CHICAGO — Federal charges have been filed against a Chicago man accused of forging the signatures of two federal judges in court filings in an attempt to lift restrictions that had been placed on him after several of his civil lawsuits were deemed frivolous.
Walter Brzowski, a 67-year-old Chicago resident, has been charged with eleven counts of forgery, Andrew Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced Tuesday.
According to prosecutors, Brzowski represented himself in several civil lawsuits that he initiated in federal court in Chicago, but the US District Court and the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit eventually dismissed the lawsuits after finding that many of his filings were frivolous.
Then, in 2021, restrictions regarding Brzowski’s ability to file new civil cases were placed on him by the Executive Committee of the US District Court in Chicago and he was issued a warning that violating the order may lead to monetary sanctions or a contempt of court finding.
But prosecutors say Brzowski attempted to get around the restrictions in 2023 when he allegedly filed a notice in district court, purportedly signed by US District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, which stated that he had been relieved of any previously imposed prohibitions and instructed the District Court Clerk’s Office to “rescind any filing restrictions.”
Prosecutors say the district court later determined that Brzowski had allegedly forged Pallmeyer’s signature and sanctioned him $25,000.
However, prosecutors say Brzowski allegedly continued to file materials with the court, including several filings in 2025 that allegedly contained forged signatures of Judge Pallmeyer and US District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall.
“The forgery of a judge’s signature is a serious matter and an attack on the rule of law,” Boutros said. “We will hold accountable those who use forgeries and frauds to undermine the important judicial work of the Honorable Judges of the Northern District of Illinois.”
Brzowski’s arraignment in federal court in Chicago has yet to be scheduled; however, if convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison for each count.
Authorities did not provide a booking photo for Brzowski.
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