CHICAGO -Fourteen years after he skipped out on his federal drug conspiracy trial, ex-Chicago police Sgt. Eddie Hicks was back in a court room today at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse following his arrest in Detroit.
Hicks, 68, was led into US Magistrate Judge Daniel Martin’s courtroom in an orange jumpsuit with a thin, graying goatee and shackles clanking around his ankles. He spoke only to say, “Yes, your honor,” when judge asked if he understood the proceedings.
A 29-year veteran of the Chicago police, Hicks was charged in 2001 with running a crew of rogue officers who robbed drug dealers, pocketed the illicit cash and sold the stolen drugs to other pushers. He was last seen at a pretrial conference on May 29, 2003, a week before jury selection was to begin in his case.…show more content… 19 in Detroit and waived his right to contest his extradition to Illinois to face the pending charges. Authorities have not disclosed how they caught up to Hicks after so many years or discussed the circumstances of his arrest.
In court today, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pasqual asked Hicks be jailed pending the outcome of his case, calling him a textbook example of someone to be held without bond. “Needless to say, he is a serious flight risk”, Pasqual said. Hicks attorney, Robert Crowe, did not object to his detention.
A longtime narcotics officer, Hicks retired from the Chicago Police Department while under investigation in March 2000. Until then, he had a charmed career, working personal friendships with commanders to land plush assignments such as providing security at Chicago Bulls games.
According to the federal charges, Hicks led a crew that for nearly a decade used fake search warrants to rip off drug houses and stole drugs and cash from dealers during illegal traffic stops. A major cocaine dealer, Arthur Veal, had been providing Hicks and his crew with leads to lucrative
