CHICAGO, Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
Chicago Crime Commission held its Stars of Distinction, 2016
Awards Dinner to recognize outstanding individual and
organizational contributions in fighting crime. Chicago Police Department Superintendent
Eddie Johnson was the keynote
speaker at the event.
The program featured eight awards presented to individuals and
the organizations they serve in recognition of their outstanding
work in law enforcement. The recipients of the Stars of
Distinction awards exemplify the commitment of all law
enforcement in their efforts to fight crime in Chicago.
"While gang members and other criminals provide an unending
threat to our safety and security, it is important to recognize the
individuals who put their lives on the line every day and celebrate
the victories they have won," according to J.R. Davis, Chairman and President of the
Chicago Crime Commission.
"The Stars of Distinction, 2016 Awards Dinner is a chance
to honor those whose efforts have been instrumental in the
successful pursuit of justice. It is also an opportunity for
us to thank them and celebrate their outstanding achievements along
with their family, friends, and colleagues," he added.
Awards presented and recipients of the Stars of Distinction
Awards included:
LAW ENFORCEMENT EXELLENCE AWARD
Because of an ongoing
war between Killa Ward Gangster Disciples and the Bang Bang Gang
Black P Stones (BBG), 9-year-old Tyshawn
Lee was murdered on November 2,
2015. The offenders – Corey
Morgan, Dwright Doty and
Kevin Edwards – all BBG members,
were driving around the neighborhood, including Dawes Park, looking
for Tyshawn's father, Pierre Stokes,
a ranking member of the Killa Ward Gangster Disciples. The
offenders entered Dawes Park and talked to several young teens
playing basketball. They spotted Tyshawn across the park nearby on
a swing. The offenders then lured Tyshawn into an alley with the
promise to take him to the store for treats. However, in the alley,
offender Doty shot Tyshawn in the head, hands and body. Immediately
following the attack, Doty entered a car with the other offenders
and fled the scene.
A few weeks after Tyshawn's murder, a task force was formed to
investigate his murder and two other murders associated with the
gang war in what was named "Operation Remember." The task force
included members of the Chicago
Police Department, CCDOC, FBI, HIDTA, and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Because
of the immense dedication and hard-work by the members of the task
force, Tyshawn's murderers were charged.
The Chicago Crime Commission proudly honors the following
individuals: Cook County State's
Attorney's Office ASAs George Canellis, Daniel Reedy, Jaime
Santini, Brian Holmes,
Emily Stevens, Thomas Darman, Nicholas
Trutenko; Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent
Anthony Grubisic; HIDTA Analyst
Carrie Moe; CCDOC Executive Director
Brad Curry, Executive Director
Daniel Moreci, Investigator
Franco Domma; Chicago Police Department Officer Matthew Kennedy, Detectives Keith Allen, John
Murray, Timothy Murphy,
Daniel Stover, Michael Cummings, Jeffrey Rodenberg, Arthur Davis, Melvin
Branch, Donald Hill,
Patrick Ford, Michael Chiocca, Brian
Drees, David Garcia, and
Sergeant Will Svilar.
LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCELLENCE AWARD (STREET
GANGS)
Through effective multi-jurisdictional partnerships,
the DEA-led Chicago HIDTA Group 43 - Violent Gang Conspiracy Group
- has been investigating an international Transnational Criminal
Organization (TCO) believed to be affiliated with multiple Mexican
based cartels including the Knights Templar, Jalisco New
Generation, and Zetas.
This multi-agency operation, made possible only through
strategic partnership, information sharing, and careful planning,
yielded the successful seizure of vast amounts of bulk cash and
narcotics in transit between Mexico and Chicago as well as the subsequent arrest of
twelve defendants, including a high-ranking member of the
Chicago based Spanish Cobras
Street Gang.
This Group demonstrates the very real importance of effective
collaboration between law enforcement agencies and officers. The
Chicago Crime Commission is honored to announce the recipients of
the Law Enforcement Task Force Excellence Award for their
collaboration with multiple agencies to ensure the perpetrators of
the TCO operation are brought to justice.
The Chicago Crime Commission proudly honors the following
individuals: DEA Group Supervisor George S.
Karountzos, Special Agents Jomarr
Cintron, Craig Schwartz,
Paul Park, Nicholas Albert, Fernando Gomez, Christopher Marshall; Task Force Officers
Artyom Postupaka - Lisle PD,
Brette Glomb – Darien PD,
Kristopher Kush - Park Forest PD,
Donald Stone - Glenwood PD,
Phil Hahn - Chicago Heights PD,
Sergeant Alonzo Harris - Chicago PD,
Lafayette Triplett - Chicago PD, Angel
Amador - Chicago PD, Edward
Daniels - Chicago PD, Defonda
Louie – Chicago PD; Customs and Border Protection Officer
Jose Venegas; National Guard IRS
Olivia X. Rivera; National Guard IRS Natalie Uchmanowicz; and DEA
IRA Kristeena V. Jackson.
LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCELLENCE AWARD (WEAPONS)
Again, the
Chicago Crime Commission would like to honor another incredible
instance of effective inter-agency partnership within the law
enforcement community. For a significant amount of time, guns have
been plaguing the neighborhoods of Chicago. Through the tireless efforts of ICE,
HIS Chicago, FIG, and local law enforcement departments, guns that
would otherwise be used to perpetrate unconscionable acts have been
taken off the streets of Chicago.
Through meticulous investigative techniques and strategies, the
multi-agency task force seized two live hand grenades, one grenade
launcher, five .50 caliber assault rifles, a .22 handgun with a
silencer, 25 other assault style weapons, over 1,000 rounds of
ammunition, six ballistic vests, and 1.5 kilograms of cocaine.
The trifecta of seizing guns, money, and drugs is indicative of
the far-reaching tentacles of organized crime in our communities.
The seizure and arrests of the subjects involved in perpetrating
criminal acts is also telling of the hardworking and determined law
enforcement members who collaborate each day to make our streets
safer.
Based on the successful efforts of the task force, the Chicago
Crime Commission is proud to announce the following recipients of
the Law Enforcement Excellence Award: HIS Chicago Financial
Investigations Group Special Agents Matt
Daoud, Matt Gauder,
Tino Gonzalez, Jan Markiewicz, Robert
Melone, Stefanie Moton,
Kenneth Popovits, Matthew Siffermann, Spencer Taub, David
Vanderlaan, Criminal Research Specialist Maureen McDougall, Financial Analyst
Louis Sastre; ICE Enforcement
Removal Officer Frank Trevino, Task
Force Officers Sami Alnemri –
Chicago PD, Garrick Amschl – Olympia
Fields PD, Juan Carrillo – Streamwood PD, David Dileto – New Lenox PD, Jose Gonzalez
– Addison PD, Tom LaPak – Hoffman
Estates PD, Joel Mantia –
Will County Sheriff's Office,
Daniel Raysby – DuPage County Sheriff's Office, Vicente Roman – Lombard PD, Bilos Thomas –
Chicago PD; Kane County State's
Attorney's Office First Assistant State's Attorney Jody Gleason, Assistant State's Attorney
William Engerman; Kane County Sheriff's Office Bomb and Arson
Unit Sergeant Kevin Tindall, Deputy
Brad Zentmyer; Chicago Police Department Cage Team Police
Officers Jacinta O'Driscoll,
Robert Garcia, Enrico Dixon; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms Group Supervisor Timothy
Wilson, Special Agent Levi
Tinder, Certified Explosives Specialist Tina Sherrow; Elgin Police Department's Special
Investigations Unit Detective Sergeant Chris Jensen, Detectives Tom Wolek, Heather
Robinson, Canine Officer Marshall
Kite.
EXCELLENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT (ILLEGAL NARCOTICS)
Just
over three years ago, the Chicago Crime Commission named Joaquin
"El Chapo" Guzman Loera of the
Sinaloa Cartel as its Public Enemy Number 1. Despite El Chapo being
imprisoned in Mexico, his cartel
continues to perpetuate crimes that impact the Chicagoland area.
The efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
(OCDETF), "Operation Tiburon" and "Operation Buzz Kill" – a joint
state and federal investigation – have brought many members of El
Chapo's gang enterprise to justice. Such individuals included many
high-level members of the Sinaloa Cartel operating in multiple
countries and multiple cities in the
United States, including Chicago.
Through OCDETF's work they dismantled one of the largest drug
trafficking organizations ever charged in Chicago, which was originally a simple
Chicago street gang case. The Sinaloa
Cartel supplied most of the heroin in the region and 1,500 – 2,000
kilograms of cocaine each month. To date, these investigations have
resulted in federal indictments of 67 defendants, including Cartel
leader Joaquin Guzman Loera and
other high level Sinaloa targets,
the seizure of over $32 million in
U.S. currency, 3,100 kilograms of cocaine, 72 kilograms of heroin,
704 pounds of methamphetamine, 25 weapons, and 32 vehicles.
In total, the investigation sought over $1.8 billion.
The perseverance of the dedicated and passionate law enforcement
members again illustrates how impactful and powerful our collective
efforts are in ensuring the safety of our communities. The Chicago
Crime Commission honors those members of the OCDETF task force who
strive each day to end the influx of guns, violence, and drugs into
the Chicagoland area including: Drug Enforcement Administration
Group Supervisor Todd C. Smith,
Special Agents John Buonincontro,
Billy Conrad, Louis Gade, Robert
Fergus, Emilia Fernandez,
Jessica Ipema, Matthew McCarthy, Christopher O'Reilly, Dorothy Sells, Jennifer
Vann, Donald Wood; TFOs Craig
Clark – Palos Heights PD, Teddy Fox – Chicago PD,
Jennifer Guest - IRS-CID,
James Healy - Evergreen Park PD,
Jason Lippy - DEA Intelligence
Research, Calvin Lucius - Calumet
City PD, Chris Pedicini - Oak Park
PD, Vincent Zehme - IRS-CID; DEA
Investigative Assistant – Barbara
Wynne; Christopher Hotaling,
Chief of Narcotics – NDIL; Assistant U. S. Attorneys Michael Ferrera, Erika
Csicsila, Lindsay Jenkins,
Renai Rodney, Sean Franzblau, Kathryn
Malizia, Angel Krull,
Georgia Alexakis, and James Durkin.
MITCH MARS PROSECUTORIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Law
enforcement includes a host of essential foundations within
society, and among them is the successful prosecution of criminal
activity. Effective prosecution of crime and criminals serves as a
truly foundational element of a healthy, law-abiding, and thriving
humanity, and the law enforcement professionals dedicated to this
service make a difference every day.
On the night of September 27,
2006, Metra Police Officer Thomas
Cook was working a detail at the Harvey Metra rail station.
The detail was formed in response to multiple armed robberies at
that location. As Officer Cook sat in his squad car, Jemetric
Nicholson approached the car and shot Officer Cook two times in the
head. Nicholson then took Officer Cook's service weapon and fled
the scene. Over the course of the next several weeks, the South
Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, with the assistance of the Metra
PD and the Harvey PD, led an investigation into Officer Cook's
murder. The investigators followed up on hundreds of leads,
executed search warrants, and interviewed dozens of people.
During the task force's investigation, they learned that
Nicholson had shot two men as they stood in a car wash on the night
of September 26, 2006, and that
Nicholson and anther individual, Jeremy
Lloyd, attempted a drive-by murder of rival gang members. As
they fled that scene, Nicholson and Lloyd fired shots at a Harvey
police officer. Furthermore, the task force learned that Nicholson
shot a rival gang member in the face on October 2, 2006. Based on the task force's work,
Lloyd was charged with First Degree Murder and agreed to testify
against Nicholson in exchange for a sentencing recommendation of 20
years for murder and attempted murder of a police officer. In
November 2010, Nicholson was charged
with First Degree Murder in the death of Officer Cook.
Between 2011 and 2015, Nicholson was tried and convicted of
attempted murder of five people in two separate shootings. He was
sentenced to 125 years. Finally, in January
2016, Nicholson was convicted of First Degree Murder of
Officer Cook. He was sentenced to Life in Prison. In all, five men
were charged with violent crimes ranging from armed robbery to the
murder of Officer Cook. Thanks to the perseverance and dedication
of the investigators and prosecutors on the case, Officer Cook and
his family received the justice they deserve.
The Chicago Crime Commission very proudly announces the
recipients of the Mitch Mars Prosecutorial Excellence Award:
Cook County State's Attorney's
Office Assistant State's Attorneys Joseph
Kosman, Theodore Lagerwall,
Cheryl Schroeder-Hagendorn, and
Michael Golden.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT
The background and credentials of this year's
Lifetime Achievement Award recipient stand and deserve tremendous
commendation. Deputy Robert Skrypek
began his career at the sheriff's office in May of 1995. Since
then, he has served with honor in the following divisions: court
security, highway patrol, tactical response team sniper, criminal
investigations, warrants, cybercrimes unit, juvenile officer and
field training unit.
During Deputy Skrypek's career, he helped track down
Lake County's 10 Most Wanted
fugitives, located parents who owed several thousands of dollars in
back child support and managed approximately 180 registered sex
offenders. Moreover, in 2006, he worked as a special investigator
on a case involving the mayor of a local village in Lake County for distribution of child
pornography. That case resulted in a conviction of the mayor for
possession and distribution of child pornography.
The Chicago Crime Commission is proud to recognize these
lifelong commitments and commends Deputy Skrypek for his many years
of service and dedication to the law enforcement community and to
the citizens of our country.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
This year, the Chicago
Crime Commission added the Community Engagement Award to the
evening's list of accolades. This award recognizes individuals and
organizations that seek to significantly enhance the lives of
others in the community and empower them to succeed.
In that spirit, this year's Community Engagement Award goes to
Youth Guidance's Executive Director Michelle Morrison, Chairman Michael Crowley and Becoming a Man Founder
Anthony Divittorio. Through their
work, Youth Guidance championed and implemented the Becoming a Man
(BAM) and Working on Womanhood (WOW) programs in Chicago with great success. The BAM
program was launched to help young men navigate difficult
circumstances that threaten their future. A safe space was created
at Clemente High School for young men to openly express themselves,
receive support and develop the social and emotional skills
necessary to succeed. Now in its 15th year, the BAM program is set
to serve 4,080 youth in 60-plus Chicagoland schools in the 2016-17
academic year. Specifically, BAM, which operates within many
Chicago public schools in
neighborhoods with high rates of gang violence, drugs and violence
works on getting young men into their program before they're drawn
into gang life or drop out of school. In June 2016 researchers from the University of Chicago Crime Lab released new
findings from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact
of BAM during the 2013-15 academic years. Findings show that BAM
reduced violent crime arrests by 50 percent, reduced total arrests
by 35 percent, and improved school engagement for male Chicago Public Schools students.
PAWS OF DISTINCTION AWARD
The final award this
evening is always one of great interest, and despite its recipient
being a canine, is nevertheless illustrative of an important and
meaningful contribution in the law enforcement community.
This year the PAWS of Distinction Award goes to Deputy
Somerville and his Deputy K-9, Diesel, of the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Diesel is a
two-year old German Shepherd. Deputy Somerville and Diesel have
been partners since completing an intensive 8-week training program
together in June 2015. They have been
inseparable since that time. Through their time together on the
streets of Lake County, they have
proven to be forces to be reckoned with. Though examples of their
heroism are boundless, two necessitate sharing. After a report came
in of an individual who was trying to commit suicide, was badly
bleeding, and fled, Diesel picked up that individual's scent and
tracked her through a heavily traveled trail. Diesel located the
individual under some brush and alerted other officers of his
findings. The individual was rushed to the hospital. Had it not
been for Diesel, the individual may not have lived. Furthermore,
Diesel assisted the North Chicago
Police Department with a search for a bank robbery suspect who
robbed a credit union at gun point. North Chicago PD dispatched
Deputy Somerville and Diesel to assist them after the bank robbery
suspect fled on bicycle and foot. Diesel tracked the suspect's
scent found on the bicycle and went through yards and over fences
before locating the suspect in a crawl space in the back of a
house. Diesel commenced barking and growling once on site, and the
suspect surrendered to North Chicago PD without incident or
injury.
The Chicago Crime Commission is pleased to present this
year's Paws of Distinction Award to Deputy Somerville and
his canine partner, Diesel. Their deserving contributions have
enhanced the quality and capacity of our criminal justice
system.
Contact:
John Pastuovic
312-925-9092
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SOURCE Chicago Crime Commission