Four Chicago Police officers charged with civil rights violations

[News_Editor]

Four Chicago Police officers charged with civil rights violations

2011-04-08 04:43:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) -- One current, three former Chicago Police officers on Thursday were charged with federal civil rights violations for allegedly presenting false information and testimony to conceal unlawful searches or arrests during which large sums of money were stolen.

The four individuals are accused of committing the offenses between 2003 and 2006. They were members of the disbanded Special Operations Section (SOS), an elite city-wide unit. Two of them were also charged with federal tax offenses.

In addition, Jerome Finnigan, 48, also faces a previous charge for allegedly planning the murder-for-hire of a former fellow officer who was a potential witness against him. Seven other former officers assigned to the SOS have previously pleaded guilty to state charges and been sentenced.

In the first case, Finnigan and former policeman Keith Herrera, 33, were charged with conspiracy to violate the civil rights of individuals with the aid of other unnamed SOS officers. The two defendants regularly performed unlawful arrests and searches while conducting criminal investigations.

However, when the opportunity arose, Finnigan and Herrera stole cash for their own benefit from those arrested and the places being searched. Finnigan allegedly stole approximately $200,000 while Herrera illegally took approximately $40,000.

According to the charges the overall sun stolen by the four defendants totaled an estimated $600,000 which was stolen in five separate episodes between 2004 and 2005. In September and December 2006, criminal charges were brought against Finnigan and other SOS officers, who were then suspended from duty.

Finnigan was arrested in September 2007 and resigned from the department. Herrera also resigned and both were charged with one count of civil rights conspiracy and one count of filing a false federal income tax return each. Both men said through their attorneys that they will plead guilty to all charges.

The murder-for-hire charge accuses Finnigan that in July and August 2007 he discussed with another officer paying someone to kill another agent who he believed to be a potential witness in one or more of his illegal activities.

On the second case, two police officers were charged with misdemeanor civil rights violations. The two defendants are former officer Stephen DelBosque, 35, who joined the department in 2000 and has since resigned, and current officer Eric Olsen, 37, who joined the department in 1995 and is on call-back status.

DelBosque and Olsen also disclosed that they will plead guilty to the charges. The four defendants will be arraigned at a later date in a U.S. District Court.

"These serious charges do not reflect the conduct of the thousands of police officers who risk their lives each day to serve with honor and integrity," said Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northen District of Illinois. "As a result of a thorough investigation, the SOS was disbanded and other defendants were brought to justice in the state courts."

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