Former Chicago Detective Sued Over Wrongful Conviction

CHICAGO, IL — A retired detective is going on trial Tuesday in Chicago. Reynaldo Guevara faces a wrongful conviction lawsuit over a murder in 1988. The suit claims the former detective helped to frame Jacques Rivera for a murder in West Humboldt Park, court records show.

The victim, 16-year-old Felix Valentin, was sitting in a car near the 3300 block of West Cortland Street on August 27, 1988, when he was shot ten times. He died several weeks later, according to court records.

The lawsuit claims that Guevera coerced a 12-year-old boy into falsely identifying Rivera, a former Latin Kings gang member, as the gunman in the murder. The boy was the only witness and has since recanted his testimony, according to court documents. The 12-year-old said investigators didn't listen to him when he said he identified the wrong man, according to the lawsuit.

Guevera also faces corruption allegations that he took protection money from drug dealers, framed other suspects and took money from gang members to change police lineups, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.

Convictions for 18 men have been thrown out over the allegations against Guevera, and there are eight other federal lawsuits against him pending, according to the report.

Guevera is expected to take the Fifth at trial this week, according to the Tribune. At least ten other former Chicago cops were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The trial at the Dirksen Federal Building is expected to last three weeks.

Image via Shutterstock