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PHOENIX, Ill. - A former south suburban Chicago police officer has been sentenced for taking part in a scheme to steal cash and drugs during traffic stops.
What we know:
Antoine Larry, 50, of Bolingbrook, was sentenced last week to five years and three months in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Prosecutors said Larry and another Phoenix police officer, Jarrett Snowden, took money and drugs from people they pulled over in exchange for favorable treatment, such as reducing charges, avoiding a vehicle tow, or allowing drivers to leave without receiving citations.
The officers are said to have targeted people they believed were unlikely to report the misconduct.
To hide the scheme, prosecutors said the officers falsified police reports. The conspiracy began by at least 2020 and continued through 2022.
A jury in Chicago convicted Larry earlier this year of conspiracy, extortion and attempted extortion charges.
What they're saying:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ramon Villalpando told the judge before sentencing that Larry abused the authority entrusted to him as a police officer.
"Antoine Larry was a police officer, sworn to uphold the law, who instead brazenly abused his power," Villalpando wrote. "When law enforcement officers commit crimes—especially the type committed by defendant—public confidence in law enforcement as an institution is undermined."
What's next:
Snowden, of Lansing, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge before Larry's trial and admitted his role in the scheme. He will be sentenced on Oct. 27.
The Source: The information in this story came from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.