At the end of March, a former Illinois police lieutenant was charged with six crimes, including possession of controlled substances. He left the Joliet Police Department in late 2018.
According to authorities, the defendant is accused of stealing opioids from a drug drop box located within a Joliet Police Department substation in Kendall County. The offense reportedly took place in October. He has been charged with two counts of possession of controlled substances, two counts of official misconduct, one charge of obtaining a substance by fraud and one count of theft. A warrant was issued for his arrest on March 22, but he posted 10 percent of his $30,000 bond, which allowed him to remain free. On April 15, he is scheduled to appear at a hearing at the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville.
The defendant was employed by the Joliet Police Department for over 24 years. Before becoming a police officer, he was an officer in the U.S. Army and served in Iraq. He was reportedly earning an annual salary of $155,242 as a police lieutenant before leaving the department under a cloud of suspicion in November. His LinkedIn page lists him as a retired police officer. He has hired a private criminal defense attorney.
Individuals facing drug charges could face serious consequences, including years of incarceration, in the event that they are convicted. However, a criminal defense attorney could protect a defendant’s rights and work to protect his or her future. In some cases, it may be possible to get the charges dismissed or successfully fight the charges during a trial. In others, legal counsel may advise negotiating a plea deal that mitigates the most serious charges and penalties.
Source: Joliet Patch, “Ex-Joliet Police Lieutenant Charged In Kendall County“, John Ferak, March 29, 2019