First Of Three Ex-Schaumburg Cops Posts Bail On Drug Charges
WHEATON, Ill. (CBS) -- One of three former Schaumburg police officers accused of stealing from drug dealers is getting out of jail today.
WBBM Newsradio's Nancy Harty reports Matthew Hudak's sister appeared at his arraignment Monday, to post the $35,000 in cash required for him to get out of jail – money raised by Hudak's family.
Hudak did not comment to reporters as he was released from the criminal courthouse complex.
"He's going to get to go home and be with his family, he's going to get to be with his children," his defense attorney, Thomas Glasgow, told CBS 2. "Being in jail and being away from his family has been very, very hard on my client."
Former Cop Posts Bail
Hudak and two other former Schaumburg police officers – John Cichy and Terrance O'Brien –all pleaded not guilty Monday to 17-count indictments that include charges of drug conspiracy, armed violence, burglary, theft, and official misconduct.
DuPage County prosecutors have said, while working undercover, the three men stole higher quality marijuana from drug dealers than the quality of drugs they handed in as evidence. They then allegedly sold the stolen drugs through an informant.
Prosecutors said the informant turned on the officers when he was arrested in Carol Stream on an another charge earlier this month.
Cichy, Hudak and O'Brien resigned from the Schaumburg Police Department after their arrests earlier this month.
Cichy and O'Brien also were expected to post bond soon.
Initially, they were ordered held on $750,000 cash bail – meaning they would have had to post the full amount to get out of jail – but last week, a judge significantly reduced bail for all three – $350,000 for Hudak, $300,000 for O'Brien and $250,000 for Cichy – and required them to pay 10 percent of their bail to be freed.
They must be outfitted with GPS monitors when and if they do go free, and would be barred from leaving the state.
