CHICAGO (AP) — A former Chicago police officer accused of planning the murder of another member of his special operations unit has pleaded guilty.
In addition to the murder-for-hire charge, Jerome
Finnigan on Tuesday pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to tax evasion. In
entering the guilty plea, Finnigan told the court that the murder-for-hire
scheme was a "charade," and "it was not my intent to kill
anybody."
Prosecutors say the 48-year-old Finnigan plotted
the murder to keep a fellow special operations officer from spilling secrets
about corruption on the police force to federal investigators.
Finnigan also faced charges in Cook County Circuit
Court of participating in the alleged kidnapping and robbery of drug suspects.
Those charges will be dismissed under the deal.
Finnigan has been in custody since being charged in
2007.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
