AUSTIN COPS SENT TO PRISON

5 Former Officers Sentenced In '96 Corruption Probe

Three former Chicago police officers, convicted of racketeering for shaking
down drug dealers for cash and cocaine and providing protection for large
narcotics deliveries, on Thursday were given sentences that should keep
them in prison for life.

Two other former officers also received stiff prison terms.

The sentences bring to an end one of the most notorious police corruption
cases in Chicago history.

All together, seven Austin District tactical police officers, plainclothes
cops assigned to root out gangs and drugs on the West Side, were convicted
in a series of robberies, home invasions and extortions of narcotics
dealers in 1995 and 1996.

The ringleader, Edward Lee "Pacman" Jackson Jr., 31, was sentenced to 115
years in prison. Prosecutors said that Jackson was a ranking member of the
Conservative Vice Lords street gang while on the police force.

M.L. Moore, 52, received a prison term of 109 years, while Alex Ramos, 36,
was sentenced to 49 years.

Cornelius Tripp, 34, who broke the police code of silence and testified
against the others at their trial, was sentenced to 15 years in prison,
while James P. Young, 34, who was convicted in just one extortion, received
9 years in prison.

Two other former Austin District officers, both of whom pleaded guilty and
cooperated with authorities, were sentenced previously. Gregory S.
Crittleton, who took part in three home invasions, was sentenced to almost
12 years in prison, while Lennon Shields, who assisted in a robbery, was
giving a 5-year prison term.

Their arrests in December 1996 rocked the Chicago Police Department, whose
internal affairs division played a critical role with the FBI in the
undercover probe called Operation Broken Star.

Among those who played a key role in the case was Chicago Police Detective
Joseph Airhart, who was shot and critically wounded recently while trying
to arrest a bank robbery suspect.

Despite the investigation's success, Assistant U.S. Atty. Brian Netols, the
lead prosecutor in the investigation, said in federal court Thursday that
authorities were unable to make a case against other corrupt officers in
the district.

Two of the convicted officers admitted that it was routine for officers in
the Austin District at the time to take money from people who were
arrested, Netols said.

Severe sentences were given to Jackson, Moore and Ramos because they were
convicted of using their service weapons when they committed crimes. The
gun charges carry a 5-year prison term for the first count and additional
20-year sentences for each subsequent count, to run consecutive to other
convictions.

Under federal sentencing laws, the former officers must serve 85 percent of
their prison terms.

Jackson, Moore, Ramos and Young were convicted in May 1998 by a federal
jury following a seven-week trial. Tripp pleaded guilty just days before
the trial.

Sentencing was delayed because the defendants switched lawyers, extensive
post-trial motions were filed and the case had to be reassigned after the
judge who presided over the trial was elevated to a federal appeals court.

U.S. District Judge Charles Kocoras, who imposed the sentences Thursday,
lamented that the five defendants had risen from difficult upbringings to
achieve respect as police officers but threw it all away with their corruption.

"These sentences are unbelievably tough because the crimes are so
unbelievably terrible," Kocoras said.

Defense lawyers were highly critical of the "draconian" mandatory sentences
in the case.

In a central part of the undercover probe, Chicago Police Sgt. Eugene
Shepherd, who has since retired, posed as "Silky," a major West Side
cocaine dealer.

A government witness who was part of the undercover operation misled the
corrupt officers into think Silky would be a ripe target for robbery.

Netols said Jackson was a gang member banger when he joined the Police
Department force and showed interest in coming to work only if he had an
opportunity to rob a drug dealer.

He planted dope on others, did the bidding of gang bosses, Netols said.

In court, Netols thanked Jackson for testifying in his own defense, saying
his "preposterous" testimony made it easier to convict him.

Jackson proclaimed his innocence.

Moore and Ramos were convicted of taking cash to protect what they thought
were Silky's deliveries of large quantities of cocaine around the Chicago area.

In addressing the judge, Ramos' voice cracked with emotion as he apologized.

"I'm sorry for destroying your lives and my life and making bad choices,"
Ramos said as he turned toward family members in the courtroom.

Tripp, who was extensively involved in the robberies, extortions and home
invasions, also apologized.

"I'm not pointing fingers at others," said Tripp, who avoided a prison term
of as much as 85 years by cooperating. "I made the bad decisions."

Young was convicted of joining Moore in one shakedown of Silky only days
after he joined the tactical unit. Young, the only defendant free on bond,
was taken into custody after his sentencing.