Chicago cops stripped of powers as FBI probes ripoffs of drug dealers sources say
Ronald Watts
Meanwhile  the city is still dealing with the fallout over a nearly decadelong run of corruption by former Sgt.  Ronald Watts  and  his  team of tactical officers  who were accused of forcing residents and drug dealers alike to pay a âprotectionâ tax and pinning bogus cases on those who refused to do so.
Despite mounting allegations   Watts  continued to operate for years despite a lengthy police Internal Affairs Division probe as well as investigations by the stateâs attorneyâs office and the FBI  according to court records.
When  Watts  was finally caught in 2012  it was on relatively minor federal charges  and he was given a break at sentencing by a federal judge who talked tough but in the end handed him only 22 months in prison.
In November  in what is believed to be Cook Countyâs first mass exoneration  15 men with drug cases tied to  Watts  had their convictions thrown out. A review of potentially hundreds of other Watts-related cases is still underway.
Meanwhile  the city is still dealing with the fallout over a nearly decadelong run of corruption by former Sgt.   [TGT] and   [TGT]   team of tactical officers  who were accused of forcing residents and drug dealers alike to pay a âprotectionâ tax and pinning bogus cases on those who refused to do so.
Despite mounting allegations   Watts  continued to operate for years despite a lengthy police Internal Affairs Division probe as well as investigations by the stateâs attorneyâs office and the FBI  according to court records.
When  Watts  was finally caught in 2012  it was on relatively minor federal charges  and he was given a break at sentencing by a federal judge who talked tough but in the end handed him only 22 months in prison.
In November  in what is believed to be Cook Countyâs first mass exoneration  15 men with drug cases tied to  Watts  had their convictions thrown out. A review of potentially hundreds of other Watts-related cases is still underway.