Jun 21, 2006 6:59 am US/Central
Melrose Park Police Chief Accused In Complaint
Vito Scavo Accused Of Pressuring Businesses To Hire Officers For Security
MELROSE PARK, Ill. (AP) ―
Federal agents say they have proof that Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo pressured area businesses to hire his officers as security guards.
According to a federal complaint unsealed yesterday, Scavo received cash payments in exchange for arranging security work for the officers.
In the complaint, a business owner alleges that he complained to Scavo that police kept coming into his establishment and harassing customers. He says Scavo told him the problem would go away if he hired two officers at $30 an hour every Friday and Saturday night.
The complaint names Scavo, several officers and village workers. They are all also accused of lying to federal investigators.
There is no public telephone listing for Scavo in Melrose Park.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
