Chicago Police Charged With Robbing Citizens Expected To Plead Guilty

For years, the Special Operations Section was an elite unit considered the pride of the Chicago Police Department. It was a group of officers with a high level of on-the-street intelligence and information, and was credited with a sharp decline in gang violence in the early 2000s.

But the group was disbanded in an ugly scandal in 2007, and now four officers from that unit are expected to plead guilty to federal charges surrounding their theft of money from alleged drug dealers and other citizens.

Jerome Finnigan and Keith Herrera face the most serious charges, of conspiring to violate individuals' civil rights. According to a Department of Justice press release, the two men stole nearly $600,000 on five separate occasions between 2004 and 2005, seizing cash and drugs but only reporting the latter. These seizures came as the result of unlawful searches, the feds allege, and led to charges based on false evidence.

The Chicago Sun-Times describes one of the five alleged thefts in detail:

In one of the five incidents, Finnigan, Herrera and other officers illegally searched a home in the 2000 block of North Keeler on Aug. 15, 2005, prosecutors said. The officers allegedly ransacked an upstairs apartment of a drug suspect, stealing about $86,000 while turning in the drugs they found. The officers also allegedly broke into a downstairs apartment of a family unrelated to the drug suspect and handcuffed 13-year-old Jose Fematt, who was babysitting his sister. A female officer drove the boy around the neighborhood in a squad car, asking about his upstairs neighbor and about drugs, according to a lawsuit filed last month by Fematt.

They also face tax charges for failing to declare the stolen money. Stephen DelBosque and Eric J. Olsen are also charged with misdemeanors arising from false testimony, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Trib also writes that all four men are expected to plead guilty.

Finnigan was already in jail for a much more serious charge: allegedly attempting to hire a gang member to kill one of his fellow police officers. That officer was, he suspected, planning on cooperating with investigators in the drug-theft case. The murder-for-hire charge helped speed the downfall of the Special Operations Section.

Under Police Superintendent Jody Weis, the SOS was replaced with the Mobile Strike Force, a very similar squad under somewhat more close scrutiny. But now, with Weis out, interim Superintendent Terry Hillard plans to disband such elite tactical units and put those officers back on the beat.

Comments

[Dimplezzz2002]

09:38 PM on 04/10/2011

"Character is who you are when no one is watching."

While that is true, it must be very difficult to not take some of the thousands of dollars on display during the average drug bust when you have a mortgage to pay and children to put through college.

I don't know if it's my strength of character that would make me resist such temptation. However, the thought of losing my integrity and the trust of my family and friends, getting caught, going to prison, embarrassing my family, my friends, and myself would be enough deterrent to me.

[Ed Hammer]

10:41 AM on 04/10/2011

Ninety five percent of Chicago Police officers are dedicated hard working heroes who put themselves in the line of fire to protect the people of Chicago from the psychopaths, criminals and armies of gangs plaguing this urban war zone.Judging an entire group based on the malicious actions of a few is wrong no matter which group you are judging.
There is no excuse for these SOS offices criminality and they should be dealt with accordingly.
In the meantimes, honor the heroic Chicago police officers and pray for there safety and success. .

[Royce Earnest Jr]

04:32 AM on 04/10/2011

The excuse that cops don't "make enough money" is lame. If I worked at a bank and didn't think I made enough, could I just help myself to the vault? Breaking the law is breaking the law. If you don't make enough money at your job, you find a better paying one, you don't steal.

[corwin]

02:16 PM on 04/08/2011

If we'd just pay the police a living wage,they wouldn't steal

[Arkm00]

05:49 PM on 04/08/2011

You are kidding right? Is that just a standard line you spew out ?

[patg00]

02:08 PM on 04/08/2011

600K in 5 arrests? At least they were arresting the right people, or are the dealers crying I'm a victim? It must be hard to make 70k a year and have to deal with criminals with 100k in cash laying around their house. I'm glad I don't have to make that kind of choice every day. Still, they do belong in jail none the less. it's a shame really.

[crookedcountyillinois]

01:07 PM on 04/08/2011

It's a top-down problem in the Chicago Police Department.

At this point, we just need to fire every last Chicago police officer, and make everyone reapply under much stricter standards.

[Arkm00]

05:50 PM on 04/08/2011

Yeah like the Ohio firemans test.

[robXdion]

11:35 AM on 04/08/2011

Robinhood is robbing the hood. . .