COP TAKEN OFF STREET AS PROBE CONTINUES

Drug Investigation Has Charged 14 People

A Chicago police detective was taken off the street and reassigned to
a desk job Wednesday as part of an evolving federal investigation into
allegations that veteran officers helped run a narcotics ring,
according to a law enforcement source.

The move to reassign Detective Jon Woodall to an administrative job at
police headquarters occurred a day after FBI agents made early-morning
visits to the homes of at least five city police officers, according
to sources familiar with the investigation.

Agents have questioned several officers assigned to the Grand-Central
District, including tactical officers, according to the sources.

The agents questioned the officers as part of the ongoing federal
investigation that to date has led to the indictment of former gang
crimes officer Joseph Miedzianowski and 13 other people described as
gang members and drug dealers.

>From the outset, prosecutors have said that more than one Chicago
police officer allegedly was involved in narcotics trafficking, and
the latest developments indicate a widening investigation that sources
said could involve as many as five more police officers.

Federal prosecutors are pursuing leads alleging that officers shook
down or robbed drug dealers of money and cocaine and planted drugs on
suspects--allegations similar to those made in the Austin and Gresham
police districts nearly three years ago.

In particular, FBI agents on Tuesday questioned officers about the
disappearance of more than 10 pounds of cocaine from a car at a city
auto pound in early 1998, according to the sources.

A drug suspect cooperating with authorities has told them that he
helped sell cocaine that officers stole from drug dealers, according
to sources and court documents.

Neither federal authorities nor city police officials would discuss
the latest developments or the action taken against Woodall.

Woodall, a nine-year veteran assigned to the Grand-Central Area, could
not be reached for comment. He is the second officer stripped of his
police powers as part of the investigation.

Former gang crimes Officer John Galligan, the longtime partner of
Miedzianowski, was taken off street duty in April and reassigned to
headquarters.

Miedzianowski, who quit the force last month, remains in federal
custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, awaiting trial on
charges that he was the drug kingpin in charge of a Miami-to-Chicago
operation.

Additionally, according to federal court documents, Miedzianowski
funneled guns to a gang in its street war with a rival gang and aided
the drug ring by identifying undercover cops, describing undercover
police vehicles and revealing the names of confidential informants
working with law enforcement.

Miedzianowski has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyers have
said the prosecution's case was built on the word of drug dealers
looking to shave time off potential prison sentences.

So far, eight of Miedzianowski's co-defendants have pleaded guilty and
agreed to help prosecutors.

In one case, according to sources, police in early 1998 made a traffic
stop on the North Side and the car's occupant told them about another
vehicle in a city pound that contained a hidden stash of more than 10
pounds of cocaine.

Federal authorities have been chasing leads about what happened to
that cocaine.

One of the cooperating co-defendants, Frederick Rock, has told federal
authorities about Miedzianowski and other police officers.

In his plea agreement, Rock admitted that he sold more than 10 pounds
of cocaine that had been "taken from drug dealers by Joseph
Miedzianowski and/or other individuals associated " with
Miedzianowski. Sources said those other individuals were Chicago
police officers.