Gator Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Wow!!! Is all I can say. What a bunch of DB's. CHICAGO – Duffel bags stuffed with cocaine were delivered by plane to an out-of-the-way suburban airport 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 federal prosecutors unveiled a series of elaborate sting operations aimed at officers who 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 officers 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. 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 five kilograms of cocaine or one kilogram 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." "The responsibility of watching over jail inmates is an important one and it's a shame these men didn't take that responsibility more seriously," he said in a statement. 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," he said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 They should all be lifers!!!:mad: With no special protection or preferential treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 For tarnishing the reputation of those who uphold the law...any sentence wont be enough:mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowtechTurkeyHunter Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 American Gangsters all over again ... this will make a fantastic movie if they do it like they did American Gangsters ... on a side note sentence them just like anyone else ... since thats who they wanted to be anyhow. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 GWSmith said: For tarnishing the reputation of those who uphold the law...any sentence wont be enough:mad: A few days in a cell with Bubba Bendover and I'll bet they will regret their decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backwoods07 Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Terrible! This gets to me because everyone knows its happening, but with reasonable doubt. Now the suspicions are confirmed. Makes you wonder what else is going on that they haven't caught on to yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant-KS Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Ah the joys of Cook County... Remind me to never set foot inside it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Well, on the good side the system still works since the Good guys caught the bad guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitetail Freak Hunter Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Flintlock1776 said: Well, on the good side the system still works since the Good guys caught the bad guys Ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ildrhntr Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Stuff like that makes people not trust us and look down on all of us. Makes my job even tougher than it should be. But go figure it was in Cook County. But unfortunately those bad apples are every where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shorty785 Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 well there is were the world is going its pathetic what people will do to make money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 cook county has always been the legal/political armpit of the nation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backwoods07 Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 stevebeilgard said: cook county has always been the legal/political armpit of the nation. Born and raised in Cook. Can't wait to get far far away, partially because of these reasons. That, and I never want to step foot inside downtown Chicago again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetucker Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Money,it's the root of all evil!!Some law enforcement(i said some)do make me sick!!They take there jobs to there heads!!We got one officer here that has been fired from the houlton police department for abusing his badge and the maliseet tribe in the same town hires him!!Go figure!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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