From: US Department of Justice | U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois
CHICAGO — A former police officer in the Cook County Sheriff’s Department pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing drug dealers of cocaine, marijuana and contraband cigarettes during home invasions and while on duty.
In a written plea agreement, ROBERT VAUGHAN admitted that he robbed eight drug dealers from 2011 to 2013, earning a total profit of $300,000. Vaughan said he conducted the robberies with two other law enforcement officers, and the trio shared in the profits, according to the plea agreement. The robberies were carried out in Chicago, Cicero, Plainfield, Lyons, Melrose Park and Forest Park.
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According to the plea agreement, Vaughan was assigned to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) team, a joint federal, state, and local initiative to combat the trafficking of illegal narcotics. Vaughan admitted using his position as a police officer to orchestrate deals with drug traffickers for marijuana, cocaine and contraband cigarettes. Immediately after the transactions, Vaughan would arrest and handcuff the individuals – but then keep the narcotics for himself and release the dealers without charges. Vaughan later sold the narcotics to other dealers in exchange for cash.
