2 Investigators: Cop Convicted For Extorting Tow Truck Drivers
CHICAGO (CBS) --A Chicago police officer was found guilty Friday of taking thousands of dollars in bribes from tow truck operators hungry for business.
CBS 2's Pam Zekman has obtained video and audio detailing the corruption.
Deavalin Page, 46, took the stand in his own defense and denied accepting any money from tow truck driver Brian Chandler but those video tapes told the story. Chandler was working undercover for the FBI.
In November 2007 Page and Chandler met on the South Side in a bathroom. Chandler handed Page $2,000 — the officer's take for referring accident business to Chandler.
Chandler recorded the second payoff after he went to a bank for some money in January 2008.
In an exclusive interview, Chandler told Zekman that the cost of that corruption was routinely passed off to accident victims and their insurance companies in the form of inflated towing fees.
At one of those accident scenes, Chandler did a little accounting with Page.
"I still owe you for I think six, plus another three," Chandler said. "What are you going to do with all that?"
"I'm going to enjoy myself this weekend," the officer said.
Page's attorney argued Chandler was not credible because of his convictions for theft and fraud. He said page has been a strong productive officer for the police department.
He's the eighth cop convicted in Operation Tow Scam. Charges are pending against two more.
