Prairie State Wire

A man from suburban Chicago has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for cultivating a corrupt relationship with a federal law enforcement agent while trafficking cocaine. Gary Howard, 48, of Oak Lawn, Illinois, attempted to purchase ten kilograms of cocaine in 2018. The seller was working confidentially for law enforcement. During the meeting in a Chicago furniture store parking lot, Howard had more than $133,000 in a backpack and offered to buy half of the cocaine. He was arrested, and a search of his home revealed over $106,000 in cash, a drug ledger, and a loaded handgun.

At that time, Howard was a registered confidential informant for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with Special Agent Anthony Sabaini as his handler. Howard paid Sabaini thousands of dollars for sensitive law enforcement information and protection from other agencies.

A federal jury convicted Howard last year of drug conspiracy and attempted drug possession. On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced him to 13 years in federal prison.

Sabaini was convicted in 2023 for illegally structuring financial transactions, concealing material facts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and filing false tax returns. He received a sentence of more than six years in federal prison in October 2023.

The sentencing announcement came from Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division. Assistance was provided by the FBI, DHS Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation.

“The Sabaini-Howard partnership stained the reputation of HSI and law enforcement at large, as their actions eroded the public trust,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Shih and Jared Hasten stated in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Corrupt confidential informants and those who work to corrupt federal law enforcement will be held accountable.”