COP NABBED IN MARIJUANA PROBE

Federal agents arrested a Chicago police officer Friday and charged
him with conspiring to sell 50 pounds of marijuana.

Joseph Pecora, 27, of Chicago appeared briefly before U.S. Magistrate
Judge Arlander Keys and was ordered held in custody pending a bond
hearing Monday.

Defense attorney Gerald Collins said he would have no immediate
comment on the case.

Federal officials said Pecora is a patrolman stationed in the 18th
District, which takes in such affluent areas as Lincoln Park and the
Gold Coast just north of downtown.

A Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer said in a
five-page affidavit attached to the complaint that a confidential
informant had led them to Pecora.

The informant said he was helping federal agents gather evidence
against another alleged dealer in suburban Bolingbook when Pecora
arrived to collect the 50 pounds of marijuana.

Pecora met several times later with the informant at the request of
federal agents. At the meetings, the informant wore a hidden recording
device. The agents also kept the meetings under surveillance.

The agents said Pecora had been unable to pay the dealer in
Bolingbrook, identified as George Zito, 29, for the marijuana and
claimed that other police officers had confiscated the drugs.

They said that at one point Pecora told the confidential informant he
might create a bogus police report to give to Zito as evidence that
the marijuana had been confiscated.

Zito was arrested on Thursday and appeared earlier Friday before Keys,
charged with a marijuana violation and giving a shotgun to the
confidential informant, who was barred from possessing firearms
because he was out of jail on bond.

Defense attorney Piyush Chandra said he would have no immediate
comment on the Zito case.

The police department released a statement saying Pecora's arrest
"does not reflect on the work of the 15,000 police officers who do a
good job every day, protecting and serving the public." Police
spokesman Monique Bond said Pecora had been relieved of police duties
and placed on no-pay status.