RETIRED COP CHARGED WITH STEALING COCAINE

A Rolls Royce, furs, jewelry, a suburban home and an apartment building
aren't in the typical retirement package of a Chicago cop.

But they were part of officer John L. Smith's nest egg when he retired in
1999 after 23 years on the force.

Now the federal government is moving to end the 54-year-old Olympia Fields
man's life of luxury.

Authorities have accused Smith of stealing at least 5 kilograms of cocaine
from a police evidence room from 1995 to 1998.

Thursday, they seized assets they claim he bought with money from the
stolen cocaine, including the emerald $174,000 Rolls Royce Silver Spur, a
Ford Mustang convertible, the furs and jewelry, his Olympia Fields home and
an apartment building at 8350 S. Maryland.

Smith will stay behind bars until at least Feb. 13, when a magistrate judge
will consider bail. He faces at least 10 years in prison if convicted.

A nine-count indictment says Smith hauled in $1,588,000 from 1995 to 1998
and failed to declare $580,000 of income on his taxes. He tried to disguise
other income to the Internal Revenue Service as casino winnings, officials
said.

Smith's arrest comes just a week after federal prosecutors charged three
other Chicago cops with stealing cocaine from an impounded car. Chicago
police Supt. Terry Hillard said the arrests show the department takes a
hard line on corruption.

"You can run, but you can't hide," he said.

Mayor Daley, however, downplayed the spate of corruption cases.

"This is an ongoing effort," Daley said of efforts to root out dirty cops,
whom he said represent a handful of the city's 13,200 officers. "This is
nothing new. . . . What am I supposed to do, go home and start sweating
about it?"

The investigation was launched in March 2001 when 20 kilograms of cocaine
worth $400,000 were discovered missing. It was evidence in a drug case
against Lyle Wooden, who faced 18 years in prison. He went free on a guilty
plea after the evidence disappeared. An audit showed evidence from two
other drug cases--a total of 29 kilos of cocaine-- also was missing.

Investigators interviewed more than 680 people and served more than 225
subpoenas in their hunt for the thief.

The theft has prompted police to store their evidence in a more secure
facility at Homan Square and promote a commander to oversee the operation.
Access to evidence is restricted and tracked by computer using bar codes.
The facility is protected with cameras and alarms, Hillard said.