A former south suburban police officer who exploited traffic stops to solicit cash and drugs from motorists has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison.
Antoine Larry, 50, of Bolingbrook, was sentenced to five years and three months by U.S. District Judge John F. Kness on June 8 after a federal jury convicted him earlier this year on conspiracy, extortion, and attempted extortion counts, according to officials.
According to authorities, Larry and his Phoenix (IL) Police Department superior, Sgt. Jarrett Snowden, conspired to solicit cash and controlled narcotics from people stopped in Phoenix and Harvey between 2020 and 2022. The officers allegedly targeted motorists who risked arrest, vehicle impoundment, or other legal consequences and were unlikely to disclose the shakedowns.
According to prosecutors, in exchange for money or narcotics, officers gave reduced fines, no citations, a promise not to tow vehicles, or just let motorists leave without further consequences. According to trial testimony, the couple occasionally employed coded language to solicit bribes, arranged for funds to be delivered at a petrol station, or relied on intermediaries to receive money on their behalf.
According to court documents, the police stole over $15,000 in cash and drugs from at least ten victims. Individual meetings resulted in amounts ranging from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000. Prosecutors also claimed that the officers covered their crimes by creating fraudulent police reports that excluded confiscated cash, cocaine, and other evidence. In certain cases, stolen controlled narcotics were allegedly sold to a drug dealer, and the revenues were split among the police.
Snowden, of Lansing, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges before Larry’s trial and admitting to taking part in the plot, according to officials. He is set to be sentenced on October 27.
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