A former southern suburbs police officer who used traffic stops as an opportunity to scare motorists for cash and drugs has been sentenced to more than five years in prison.
Antoine Larry, 50, of Bolingbrook, was given a sentence of 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 of conspiracy, racketeering and attempted extortion, officials said.
According to prosecutors, Larry and his Phoenix (IL) Police Department supervisor, Sgt. Jarrett Snowden conspired to solicit cash and controlled substances from people they apprehended in Phoenix and Harvey between 2020 and 2022. The officers allegedly targeted motorists who faced the possibility of arrest, vehicle seizure or other legal issues and who they believed were unlikely to report the shakedowns.
In exchange for money or drugs, officers offered reduced charges, no citations, a promise not to tow vehicles, or simply let motorists leave without further consequences, prosecutors said. Evidence showed the pair sometimes used coded language when seeking bribes, arranging for payments to be delivered to a gas station or relying on intermediaries to collect money on their behalf.
According to court records, officers stole more than $15,000 in cash and drugs from at least 10 victims. The amounts taken during individual encounters ranged from relatively small amounts to more than $1,000. Prosecutors also said the officers concealed their crimes by filing false police reports that omitted seized cash, narcotics and other evidence. In some cases, stolen controlled substances were allegedly sold to a drug dealer, with the proceeds split among the officers.
Snowden, of Lansing, pleaded guilty to conspiracy before Larry’s trial and admitted to taking part in the scheme, officials said. He will be sentenced on October 27.
