A former Chicago police officer has been sentenced to two years in prison for taking cash from a tow-truck driver to help him beat rivals to accident scenes.
Prosecutors say veteran officer Michael Ciancio got $600 to $800 a week from 2005 to 2007 from a tow-truck driver who was working undercover with the FBI.
Ciancio is accused of using scare tactics, including the threat of arrest, to chase away other tow-truck drivers.
The 21-year veteran pleaded guilty in January to attempted extortion for taking cash one time in 2007.
But two tow-truck drivers who testified at his sentencing say he'd been shaking down truck operators since the 1990s.
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Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Prosecutors say veteran officer Michael Ciancio got $600 to $800 a week from 2005 to 2007 from a tow-truck driver who was working undercover with the FBI.
Ciancio is accused of using scare tactics, including the threat of arrest, to chase away other tow-truck drivers.
The 21-year veteran pleaded guilty in January to attempted extortion for taking cash one time in 2007.
But two tow-truck drivers who testified at his sentencing say he'd been shaking down truck operators since the 1990s.
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Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
