RAT by BRIAN R. LUNDIN (13 ebook reader TXT) 📖

said and came out. He called some uniform cops they took me back into the bar and arrested the woman who sold me the drinks. We came back outside and he cut me loose.”
“Why did you decide to come forward?”
“I told my girlfriends what happened and one of their cousins worked at the lounge and she told me that the cops were using me to set the bar up. She also told me how the owner was a good person and helped a lot of people in the hood. One of my girlfriend’s mother boy friend is a cop and he told me I should contact the police corruption unit and tell them about the set-up I did and I was interviewed by Sergeant Cotton from the unit.”
“Thank you, Ms Stewart.”
The judge adjourned court for the day and stated that there was some court business she had to attend to and court would resume in three days. Luden, White and Watson returned to Luden’s office.
“That should do it for that sergeant as far as the Hobbs Act is concerned those last two witnesses did it for him,” Luden said.
“Now it’s time to go after the big fish, Commander O’Shea and Sergeant Romano!”
“We know that O’Shea wasn’t making the collections and we really don’t have any direct evidence that he was distributing the money to the other officers in the club. Cecilia recorded him saying that he would take care of the captains, lieutenants and sergeants but that’s all!” Watson said.
“Think we can turn one of the captains?” White asked.
“We can try! Luden answered.
“What if we went after Romano he’s the key to this whole thing.”
“Any word of his condition?” Luden asked.
“According to Sergeant Cotton he’s at Ingalls Hospital in Harvey but is expected to be released in a few days.”
“I’ll contact the US Marshalls and have them arrest his ass when he leaves the hospital, let’s save him for last and concentrate on the captains.”
“OK, I’ve got copies of their personnel file.”
Watson removed the personnel file of Captain John Nash.
“John Nash, fifty three, married with three sons all Chicago Police officers, twenty-three years on the job. No disciplinary record and good evaluation reports. Captain Royce, fifty-nine, married, a son and a daughter and five grandkids, been on the job thirty-three years, former District Commander of the 21st Districts demoted and suspended for being drunk on duty, submitted is retirement papers and due to retire next year.”
“Let’s go after him, I’ sure he’s concerned about his retirement. I’ll contact his attorney for a conference.”
The following day at 8:00 A. M. the Captain Royce and his attorney Clarence Weinberg met with Luden, White and Watson in Luden‘s office. Captain Royce was over six feet, muscular and handsome and had an air of authority. He towed over his frail Jewish attorney.
“What’s up Mr. Prosecutor?”
“I think you know based on the evidence that we have presented so far that we have a strong case and your client and the others will be found guilty……”
Luden was cut off by the captain that stood up and in a loud authoritative voice.
“I thought that was for the jury to decide!”
Weinberg motioned for the captain to sit down and Luden continued.
“I’ll get right to the point. I know that your client is planning on retiring next year, if he get convicted not only will he lose his retirement but will go to jail.
“What are you offering?”
“Immunity!”
“What does he have to do?”
“Testify against O’Shea and Romano!”
The captain jumped to his feet again.
“You mean become a rat?”
“Listen captain, you’ve been on the job for a long time. Think of the embarrassment to your family if you are convicted, lose your pension and is sent to prison, is your loyalty to O’Shea more than them.” Watson asked.
The captain sat down.
“What are you offering besides immunity?”
“We’ll drop the Rico charges against the captain and he can retire.”
“Can I think this over?”
“Yes, you have until the court resumes, after that the deal is off.”
The captain and his lawyer left the office.
“What you think, will he’ll accept the deal?”
“He really doesn’t have a choice. I don’t think he wants to go to prison for O’Shea!” Watson said.

A day before the trial resumed Weinberg called and said that the captain had agreed. Luden began preparing the immunity application for the captain. When court resumed Luden, Captain Royce and Weinberg appeared before the judge and presented the application, which she accepted and the immunity offer was entered. The judge addressed the jury.
“One of the defendants in this case has been granted immunity. I’ll explain what this means; Immunity from prosecution occurs when a prosecutor grants immunity, usually to a witness in exchange for testimony or production of other evidence. It is immunity because the prosecutor essentially agrees to never prosecute the crime that the witness might have committed in exchange for said evidence. Are you ready to proceed, Mr. Prosecutor?
“Yes, your honor and we call Ronald Royce!”
As Royce was being sworn and took the witness stand Watson watched O’Shea and the other officers. O’Shea was stirring uncomfortably in his chair and whispering to his attorney while the other defendants twisted in their seats.
“Will you state your name, rank and assignment please?”
“Ronald Royce, Chicago Police Captain, assigned as a Watch Commander in the 2nd District.”
“Was your commander in the 2nd District Commander O’Shea?”
“Yes!”
“Are you familiar with a Commander’s Club that operated in the 2nd District?”
“I’ve heard of it.”
“Did you ever receive any monies from the Commander O’Shea?
“I received three hundred dollars a month I never asked and was never told where the money came from.”
“Who gave you the money?”
“At first it was the Vice Coordinator Sergeant Romano but he got sick and for the last six months I got the money from Commander O’Shea.”
“Thanks you captain, your witness!”
There wasn’t a cross-examination from the defense attorneys as court was adjourned for the weekend. Watson returned to his office and met with Sergeant Cotton.
“Romano was released today from the hospital and soon as he was wheeled out he was arrested by the Marshalls, I left a message for Luden. He’s being held at the MCC and will be brought to court Monday.”
“Good!”
When court resumed Sergeant Romano and his attorney sat at the table with his boss. Before opening the trial Judge Campbell summoned all the attorneys to her chambers.
“I’ve been informed by the attorneys for Captain John Nash, Lieutenants Hollis Wills and William Hicks, Beat Sergeants Duaral Hollis, Dennis Tykes, Angelo Williamson, James Louis, Thomas Ryan, Reginald Hill and officers Clyde Owens, Claude Wills, Henry Stone, Anthony Duggan, Willie Hillary, John Steele, James Alexander and Leonard Skins that they have changed their plea to guilty and will allocate, is that correct gentlemen?”
All of the attorneys nodded yes. When they returned to court Watson again was sad when the officers were led out by the Marshalls in handcuffs and he heard the muffled cries of their families. Only O’Shea and Romano, attached to a portable oxygen tank, and their attorneys remained at the defense table. Judge Campbell recessed the court until tomorrow morning. Luden, White and Watson returned to Luden’s office. Luden opened a cabinet and retrieved a decanter of Remy Martin VSOP.

LUDEN
“This decanter was given to me when I was clerking for a Supreme Court Justice after I was appointed to the US Attorney’s Office and I have kept it locked-up for years and have saved it for a special occasion, this is that occasion.”
The three men sat and enjoyed a glass of the very expensive cognac but Watson felt no elation as he thought about the convicted fellow police officers and their families.
“Well only O’Shea and Romano are left!”

TWENTY-NINE

Court resumed the following morning and Judge Campbell instructed the jury that the following witnesses were granted immunity and none of their testimony could be used against them. Luden’s first witness was Charlie Wilson.
“Will you state your name, age and business?”
“Charlie Wilson, 43, and I own the Windy City, Chicago and Indiana Policy Wheel.”
“So you take gambling wagers, correct?”
“Yes sir!”
“Where does your policy wheel operate?”
“All over the city but mainly on the southside in the 2nd Police district.
“Will you describe to the court how a policy wheel work?”
“The policy wheel is like the big brother to the policy station.
The opening of a policy wheel required a large financial investment; runners and field men had to be hired and sometimes the owner had to “front” or loan the money for the men to purchase vehicles. The owner have to rent or buy apartments; one to be used as a money office, one to be used as the paper office and one to be used for the “Can” or wheel, where the winning numbers were drawn. They had to rent another apartment for the printing press and they had to hire a printer to print the drawings. Additionally, they have to purchase the paper used for the drawings. All of these people, except the owner of the paper company are employees of the wheel and salaried. In addition to these expenses, there are the police and political payoffs for protection against police raids and favorable legislation. You keep your customers happy by treating them with dignity and respect. Most of the customers are older people and housewives who played policy for so long, that they think its legal, but we also have schoolteachers, ministers, area businessmen and local politicians as customers, all hoping to hit the big payout. The policy station contained a large table with pencils and slips of scratch paper, which the bettors used to record their wagers. I insist my stations are always clean, comfortable and the bettors felt at ease. On one wall there is trough like racks, which hold the policy slips, or drawings that contained the winning numbers, for the policy wheels the station write bets for. There is a sign painted underneath each opening in the racks,” AM,” “PM” and “MIDNIGHT,” on top of each opening is the name of the wheel: the Honey Babe and Twin; the Baltimore, Ohio and New York; the Windy City, Michigan and Chicago; and the Mississippi, New Orleans and Texas are the most popular. A small blackboard sits beside the racks that contained the lucky or hot numbers and a dream book, which an alleged fortuneteller dreamed up. The dream book would tell a player what number to bet based on his or her dreams. The bettors used the dream book to translate dreams, bodily functions, names and events into a set of three numbers. On another table are four worn large black scrapbooks that contained the glued drawings for the last thirty days for each wheel. The drawings are for references and used by patrons in determining their daily plays, The policy station is a meeting place for the older people in the neighborhood who hang around drinking coffee, eating donuts provided by the station and gossiping after placing their bets. Most policy players were unemployed and received some type of welfare check. The merchants and the currency exchanges charged a fee for cashing the check but a smart station owner would cash the welfare checks of his players, free of charge, he knew that they would probably play most of in his station.”
“Thank you Mr. Wilson that was very interesting now have you ever heard of a Commander’s Club and were you a member?”
“Yes sir.”
“How much were your membership “dues?”
“Five thousand dollars a month,”
The jury and the