Authorities charged two men in Chicago for “soliciting unlawful business” after they were found going door to door trying to inform people on Obamacare, police said Sunday.
Police responded after receiving a report that the men may have been scamming elderly residents of the Garfield Ridge neighborhood, a local CBS affiliate reported.
But Felipe Hernandez, 20, and Kevin Tapia, 19, are volunteers at the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, and were only trying to inform residents on how to sign up for government health care.
“I never would have thought informing people about Obamacare would get me in handcuffs,” Mr. Hernandez said at a news conference Sunday. “I was doing something positive for my community. … I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
Patrick Brosnan, the executive director of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, said the organization issues ID badges to all canvassing volunteers, but Chicago Police Department spokesman Adam Collins said neither of the two men could produce such identification.
“A day after the arrest, CPD received information confirming that the two men arrested earlier in the week were employees of a community organization,” Mr. Collins told CBS, adding that the charges will likely be dropped.
“This information, which was not available to officers at the time of the arrest, will surely be presented when the matter goes before a judge and the case should be disposed of at that time,” he said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.