More Chicago corruption, this time involving police and thieves (and drugs, natch). But as is so often the case, the ones that get caught are not very bright, or have bad luck....
A ring of corrupt police officers paired with drug dealers on the South Side allegedly staged traffic stops and tried to break into the homes of rival dealers to rob them of drugs, guns and cash, federal prosecutors alleged Thursday.Only one of their four attempts worked, but the investigation into what authorities described as their often inept schemes led to nine arrests that include four veteran cops.
... Two of the officers involved--accused ringleader Broderick C. Jones and his frequent alleged accomplice Corey A. Flagg...The plans of the Chicago police officers and accomplices accused in this week's drug-conspiracy arrests began unraveling on July 21, when they allegedly tried to rob a quartet of drug dealers who--unbeknownst to the officers--were already under surveillance by undercover Chicago cops on another case, prosecutors said.
The drug cops called the internal affairs division, who in turn brought in the FBI, prosecutors said.
Jones had drawn the attention of undercover officers when they saw a Fraternal Order of Police sticker on his beige Cadillac Escalade before the attempted robbery of drug dealers under their surveillance, U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald said.
Jones' presence on the street that July struck them because Jones, 34, had been on desk duty and stripped of police powers, accused of helping a shooting suspect escape arrest in 2003, according to prosecutors' 111-page corruption complaint filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday.
Police and federal prosecutors allege that Jones had acted as the drug conspiracy's main organizer since at least last summer, recruiting police officers to help rob drug dealers singled out by Jones' co-conspirator, alleged drug dealer Joseph E. Wilson.
Besides Wilson, 57, of Matteson, also charged were Jones' fellow officers Flagg, 34, an eight-year veteran; Eural J. Black, 41, who spent 13 years on the force; and Darek A. Haynes, 35, a Chicago police officer for nine years.
