Raymond E. Butler II

This First Amended Verified Complaint was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan in Butler v. Eddi, et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-00134 (filed September 20, 2024; later transferred to the Northern District of Illinois as Case No. 1:25-cv-04443). The pleading asserts federal civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and RICO-conspiracy claims, along with a wide set of related state-law and equitable causes of action, arising from the alleged improper administration, concealment, and conversion of assets connected to the GPN Family Trust, the Doros Generation Trust, and related trusts/sub-trusts for which the plaintiff is a beneficiary. The complaint alleges that the trust structure was intentionally complicated through subsequent trusts, trustee changes, and the use of aliases/name changes to obscure asset trails, placing the value of the assets the plaintiff claims entitlement to at over $100 million (with some references to broader disputes exceeding $544 million). It frames the case as an “association-in-fact” enterprise that allegedly used a pattern of racketeering activity—including mail and wire fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, and other financial frauds—to withhold trust assets, enrich defendants, and conceal information from the plaintiff. A central factual issue is an alleged “fraudulent release” dated September 23, 2009, claimed to bear a forged signature and to have released trust interests in exchange for an incomplete disbursement. The complaint seeks damages (including treble damages under RICO), recovery of allegedly misappropriated assets, and a jury trial.

Latest filings through mid-October 2026 reflect continued intense procedural litigation focused on judicial impartiality, counsel status, transcript accuracy, appellate review, and sanctions. On March 13, 2026, Judge Georgia N. Alexakis granted the plaintiff’s motion for disqualification and recused herself (ECF 240) in light of a related 264-page RICO suit filed by the plaintiff against her two days earlier (Case No. 1:25-cv-10904), citing the appearance of impartiality under 28 U.S.C. § 455(a) despite describing the suit as baseless; the case was reassigned to Judge April M. Perry on March 19, 2026 (ECF 241). The plaintiff filed a motion to disqualify Judge Perry on March 30, 2026 (ECF 245), which was denied following the April 9, 2026 hearing. Plaintiff subsequently moved to correct the April 9 transcript (ECF 254, May 1, 2026) and for an evidentiary hearing to play the official audio (ECF 256, May 4, 2026); both were denied (ECF 255 and ECF 258). An Executive Commission Order 26D004 was issued and docketed on April 17, 2026 (ECF 251), suspending Katherine London from practicing law and representing Butler in the Northern District of Illinois (with a copy sent to the ARDC). Butler moved to appear pro se (ECF 252–253, April 29, 2026). Subsequent counsel Racine Miller and The Michigan Law Firm later were granted their 2025 request to withdraw, with the withdrawal granted in May 2026 (ECF 263–265).

In the related Seventh Circuit appeal (No. 25-2589), the Court on May 27, 2026 affirmed the denial of the motion to lift the stay, freeze trust assets, and appoint a neutral fiduciary; dismissed the appeal concerning the protective order for lack of jurisdiction; and denied the petition for writ of mandamus (and motion for leave to file a supplemental petition) as frivolous. Sanctions litigation continued through the summer and fall: on September 17, 2026 (ECF 287), Judge Perry denied the sanctions motions of defendants Rajchenbach and Shabat and non-party CIBC Bank USA but granted defendant Ilana Eddi’s motion in part, directing submission of an itemized fee proposal by October 1, 2026, with plaintiff’s objections due by October 15, 2026 (see ECF 288 and ECF 290). The underlying trust dispute remains pending before Judge April M. Perry amid these ongoing assignment, recusal, transcript, appellate, counsel, protective-order, and sanctions disputes. All major filings are posted below for public review.