Ex-Chief, Ex-Deputy Chief Conspired To Damage Mayor: IL State Police

JOLIET, IL — Attorney General Kwame Raoul has been asked by Joliet's inspector general Sean Connolly to file criminal charges of official misconduct against ex-Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner and ex-Joliet Deputy Police Chief Marc Reid, a 49-page report obtained by Joliet Patch shows.

A high-ranking lieutenant at the Illinois State Police concluded that Reid and Roechner hatched a phony criminal investigation to bring false charges of intimidation against Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, documents obtained by Joliet Patch reveal.

In November 2020, O'Dekirk was accused of blackmailing Joliet City Councilman Don "Duck" Dickinson regarding supposed photos of Dickinson's genitals.

The conclusions and interview statements of Illinois State Police Lt. Samuel Thomas are contained in the latest city of Joliet Inspector General's Office report. This week's report was issued by Westmont attorney Sean Connolly and his private investigator, Martin Walsh.

The city's inspector general is tasked with "the prevention, deterrence, detection and investigation of fraud, abuse, mismanagement and waste in the City of Joliet’s programs and operations," according to the City of Joliet website.

"When the Office of the Inspector General was asked to investigate allegations made by Dickinson against Mayor O'Dekirk, it first appeared, on the surface, to be a political stunt that backfired," Connolly's report stated. "The main concern to the OIG was whether Dickinson was blackmailed and if he voted on issues based on this alleged blackmail as opposed to voting in the best interests of the citizens he represented.

"As this investigation progressed, it became clear the subject of the investigation was not blackmail but police misconduct by the then-Chief of Police Alan Roechner and then Deputy Chief Marc Reid; false allegations by then Councilman Dickinson; false allegations by former Councilman (Jim) McFarland; breach of journalistic ethics by then managing editor of The Herald-News Joseph Hosey; and failure by Councilman (Pat) Mudron to stop and or report actions by Joliet government officials he knew or should have known were false."

Joliet Patch has reached out to Roechner, Reid, Mudron and Dickinson for comment about the Illinois State Police investigation, but has been unsuccessful reaching them. However, Patch interviewed Elwood Police Chief Fred Hayes, who spent 31 years at the Joliet Police Department and served as its chief from 2006 until 2011.

Reid retired from the Joliet Police Department in April 2021 and later that year went to work for Hayes in Elwood.

Hayes hired Reid as a sergeant and last year promoted him to commander. "It sounds like it's political silly season in Joliet and they've resorted to character assassination," Hayes told Patch on Thursday. "I will tell you, you will not find a more ethical, principled and honest person than Marc Reid. He's done an outstanding job in Elwood and an outstanding job with Joliet with the majority of his time under my tenure while I was there.

"This is character assassination and a war of silly words."

Page 10 of Connolly's 49-page report goes on to state, "It is clear, these six men gathered at Roechner's residence, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, and pressured Councilman Dickinson into filing a police report against Mayor O'Dekirk containing information they knew or should have known was false. It is also clear the purpose of this conspiracy was to damage Mayor O'Dekirk's political reputation for their own personal and or political gain."

Last month, on Feb. 13, Walsh, the private investigator for Connolly, interviewed Thomas, who is now retired from the Illinois State Police. Thomas led the Dickinson criminal investigation. On March 10, 2022, special prosecutor Bill Elward charged the 61-year-old Dickinson with a misdemeanor criminal offense of attempted obstruction of justice. Then, on Nov. 17, Patch reported that Dickinson's lone criminal charge was dropped by the special prosectuor.

"In Lieutenant Thomas' professional opinion, this case was a conspiracy orchestrated by top-level officials of the Joliet Police Department, and elected officials, to damage the Joliet mayor's reputation," the inspector general noted. "It was also designed to preserve former Joliet Police Chief Roechner's job as chief of police and Marc Reid's position as deputy chief. Lt. Thomas stated Roechner and Reid also tampered with evidence and used police resources improperly. Further, they lied to ISP investigators throughout the investigation."

Connolly wrote that according to Reid's Joliet police report, Dickinson had photographs of his genitals on his phone, however, "it does not appear any such photographs were discovered during ISP's investigation. The conspiracy, and this is how Lieutenant Thomas described it, was hatched at Roechner's home on a Sunday night. In attendance were former Joliet Councilman James McFarland, Councilman Donald Dickinson, Councilman Patrick Mudron, Deputy Chief Marc Reid, Chief Alan Roechner and Joseph Hosey, the managing editor of The Herald-News."

Thomas told Walsh the original handwritten report, "which he found to be very unusual, was written that evening at Roechner's residence. Reid took the report. Lt. Thomas said McFarland, Roechner and Reid were aware Dickinson was considering retiring as a Councilman. They were also aware Dickinson was manipulated to suit the group's goal. Dickinson was coerced and pressured by the group before, during and after the secret meeting."

The retired Illinois State Police lieutenant said he is upset Roechner and Reid were never charged in this case.

"He said there was ample 'hard evidence' to support criminal charges against both Roechner and Reid, including text, email and telephone messages. In Lieutenant Thomas' opinion, Dickinson was the 'fall guy' and the last person who should have been charged," Connolly's report stated.

When Thomas oversaw the investigation of Dickinson, Thomas was commander of the Illinois State Police's statewide special investigations division. Thomas said he did not understand why the special prosecutor did not prosecute Roechner and Reid based on the evidence presented, Connolly's report noted.

Thomas believed the special prosecutor did not want to get involved in a lengthy prosecution, but he knew action had to be taken.

"Duck was the sacrificial lamb from the beginning to the end," Thomas explained to Walsh.

When asked about the latest events involving the Illinois State Police investigation, Dickinson's criminal defense lawyer, Frank Andreano, told Joliet Patch he was declining to comment.

The special prosecutor on the case is retired from the Illinois Attorney General's Office and a law professor at Loyola Law School.

Thomas went on to say, "These guys (Roechner and Reid) were counting on us (Illinois State Police) to do a half-assed job. They came up with a story and didn't think we'd take it seriously. But this involved two of the highest ranking individuals in the Joliet Police Department and elected officials from one of the biggest cities in Illinois. Honestly, had it been a lower-level city employee or a clerk, it probably would not have gotten as much attention, but Roechner and Reid were high-ranking police officers.

"Once we started looking at the evidence, it was pretty clear what happened. We did a complete and thorough investigation. We had two investigators and sometimes four investigators on this case. We spent the time and did the job right. These two guys should have been charged with crimes in my opinion. The fact they weren't had pissed me off. It's really kind of an embarrassment."

The Joliet Inspector General's report noted Thomas is an experienced and decorated law enforcement officer with 30 years of service who headed the Illinois State Police's public integrity unit and investigated hundreds of official misconduct cases. Before serving in special investigations, Thomas was a homicide and violent crimes investigator at the state police.

"Lieutenant Thomas said his unit initially did not have a lot of interest in this case," Connolly's report reflected. "On the surface, it looked silly, salacious but low-level. However, just days into their investigation, it became clear to Lieutenant Thomas and his team the case was worth a hard look."

Connolly's report goes on to state: "It is hard to believe, a deputy chief of police, of Illinois' third largest city, with 23 years of experience as a police officer, would prepare a handwritten report, on an obsolete form, misspelling the alleged victim's name throughout the report; Reid knew Dickinson personally, and that this report would rely on double and triple hearsay from a source simply identified as 'a person,' and allege facts that do not come close to meeting the elements of the offense of intimidation.

"Further, Reid's handwritten report does not include the date of the alleged executive session during which Dickinson claimed Mayor O'Dekirk allegedly made an intimidating statement. Further still, he includes allegations of a phone call that occurred within the 'last two to three months.' A police officer fresh out of the academy would know better than to prepare and sign such a poorly written report."

Thomas explained to the inspector general's office that Dickinson's phone "was partially wiped by somebody at JPD before it was turned over to ISP. JPD provided a thumb drive containing some contents of the phone. Reid did not provide Dickinson's cell phone to ISP; this raised red flags with ISP investigators. Lieutenant Thomas said he had an ISP phone tech conduct a three-tiered forensic examination of the USB device provided by Reid. The ISP forensic examination revealed data had recently been erased from the USB device; this shocked the ISP investigator."

Moreover, the Inspector General's report states Roechner's wife phoned/texted Dickinson when he started "feeling the heat, imploring him to stick to the story."

As for McFarland, the Illinois State Police lieutenant described him as the "good guy promoter of this tale. He led the whispering campaign that was at the root of this bogus story. McFarland was a one-term Joliet Councilman who resigned after it was discovered he resided in Frankfort ... McFarland was a controversial figure in Joliet. He was investigated for several questionable acts."

In the IG's report, Thomas also remarked how Dickinson "laid out in detail what role Roechner and Reid played in this ruse. Dickinson is alleged to have said the initial police report was written by Reid while Reid was at the November 1, 2020, meeting at Roechner's house.

"The handwritten report taken by Reid is a 'forgery' and was a parcel in the evidence package presented to the special prosecutor. Lieutenant Thomas stated, 'The report was fabricated. None of it was true.'"

Thomas also told Walsh that his Illinois State Police unit was seeking to charge Roechner and Reid with official misconduct, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to file a false police report. Thomas said additional charges may have been warranted had the prosecutor "not stonewalled the investigators."

"Reid's role was so apparent and so egregious; Lieutenant Thomas' group considered reporting Reid to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board with the goal of getting Reid's state certified standing as a police officer revoked," Connolly wrote. "He did not follow through. The idea fell by the wayside after Lt. Thomas learned Reid was not going to be charged criminally. He regrets not taking this action."

From Dickinson's interview, Connolly learned that McFarland, the Frankfort resident, attended the Nov. 1, 2020 meeting at Roechner's Joliet house and McFarland was the person "who told Dickinson that Mayor O'Dekirk was telling people he had photographs of Dickinson's genitals. In his interview with ISP, Dickinson said McFarland told him he heard from (name redacted) at a party (name redacted) hosted at his house, that a female sent the picture of Dickinson's genital area to (current Joliet Councilman) Joseph Clement, who then forwarded it to Mayor O'Dekirk.

"Based on the evidence reviewed during this investigation, McFarland's story is a complete fabrication," Connolly concluded.

Connolly put in his report he will not identify the person who hosted the party "because his only involvement is the unfortunate inclusion in the lie told by McFarland. During his interview with ISP, Mudron, when discussing McFarland said, 'You cannot go to court on McFarland's word.'"

McFarland resigned from Joliet's City Council in September 2016 and "at the time of his resignation there were allegations he engaged in unethical behavior. Additionally, it is important to note, McFarland and Mayor O'Dekirk had a falling out several years ago," Connolly outlined.

As for Hosey, Connolly stated he is now executive editor of The Times of Northwest Indiana newspaper, the second largest print newspaper in Indiana.

"His articles about Mayor O'Dekirk were often negative, including his final opinion article dated May 7, 2022, the day after he left The Herald-News, in which he took several parting shots at Mayor O'Dekirk. It is clear from his final article he does not care for Mayor O'Dekirk. It also clear Hosey attended the November 1, 2020 meeting at Roechner's home."

On Feb. 16, private investigator Walsh called Hosey at the Indiana newspaper, asking if Hosey attended the Nov. 1, 2020 meeting at Roechner's house.

"Hosey refused to confirm he was at the meeting and stated, 'I can't talk about that,'" the report noted. Walsh advised Hosey that two participants from the meeting, Mudron and Dickinson, told the Illinois State Police that Hosey was present. Hosey replied, 'I'm not talking about that.'" Finally, Walsh asked Hosey if his response is 'no comment,' and Hosey remarked, ' I can't talk about it,'" the inspector general noted.

Connolly's observations: after reviewing all Illinois State Police interviews, "it seems clear Dickinson was coerced into filing the offense report against Mayor O'Dekirk. During his interview with Mudron, the ISP investigator stated, 'Mudron explained that Dickinson was worried about getting in trouble for filing the police report. Mudron continued to explain that Dickinson continued to make a comment that he was not going to jail for this.'"

The Illinois State Police interviewed Roechner for the case and Roechner stated, "Dickinson was someone who is easily bullied or pressured. In his interview with ISP, the investigator stated Dickinson said he decided to file the police report after talking to Roechner and that 'they convinced him to file a police report because everyone knew there was a picture of Dickinson out there.'"

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

• 'Duck' Dickinson's Criminal Case Dismissed, Jobe-Gavin 'Disappointed'
• Criminal Charge For Ex-Joliet Councilman Don Dickinson
• Nude Photos: Joliet Mayor Denies Blackmailing Dickinson
• Naked 'Duck' Dickinson Photos: Mayor Says He Hasn't Seen Them