Man who says he was framed by Chicago police wins freedom

CHICAGO (AP) - A man who alleges that members of a unit headed by a corrupt Chicago police sergeant planted a gun on him to win a conviction walked out of prison hours after prosecutors dropped gun charges against him.

On Monday, Anthony McDaniels became the latest of two dozen people to have their felony drug or gun convictions based on investigations of a unit that was headed by then-Sgt. Ronald Watt be tossed out of court. The 50-year-old McDaniels, who had served nearly 10 years of a 12-year-prison sentence, was released Monday afternoon from Stateville Correctional Center.

Since Watts and a member of his team pleaded guilty to stealing money from an informant, judges have tossed out several convictions in cases involving the unit and dozens more convictions have been appealed.