Chicago cops caught on audio discussing stealing money and drugs from homes after obtaining fraudulent search warrants
A Chicago police officer who allegedly stole cash and drugs from the homes he searched reportedly told one of his informants, "We're businessmen, let's do some business," over a phone call while discussing the said scam. "Everybody's going to eat here," Sgt. Xavier Elizondo is heard saying about a raid at a home in the recordings played to the court. "If we can hit this by Wednesday, you know what I mean? Christmas is a week after that."
The court heard how he later told Jeffrey Owens, the informant, that he was forced to "do this on the straight" after spotting cameras at the property, the Chicago Tribune reports. "It would have been a good Christmas for everybody," Elizondo later bemoaned.
Jurors heard that Elizondo was apparently concerned the money and cameras planted by the FBI were, in fact, drug dealers recording his activities. That said, he has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges along with his colleague, Officer David Salgado. The charges allege the cops paid informants to lie to judges in order to obtain illegitimate search warrants.
"Like, you know, we're businessmen, let's do some business," Elizondo was heard saying in another recording played to the Chicago court on Thursday. "Everybody's going to eat here. If we can hit this by Wednesday, you know what I mean? Christmas is a week after that."
Elizondo and Salgado allegedly stole $4,200 in another FBI sting just a month later. Jurors also heard from Judge Mauricio Araujo, 54, who is said to have approved many of the officers' drug-related search warrants.
According to federal prosecutors, one of the warrants was that of an FBI sting. However, Araujo told the court he would have not approved them if he thought the information was inaccurate upon review. "I'm authorizing officers to go into someone's home, which is a violation of the Fourth Amendment without a (valid) warrant," he said.
Araujo has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing, despite signing off on around three search warrants in a single day and telling the FBI "the warrants speak for themselves" when they confronted him in 2018. "He would ask me if I was available, and I would say yes," he said of Salgado. The judge admitted he was "friendly" with Salgado, having attended his mother's wake as well as his bachelor party in Colombia.
Having said that, Elizondo is also accused of trying to destroy evidence. Meanwhile, Salgado faces additional allegations of lying to the FBI.