Former Chicago Cops plead guilty to corruption

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Two more former Chicago Police officers pleaded guilty this morning to charges related to the Special Operations Section corruption investigation.

Frank Villareal was sentenced to four years probation on one count of felony theft.

Cook County Judge John J. Fleming also sentenced Sgt. James McGovern to two years probation for misdemeanor attempted obstruction of justice.

The pleas were part of an agreement reached with prosecutors over a year ago. In exchange for their pleas, Villareal, 41, and McGovern, 43, have promised information in the continuing state and federal investigations involving their former colleagues in the now disbanded SOS unit. More serious charges were dropped.

Within the last week, five other former SOS officers pleaded guilty related to the probe. They were sentenced to jail after they admitted they shook down purported drug dealers and other innocent citizens, ransacking their cars and homes in search for money, drugs and weapons.

No word yet from former Chief of Detectives William Hanhardt on this one.