2 JAIL GUARDS CHARGED IN KILLING

Two Cook County Jail guards were charged with first-degree murder and a
third guard with misconduct Friday in the shooting death of a West Side man.

The sheriff's office said the guards were hired by two alleged drug dealers
to collect a $70,000 debt.

Jeffrey Smith, 22, of the 1400 block of North Lotus Avenue was shot in
front of his home about 10 p.m. May 3, according to investigators with the
Sheriff's Police Gang Unit and the Chicago Police Department.

Smith died of a gunshot wound to the shoulder three days later in Cook
County Hospital, the medical examiner's office said.

Charged with first-degree murder were guards John LaVelle, 32, of Orland
Hills and Esteban Perkins, 31, of Chicago.

Investigators said LaVelle, Perkins and one of the alleged drug dealers
went to Smith's home May 3 to collect a debt from Smith's father. Smith
allegedly opened fire on the three men but failed to hit them, authorities
said.

Police said LaVelle fired back, hitting Smith.

Also charged with murder were Carlos Santos, 24, of the 3800 block of West
Diversey Avenue in Chicago and Alexander Valencia, 30, of the 9600 block of
South Kedvale Avenue in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

A third guard, Morris Richardson, 29, of Chicago was not at the scene of
the shooting but was charged with official misconduct for allegedly twice
visiting the home earlier, said sheriff's spokesman Bill Cunningham.

An undercover sheriff's police officer met Thursday with LaVelle and paid
LaVelle $8,000 to be distributed among the three jail guards for their part
in collecting the debt, authorities said. LaVelle, Richardson and Perkins
were arrested Thursday.

All three guards are scheduled to appear Saturday in Bond Court.