Overview

• A federal grand jury in Chicago charged Horton with 17 counts, including wire fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion tied to his 2020–2023 leadership of Evanston/Skokie District 65.
• DeKalb’s board held an emergency meeting, suspended Horton with pay, and appointed Dr. Norman C. Sauce III as interim superintendent, with leaders saying operations will continue as normal.
• Prosecutors allege more than $280,000 in contracts were steered to associates, generating over $80,000 in kickbacks to Horton, plus roughly $30,000 in personal charges on a district purchasing card.
• Co-defendants Antonio Ross, Samuel Ross, and Alfonzo Lewis allegedly formed vendor companies, concealed ties, and routed payments to Horton, including a CPS contract that allegedly netted him about $10,000 for work not performed.
• Horton’s attorney says the allegations concern years-old conduct unrelated to his work in DeKalb, while prosecutors seek forfeiture and no trial date has been set.