FBI Sting Brings Down Corrupt Cops

Illinois Police Officers Allegedly Guarded Drug Shipments, Protected Gamblers

(CBS/AP)  Duffel bags stuffed with cocaine were delivered by plane to a suburban airport in the U.S. state of Illinois while two sheriff's officers provided security.

A police officer stood by to guard the cash and keep out the riffraff at a poker game where $100,000 changed hands.

And a drug dealer was told squad cars marked "sheriff" and "sheriff's police" might be available on a "freelance" basis to provide protection for his deliveries.

Such tales of law enforcement gone awry emerged in court papers Tuesday as U.S. federal prosecutors unveiled a series of elaborate sting operations aimed at officers hired out to ride shotgun for drug deals and other criminal activities.

Fifteen officers and two other men who had pretended to be law enforcement officials were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine or heroin or both.

But the most spectacular pretending was done by the federal agents themselves.

The pilots of the airplane were not drug runners but undercover agents. So were the gamblers who busily played hand after hand of high-stakes poker - all for show.

The drug broker who squired the officers to the airport to pick up the duffel bags was an agent. So was the drug dealer who stuffed the bags into his Mercedes-Benz.

U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said he was dismayed to find that so many law enforcement officers had "sold out their badge."

"When drug dealers deal drugs, they ought to be afraid of the police - not turn to them for help," Fitzgerald said at a news conference.

Officials paid homage to an unnamed FBI agent who moved into a business in Harvey more than a year ago and set up shop as a drug broker. He soon attracted the attention of police and the corruption grew, authorities said.

They said the agent was sent in undercover because there had been reports of police corruption over the last several years in southern Cook County, including the Harvey Police Department, which has been the target of a number of investigations by state police in the past few years, reports CBS affiliate WBBM-TV in Chicago. Those investigations involved a number of suspiciously unsolved murders, and, in a celebrated incident, the mysterious disappearance of a gun police had been holding as evidence in one case.

An investigation into allegations of robbery, extortion, narcotics offenses and weapons distribution is ongoing, officials said.

Those charged include 10 Cook County sheriff's correctional officers, four Harvey police officers and one Chicago police officer.

Of the 17 defendants, 14 were arrested or surrendered Tuesday and were being immediately brought before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Mason. Two sheriff's officers are on active duty with Army National Guard units in Afghanistan, and warrants were issued for their arrest.

If convicted of conspiracy to possess and distribute more than 11 pounds of cocaine or 2.2 pound of heroin, the defendants would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life. The maximum fine would be $4 million.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart called the alleged behavior "absolutely reprehensible."

Each of those charged has been suspended with pay pending a hearing next week, Dart said. "That step will then lead to a request for termination."

[fredflinsto2]

Dirty cops normally will kill themselves before going to jail.


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Posted by misogynist10 at 03:34 PM : Dec 04, 2008

If that was true, NC would not have very many cops left since most here are as corrupt as they come

[misogynist10]

Dirty cops normally will kill themselves before going to jail.

[honestabe8]

"Atleast crime doesnt pay in this part of the world" This is why there are no criminals here. It doesn''t pay. Organized crime does their thing just for the fun of it.

[abdulli-2009]

Atleast crime doesnt pay in this part of the world, we have system, justice and laws. You havent experienced third world country like Tanzania. Cops in any uniform are like mafia kings, there the innocent are the criminals and the criminals are innocent ie power of money. So lets all thank the American justice .

[ludvig1-2009]

Continued - Bro-in-law robbed by cops in Chicago. He jokingly said "You can make money at this", returned to his native country and became a cop.

According to local paper, cop in this town slugged woman in bar and then told DA to charge husband with slugging her, but video from bar showed him slugging her. Cop not fired according to paper. No honor code for local cops. "I will not lie, cheat or steal nor will I tolerate those among us those who do." Bunch of goons. I boycot the town I live in, can''t buy an American made car, because if I do, I pay the PIG tax they voted in.

[ludvig1-2009]

My exp. with cops - Cop comes up to investigate stolen boat motors, & says it must have been those ******* that were camped out. Dad tells him there weren''t any. He says people in school bus camped there said there was.

Visiting mom in MO. Car stopped & searched 2 times by MOHP as Cal license plates = drugs.

Doctor says lose weight or get diabetes, took up walking and biking. Biking down street, cop takes my picture like he thought this 13 gallon blood donor was public enemy number one. I got mad as when I was in college a kid insisted I was his high school chemistry even though I told him I wasn''t. Two weeks later, decoy car put in my walking path, ignored it. Senile volunteers sic''d on me as a few days later one of them hiding behind a truck watched me walk laps around the park moved and hid elsewhere when I walked in his direction. Next they dropped a bag labelled "Medical" perfectly centered on my driveway parking a block down the street and picked it up when I ignored it. I guess they thought I''d look in the bag and find Med. Marijuana, take it in my house and they could kick my door down and shoot my basset hound in the back the way they shot the mayor''s two black labs in the back in Maryland. Retired Nuc.
Engr. 13 gal. blood donor a lot more but 1500 char limit.

[memerider]

Time to make drugs legal and control their distribution so they are safer.

And this points to the reality that we don''t want only the cops and military to be armed, since they are just as likely to be corrupt as any other citizens. This also points to why we need to regain the rights we''ve lost as a result of our leaders turning a blind eye to our second amendment over the years.

[sonofapundit]

Eazy-E said it best... right?

[alanzs]

Time to legalize drugs and end the never to be won war on drugs. Why waste billions on this futile prohibition?

[eddom949]

I wonder if they could sting the Irvine police: "I''m not an officer... I''m an officer - badge number ***!"

[regats-2009]

Shortly after the 9/11 attack on the WTC, a Tourneau store in a sub-basement was looted of 1.3 million worth of fine watches. Only cops and fire fighters had access. Later, under the debris,a fire truck was found with its cab filled with dozens of new pairs of jeans from The Gap, another WTC shop. More recently, an internal memo at Precinct 20 warned cops to lock up their gear because cop were stealing form each other

New York''s Finest and Bravest?
What a JOKE.

[swingset4u]

Each of those charged has been suspended with pay pending a hearing next week, Dart said. "That step will then lead to a request for termination."
???????????????????????????????????????????????

HORSE S*H*I*T!!!!! NO PAY! IF YOU ARE CLEARED THEN YOU GET BACK PAY!! THIS IS COMPLETELY MESSED UP.

[honestabe8]

I hope the dirty cops find large, diseased, violent wannabe proctologists in prison.

[corkscr3w]

Well, they better keep going. The majority of cops are liars, cheats, and crooks. It''''s one of the best jobs to have to get away with crime. I don''''t know if you people ever went to www.badcopnews.com before they took it down. Every day there were pages and pages of news on crooked cops being charged. These were just the cops who were so blatant and greedy they had to be prosecuted, and still the police unions were standing behind these child rapists, murderers, etc.. You''''d think they would be happy they were getting bad of the bad element within, instead they were fighting for them.

Posted by lochlan at 01:36 PM

Next time a drunk runs a red light and flips your car, don''t bother calling that ruthless gang of corrupt greedy fiends.

Good luck!

[kansas1946]

End the drug war and you will end 80pct of police corruption.

[gramto8]

Yeah right! Every single cop is an ex-school yard bully with a badge and gun. Their SOP is to protect and hide their own at any cost. They treat victims as criminals. And they''''re certainly above any law that''''s printed. They should be the epitome of the law; instead being they know the law oh so well, they''''re able to get around it easily (especially with all the protection they get from their buds).

Posted by observer2020 at 03:50 PM : Dec 03, 2008

No, not every cop is bad. You may need to get into a new bunch of friends if all you ever see is cops coming down hard on you. I know a lot of cops from having worked in an ER for several years. Only one of those is a jerk. He could die tomorrow and I would be happy. Every other cop I have ever had anything to do with, including any that have ever pulled me for anything, were professional and courteous.

[observer2020]

On a good note though, the level of corruption among police officers is probably but a fraction compared to society as a whole.
Posted by mottasa

Yeah right! Every single cop is an ex-school yard bully with a badge and gun. Their SOP is to protect and hide their own at any cost. They treat victims as criminals. And they''re certainly above any law that''s printed. They should be the epitome of the law; instead being they know the law oh so well, they''re able to get around it easily (especially with all the protection they get from their buds).

[collegedudeu]

Schoenberg12

An Englishman trying to pass as a citizen of Mexico; Nice! I''m glad you were able to absolve the Mexican drug cartels and corrupt Mexican officials of their responsibility of the problems that are occuring in Mexico and redirect it to America. I mean foreigners blaming America for the ills that occur within their borders is SOOOOOOOO unheard of! I''ll give it to you in this analogy; You can''t have a game of cricket without a bowler and batsman. Get it?

[xxunknown]

I can''''t stand those who make excuses and blame everyone else for their own personal failures. I live in reality and found out a long time ago that you have to fight for what you want, not rely on others.
Instead of blaming low pay for their failures, maybe you should consider that it''''s the person''''s own failure that lead to the corruption...I''''ll bet you would probably be corrupt given the same circumstances then blame society for taking the bait. Go cry to someone who takes personal responsibility for their actions, cause you probably don''''t.
Posted by pw08
------------------------------
so very well said.

[pw08-2009]

tnz650,

You''re obviously a person who is either lazy or has given up on yourself or both. I can''t stand those who make excuses and blame everyone else for their own personal failures. I live in reality and found out a long time ago that you have to fight for what you want, not rely on others.
Instead of blaming low pay for their failures, maybe you should consider that it''s the person''s own failure that lead to the corruption...I''ll bet you would probably be corrupt given the same circumstances then blame society for taking the bait. Go cry to someone who takes personal responsibility for their actions, cause you probably don''t.