Post by WaTcHeR on Oct 23, 2006 16:14:07 GMT -5
10.23.2006 - CHICAGO - Three suburban Cicero police officers were arrested Tuesday as federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging them with beating motorists and others and falsifying testimony against the victims.
James DiSantis, 41, of Riverside, William Peslak, 35, of Downers Grove and Joseph DeKiel, 37, of Palos Park were being held in custody pending a hearing Friday at which prosecutors plan to oppose their release on bond.
"We do believe they are a danger to the community," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sergio Acosta told reporters after the three appeared in court.
All three appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown and pleaded not guilty.
Defense attorneys Alexander Salerno for DiSantis and Linda Amdur for DeKiel had no comment on the charges. Plesak attorney Michael P. Gillespie said his client "adamantly denies that he has done anything wrong."
Cicero town spokesman Dan Proft said the town would hold disciplinary proceedings for the officers and at a minimum they would be stripped of their guns and badges and assigned to desk duty.
"The maximum would be a move to terminate," Proft said.
The alleged incidents took place before town President Larry Dominick took office, but Proft acknowledged that current Cicero officials had known of some of the allegations in the indictment because of civil suits filed by the alleged victims.
The town has not taken disciplinary action against the officers because doing so would have been complicated and brought the town government into legal conflict with the Fraternal Order of Police, Proft said.
While DiSantis had at the time of the alleged incidents been deputy superintendent he had been "busted to patrol" after Dominick took over as president of the long problem-plagued west suburban town, Proft said.
All three defendants were charged in the eight-count indictment with civil rights abuses and conspiring to abuse the civil rights of victims.
It said DeKiel struck one unnamed victim's head against a car at an Aug. 10, 2003, traffic stop, breaking his nose. After the victim was brought to the police department, DeKiel and DeSantis allegedy beat him.
The indictment said DeSantis struck the man on the head with a handgun and Peslak planted cocaine on him. It alleged the officers then ordered the man to mop up his blood with his shirt.
The previous day, Aug. 9, 2003, Peslak was involved in the beating of another motorist, the indictment said. It said Peslak and DeKiel then agreed to present false evidence against the individual.
According to the indictment, DeSantis on Dec. 3, 2003, pulled over a car driven by a homeless woman and struck her. When another man tried to videotape the incident, DeSantis allegedly struck him as well.
DeSantis was also charged with striking a municipal swimming pool attendant and throwing him in the pool because he refused to allow the DeSantis family in without paying the required fee.
www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/15780514.htm
James DiSantis, 41, of Riverside, William Peslak, 35, of Downers Grove and Joseph DeKiel, 37, of Palos Park were being held in custody pending a hearing Friday at which prosecutors plan to oppose their release on bond.
"We do believe they are a danger to the community," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sergio Acosta told reporters after the three appeared in court.
All three appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown and pleaded not guilty.
Defense attorneys Alexander Salerno for DiSantis and Linda Amdur for DeKiel had no comment on the charges. Plesak attorney Michael P. Gillespie said his client "adamantly denies that he has done anything wrong."
Cicero town spokesman Dan Proft said the town would hold disciplinary proceedings for the officers and at a minimum they would be stripped of their guns and badges and assigned to desk duty.
"The maximum would be a move to terminate," Proft said.
The alleged incidents took place before town President Larry Dominick took office, but Proft acknowledged that current Cicero officials had known of some of the allegations in the indictment because of civil suits filed by the alleged victims.
The town has not taken disciplinary action against the officers because doing so would have been complicated and brought the town government into legal conflict with the Fraternal Order of Police, Proft said.
While DiSantis had at the time of the alleged incidents been deputy superintendent he had been "busted to patrol" after Dominick took over as president of the long problem-plagued west suburban town, Proft said.
All three defendants were charged in the eight-count indictment with civil rights abuses and conspiring to abuse the civil rights of victims.
It said DeKiel struck one unnamed victim's head against a car at an Aug. 10, 2003, traffic stop, breaking his nose. After the victim was brought to the police department, DeKiel and DeSantis allegedy beat him.
The indictment said DeSantis struck the man on the head with a handgun and Peslak planted cocaine on him. It alleged the officers then ordered the man to mop up his blood with his shirt.
The previous day, Aug. 9, 2003, Peslak was involved in the beating of another motorist, the indictment said. It said Peslak and DeKiel then agreed to present false evidence against the individual.
According to the indictment, DeSantis on Dec. 3, 2003, pulled over a car driven by a homeless woman and struck her. When another man tried to videotape the incident, DeSantis allegedly struck him as well.
DeSantis was also charged with striking a municipal swimming pool attendant and throwing him in the pool because he refused to allow the DeSantis family in without paying the required fee.
www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/15780514.htm