Defendants in School District Fraud Case Plead Guilty

Remaining defendants involved in a kickback scheme led by former Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Devon Horton admitted to federal fraud charges. This development occurred just days before what was expected to be a notable trial. Antonio Ross and Alfonzo Lewis, both 49, pleaded guilty on October 13 in federal court to a wire fraud charge, which carries a potential 20-year prison sentence, as per the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Earlier in the month, Horton, 49, agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors, altering his plea to guilty for three of the 16 felony counts of wire fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion he was facing. Judge Thomas M. Durkin scheduled Horton’s sentencing for January 5, 2027. Samuel Ross, 47, the first of the four defendants to accept a plea agreement, pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge on September 29, according to court records. All four have now shifted from their initial not guilty pleas, preventing the trial set for October 21 from proceeding.

Prosecutors accuse Horton of orchestrating the fraud scheme by using his role in the school district to direct the approval of District 65 work contracts to companies owned by the three men, in return for kickbacks and additional payments.

Former Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Devon Horton arrives at Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Oct. 23, 2025, facing federal fraud charges related to his tenure as superintendent. Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune

On October 5, 2026, Horton pleaded guilty to three felony counts of wire fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion.

The district attorney’s news release revealed that Antonio Ross received roughly $119,500 from work contracts with District 65, from which he paid Horton at least $41,900 in cash kickbacks. Lewis, similarly, received approximately $24,000 in contracts and paid Horton at least $6,000 in kickbacks. Samuel Ross, as outlined by prosecutors, was awarded $124,500 for providing loss prevention services, giving Horton an additional $30,000.

Though the federal indictment alleges the three friends falsified information about the contracts, suggesting Horton’s economic or personal gain was absent, their pleas tell a different story. Horton’s guilty plea to the three counts was noted by prosecutors to potentially reduce his sentence to an expected range of 87 to 108 months in prison, equating to seven to nine years.

Originally pleading not guilty to all 17 charges, Horton’s charges were reduced as prosecutors dropped one charge. The district will move to dismiss the outstanding counts after Horton’s sentencing date in January.

Judge Durkin set Lewis’ sentencing for January 25, 2027, and Antonio Ross’ for March 10, 2027. Samuel Ross’ sentencing date remains unset. In Georgia, Horton is also under indictment for other charges related to an escalated verbal dispute with his wife, awaiting trial. Horton resigned from the District 65 superintendent role in 2023, later taking a similar position in Georgia’s DeKalb County School District.