CHICAGO — The grimy halls of justice were again tested as Stephanie Lewis, a former dispatch supervisor for the Chicago Police Department, admitted guilt in federal court. In an unsettling plea, Lewis confessed to providing classified government information to her boyfriend with intent to facilitate the smuggling of contraband into Cook County Jail.
Lewis, 42, exploited her position at the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications to access law enforcement databases. Her actions were directed towards obtaining the personal details of a corrections officer at the jail, which she then shared with her boyfriend, an inmate involved in the smuggling operation. According to the plea agreement, Lewis knew full well that this information was used to intimidate the officer into participating in the scheme.
The disgraced supervisor now faces up to 20 years behind bars for conspiracy to commit extortion, as the plea agreement outlines. Sentencing is set for April 26, 2017, at 11:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle.
United States Attorney Zachary T. Fardon; Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart; and Michael J. Anderson of the FBI’s Chicago office all joined in announcing Lewis’ conviction. Her plea brings the total number of defendants convicted in this sordid case to five, including Jason Marek, who admitted delivering contraband to inmates, and is awaiting his own sentence.
Prince Johnson, Lewis’ boyfriend and a co-conspirator, stands accused and awaits trial on conspiracy charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Cunniff Church represents the government in this case.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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