Federal authorities are investigating several Cicero police officers for allegedly trying to thwart FBI agents running surveillance on an Outfit associate and high-ranking member of the Outlaws motorcycle gang who ran a pawn shop in town, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Cicero police allegedly ran car license plates, pulled over cars they suspected were driven by federal agents and tried to find hidden surveillance cameras around the business of Mark Polchan, according to recently unsealed court records. Polchan is awaiting trial on charges he bombed a business for the Outfit.
Cicero officers and Polchan also are accused by prosecutors of engaging in sexual acts with prostitutes in Polchan's business, called Goldberg's, which was under video and audio surveillance by federal authorities. Prosecutors brought the matter up to counter Polchan's claim that he is a good family man.
The Cicero police officers under investigation are not named in the court documents.
In one secretly recorded conversation between Polchan and one of the officers in 2007, the officer is quoting telling him, "Alright, I got good news. We ran all the f - - - - - - plates on all the f - - - - - - cars over here. They all came back to f - - - - - - people," meaning not federal agents.
At a court hearing sealed to the public, Assistant U.S. Attorney Markus Funk called the police running the license plates to see if they were federal agents "extraordinary," according to a transcript. Prosecutors had no comment Tuesday.
Cicero Town spokesman Dan Proft said the police superintendent was unaware of the allegations against his officers. The town will review them and likely refer them to the police department's internal affairs division, Proft said.
FBI agents interviewed three Cicero police officers in late summer or early autumn last year to question them because they had known Polchan for years, Proft said, but agents told the police superintendent they were not targets. Polchan apparently has deep ties with the Cicero Police Department, where his father was an officer.
Federal authorities have said more people will be charged in the Polchan case.
Prosecutors have alleged Polchan rang a burglary ring out of his shop and did frequent business with the Outfit, including overseeing a 2003 bombing of a Berwyn business that ran afoul of the mob.
Polchan's attorney could not be reached for comment. The documents came to light as Polchan appeals a judge's decision to have him held without bond.
Larry Dominick has to be running a corrupt operation. Is he in the cross-hairs?
who else do you think will be charged in this case?
STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: I don't know who else will be charged, but prosecutors have made it clear they are investigating several Cicero police officers as well as reputed high-ranking Outfit member Mike Sarno, as part of the case.
Come on people Cicero will never change take a look at the Family Secrets Trail and just count how many murders where taken place in good old Cicero that place will never change cops where 1 block away when 9 SHOTGUNS BLAST RANG OUT on a summer night 80 degrees sometime in 1983 actually july 23 1983 but they all never heard anything WARNING IF YOU COULD STAY AWAY FROM GOOD OLD CICERO THEN STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!
Steve, have you seen National Geographic's profiling of the Chicago Outfit? They've been airing one-hour specials on it and it's interesting, though for most readers on this blog, it's not too enlightening.
Do you ever watch these programs? Your thoughts?
STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: Unfortunately, I haven't seen the programs yet, so I can't offer any thoughts on them. I'll check them out.
Cicero will always have this type of problem because of the name of Cicero. this type of stuff go on in other towns but its not brought to the for front because their name is not Cicero. the best thing that we can do is just wait until the movie comes out. you got the Fed's following the cops and the cops following the fed's .......... and life goes on.............
What I think is intersting is that these people posting - family members/friends/acquaintences of the mob guys - they cannot speak or write correctly. I think education, rather than just simple lust for the material things should be more of a focal point in these communities.
Cicero should be wiped off the map...with the exception of Freddy's on 16th street.
Never in Cicero. I don't believe any of this. LOL!!!!!!
CICERO, MY KINDA TOWN
Hey Joey D maybe you should learn how to spell,Look at the way you
spelled Interesting.
FAMILY SECRETS??,PEOPLE WILL NEVER KNOW, F.B.I.INCLUDED, THE TRUE FAMILY SECRETS,OR HOW HIGH THEY GO.I WORKED IN THE ITALIAN AMERICAN CLUB OF CICERO FOR YEARS. I COULD TELL YOU SECRETS THE F.B.I. WOULD LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT.I KNEW THEM ALL,FROM THE ONES WHO GAVE THE ORDERS,TO THE ONES WHO CARRIED THEM OUT,THE CROOKED COPS, TO THE CROOKED JUDGES, AND POLITIONS. AT ONE TIME, CICERO WAS THE GREATEST TOWN EVER,AND THE MOB,THE OUTFIT,THE MAFIA,WHATEVER YOU WISH TO CALL IT ,IS WHAT MADE IT GREAT,AT LEAST WITH THEM GENTLEMEN,YOU ALWAYS KNEW WHERE YOU STOOD. THEY WERE BUSNINESS MEN AND FAMILY MEN,AND THEY ALWAYS TOOK CARE OF THERE FAMILIES, EVEN THE ONES THEY UNOFFICALY ADOPTED FROM THE STREETS,AND AS FOR BUSINESS,WELL LETS FACE IT BUSINESS IS BUSINESS,ITS NOTHING PERSONAL. I WAS BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF SOMETHING THAT WAS SO VERY SIMPLE,UNCOMPLICATED,AND DEEPLY RESPECTED.I WILL FOREVER MISS WHAT WAS,AND WHAT SHOULD STILL BE.