICAGO — An Oak Lawn real estate executive was charged today with trying to hire a hit man to murder an attorney who was involved in litigation against him.

“…Let’s kill all the lawyers,” reads the message on this tee shirt seen in the Johnsburg Saufen & Spiel Parade in 2016.  The Federal governments frowns on such activity.

LYLE ANASTOS, 35, of Oak Lawn, was arrested yesterday afternoon.  He is charged with using interstate commerce in the             commission of murder for hire, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Anastos was ordered to remain in federal custody after an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert.  Judge Gilbert scheduled a detention hearing for Oct. 7, 2016, at 2:00 p.m.

According to the complaint, Anastos sought the murder of an attorney who represented the husband of Anastos’ maternal grandmother in cases filed against Anastos.

In June the attorney helped secure legal judgments of more than $900,000 for the grandmother’s husband against Anastos and his real estate company, Skyline 1, Inc., as well as against the company’s secretary and a related entity, S12 LLC, where Anastos served as manager.

In a secretly recorded conversation last week, Anastos is heard talking to an acquaintance and agreeing to pay up to $10,000 to a hit man to murder the attorney, the complaint states.

Anastos is heard on the recording referring to the attorney as “the catalyst to get out of the picture,” according to the complaint.

The complaint and arrest were announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. 

According to the complaint, the acquaintance last month informed the FBI that Anastos had requested assistance in locating an individual to murder the attorney.  At the direction of law enforcement, the acquaintance subsequently engaged in multiple recorded conversations with Anastos.

In a conversation yesterday, Anastos guaranteed to convey title to a $5,000 dump trailer to the hit man as collateral, with the understanding that Anastos would pay cash to the hit man after the murder and then get back the trailer, the complaint states.

Anastos is heard confirming the murder for hire, and he requested to see photographs after it was carried out, according to the complaint.

Law enforcement arrested Anastos after this conversation, the complaint states. 

No one was injured as part of the alleged scheme.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The charge in the complaint carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is represented by Stephen Chahn Lee.