COURT HEARS ACCOUNT OF COP BOAST OF TORTURE

Former Chicago Police Officer Joseph Miedzianowski boasted that he
once tortured a rude drug suspect with a hot coat hanger and
threatened to bake him in an oven, according to a secretly recorded
telephone call played Thursday during the ex-officer's trial in
federal court.

Miedzianowski discussed the alleged incident during a September 1998
call with Juan Martir, now a key witness for the government.

According to a transcript of the conversation, Miedzianowski portrayed
the suspect as being vulgar and disrespectful to investigative agents
with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco & Firearms.

Miedzianowski, according to the transcript, told the suspect to shut
up and ordered the agents out of the room.

The suspect, Miedzianowski told Martir, then swore at him.

"And I said, `You got any coat hangers here?' He goes, `Nahhh,'"
according to the transcript. "Then I turned on the oven. And I said,
`After I'm done branding you, I'm shovin' you in that ... oven and
baking you 'til you're done.' All it took was one touch."

The alleged incident occurred sometime in 1996 and was investigated by
the Chicago Police Department, but no departmental charges were ever
brought against Miedzianowski, law enforcement officials said Thursday
after court.

The taped call was among a series of telephone calls between
Miedzianowski and Martir, a co-defendant in the case who has already
pleaded guilty and who spent his third day testifying for the government.

When Miedzianowski's trial resumes Monday before U.S. District Judge
Blanche Manning, defense lawyers will have the opportunity to
cross-examine Martir.

Miedzianowski's lawyers are expected to portray Martir as a desperate
drug dealer who has agreed to testify against an honest cop in
exchange for a lighter prison sentence.

The lawyers also are expected to point out that Martir is a career
criminal looking to falsely testify about as many people as possible
to curry favor with prosecutors.

Martir is the first of 15 of Miedzianowski's co-defendants, all of
whom have pleaded guilty and are expected to testify at the trial,
which could last two months or more.

Four other co-defendants are being tried along with Miedzianowski on
charges they were part of a Miami-to-Chicago drug ring controlled and
protected by Miedzianowski. Miedzianowski's former police partner,
John Galligan, is to be tried separately.

On Thursday, Assistant U.S. Atty. Brian Netols played 15 taped calls
Martir made to Miedzianowski's home phone.