Trio of Schaumburg Police Officers Accused of Running Drug Ring

 Posted on February 05, 2013 in Criminal Defense

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that three Schaumburg police officers, all tactical members of the department’s special investigations unit, were the subject of a recent sting operation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that resulted in their arrests. The trio now faces a barrage of felony charges related to a drug ring that they were allegedly operating with the help of a former police informant.

According to the informant, the police officers began to steal drugs and cash from drug dealers in 2012. Sometimes, the police officers would use the informant to illegally buy and sell drugs. Other times, the officers turned over drugs seized in legal operations over to the informant to sell, dividing the profits with him. After the informant was caught with drugs, he advised the authorities of the cops’ scheme, which had been going on for approximately six to nine months. This led to the DEA operation that brought the alleged drug ring down. The police officers were told that an out-of-state associate had stashed $20,000 in a storage facility. The officers allegedly broke into the facility and stole the money, an event that was recorded on audio and video equipment. Law enforcement officials then took the three men into custody and executed about 20 search warrants for the men’s homes, vehicles, and the police station.

Not only do the three police officers face multiple serious criminal charges, but their alleged actions may have invalidated prior arrests and pending criminal charges against others. For instance, despite the outcome of the officers’ criminal charges, their credibility has been compromised by the allegations, and they are likely to be unavailable to testify in other criminal cases, if they remain incarcerated. In fact, a later report states that Cook County prosecutors already have dropped felony charges in three cases in which an undercover drug bust involving the three police officers occurred. It is expected, based on statements from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office that charges in at least 12 other cases will be dismissed, as well.

The allegations against these three law enforcement officers show that no one, not even police officers, are immune from being accused of serious crimes. Whether or not the men are convicted of any crime, however, remains to be seen. While the evidence against them appears strong from recent news reports, the police officers still have constitutional rights that must be observed by all parties involved. Violation of these rights often lead to defenses that can minimize the consequences of a conviction or cause charges to be dismissed altogether. As a result, it is essential that each of these men retain independent Chicago criminal defense attorneys to represent them as quickly as possible.