Chicago, Glenview police officers charged with lying in drug case Three Chicago police officers and a Glenview police officer have been charged with lying under oath in court during a drug case last year..
The officers -- Chicago police Sgt. James Padar, Officer William Pruente, Officer Vince Morgan and Glenview Officer James Horn -- have been charged with felony perjury, according to a statement issued early Monday by the Cook County state's attorney's office.
Lawsuit filed over traffic stop caught on police video
The charges come after a video contradicted the officers' sworn testimony during a March 2014 court hearing on whether evidence in the drug case had been properly obtained. The surfacing of the video was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Padar, Pruente and Morgan -- Chicago narcotics officers -- had asked for help from Glenview police while making a traffic stop in the north suburb in June 2013. The officers had been watching 23-year-old Joseph Sperling, a restaurant worker, when they pulled him over and found up to a pound of marijuana in his car, according to court records.
Pruente, one of seven Chicago narcotics officers working the case that day, testified that he pulled Sperling over after the Glenview man failed to use his turn signal. Pruente said he smelled marijuana in the car while waiting for Sperling to hand over his driver's license and insurance.
He then ordered Sperling out of the car and found the marijuana inside a black backpack lying on the back seat of Sperling's gold Ford Taurus, according to his testimony.
County still investigating Glenview cops accused of false testimony
The other officers took the stand and backed up Pruente's version of the stop, to one degree or another, before Sperling's lawyer played police video of the traffic stop.
The video, a copy of which was obtained by the Tribune, showed Pruente walking up to the car, reaching through the open driver's window, unlocking the door and having Sperling step out of the car. Sperling was then frisked, handcuffed and led to a squad car while his car was searched.
Sperling's attorney, Steven Goldman, had subpoenaed the video -- taken from a Glenview sergeant's squad car at the scene that day -- and surprised prosecutors and officers with it during the hearing.
The video led Cook County Circuit Judge Catherine Haberkorn to suppress the search and arrest, leading prosecutors to quickly dismiss the felony charges. All five officers were later stripped of their police powers and put on desk duty pending internal investigations.
"Obviously, this is very outrageous conduct," a transcript of the March 31 hearing quoted Haberkorn, a former county prosecutor, as saying. "All officers lied on the stand today. ... All their testimony was a lie."The four officers are set to appear in bond court at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday afternoon.
A Chicago Police Department spokeswoman said Monday morning the investigation into the incident is ongoing and added an internal investigation was "immediately launched" and the officers were stripped of their police powers after the department learned of "the disturbing allegations."
"Chicago police officers are expected to maintain the highest level of integrity at all times," police spokeswoman Jennifer Rottner said in a statement. "The (department) will continue to fully cooperate with the (Cook County state's attorney's office.)"
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