The headline of the Northwest Herald online edition right now is "RITA Corp. responds to special prosecutor request allegations". Look at the size of the print!
Is the Northwest Herald reporting news or creating it?
Since when have you ever read a defensive position spread at the top of a newspaper. This county needs a strong, independent, investigative newspaper.
Then read the comments, including my comment, which at 2:42pm was #15: "Can you people (above) read? Really? How did this suddenly become "common sense", "total story", "cooperating witness", "victim", "voluntarily", "smear"? It's Damage Control, folks. Read the Petition that was filed in Court. Have you actually read it? All of it?"
You can read the Petition that was filed on Tuesday. You can read it on McHenry County Blog and you might still find it on the Northwest Herald.
Do I believe the allegations in the Petition? Yes. Every one of them.
Somehow, I think the statement attributed to the unnamed DEA agent is not allegation. Read that one again, too.
Judge Meyer isn't about to repeat the two-year marathon that Zane Seipler's for a special prosecutor was. It appears he has put the State's Attorney's Office (SAO) on notice. "Take the case or don't."
They won't. The SAO defends the Sheriff - at least in civil matters. Remember?
Wouldn't it be way cool if the SAO waffles on November 2 and Judge Meyer rules that a special prosecutor will be appointed?
I still don't know Sgt. John Koziol. I am being told that he is not a disgruntled deputy. Well, maybe he is now. Maybe I would be, too, if I were faced with all the cr*p at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.
Zinke never should have revealed the DEA investigation to Brian Goode, as the Petition says that he did. Zinke should have kept his mouth shut and let the investigation run its course.
If RITA Corp. came out clean, it would have been cleared. If the drugs weren't destined for RITA Corp., the DEA would have tracked them elsewhere. If there were "smooth operators" only down on the loading dock at RITA, then I'd accept the "victim" label for the RITA Corp. Thanks to Zinke, we won't really know.
Whooping Cough Cases Up in McHenry County
30 minutes ago
7 comments:
Gus the point I think you are purposely missing is the investigation did not go public until this petition. Zinke made a discretionary call to bring RITA in to provide evidence. Koziol does not get to give an order to a senior officer. His tantrum is what made this investigation public...nothing else.
I'm not missing any point.
Zinke's contact with Goode was most likely an illegal act that compromised the DEA investigation. I agree with the Petition.
Zinke didn't have any discretionary authority to divulge an ongoing DEA investigation to anyone without DEA clearance. None. For him to do so was absolutely wrong.
You're right that Koziol doesn't give orders to Zinke. When Zinke said he wouldn't tell Goode, that was a "nice" comment, but Zinke knew, or should have known, that he should not say anything to Goode without first clearing it with DEA personnel.
I don't understand how anyone can stand up for Zinke in this matter.
What "tantrum"?
You do understand the DEA is perfectly capable of investigating and prosecuting anyone they feel harmed one of their investigations. At this point they have only said they will not comment or even acknowledge the original investigation exists. At best Koziol as publicly outed an ongoing investigation for a private grudge at worse he may not telling the truth. Either way he should have given the DEA the lead in how to handle their own case. We don't yet know if Zinke did anything wrong but their is little question Koziol has publicly outed what appears to be an ongoing investigation. Due to his being moved of the unit he may very well not even know the current status of the investigation or what came of the evidence RITA brought to the table.
I'd say it's pretty risky to go into court with a Petition packed with lies.
Your assumptions are amazing. "private grudge"; "don't know if Zinke did anything wrong"; "evidence RITA brought". Wow!
The MCSD motto: deflect and swerve...
The DEA investigates federal drug violations, not state "Official Misconduct" charges, so don't look for a DEA investigation into crimes outside of its primary jurisdiction. Other federal agencies might be interested in pursuing this conduct, but probably not the DEA. More likely, the DEA will just cut McHenry County out of the loop on future drug enforcement operations taking place in McHenry County.
The petition that was filed asks for an independent investigation, not a lynching. The State's Attorney has a conflict of interest and the Sheriff has ties to the parties involved, these FACTS support the need for an independent investigation. No doubt Lou Bianchi's office will arrive at the same conclusion. Why? Because it's the proper thing to do under the circumstances in order to prove or disprove the allegations.
From the affidavit, it appears that it was three months between the events described in the petition and the date when the petition was actually filed. During that time, the DEA was probably tying-off loose ends and engaging in damage control measures with its investigation into Rita Corporation.
When undercover drug enforcement operations are compromised, the investigation is over. The public always learns last -- unless the member of the public is tipped off!
Brian Goode told a NW Herald reporter that the truck involved was not a Rita Corporation truck (this is the truck that was caught by the DEA carrying 4,000 pounds of pot headed for Rita Corporation).
Nothing in the affidavit or petition filed said anything about whether the truck was a Rita Corporation truck. And who asked for documents from Rita Corporation anyway? Not Koziol or the DEA according to the affidavit.
If you read the petition and affidavit you would have learned that Koziol didn't order Zinke to maintain confidential information, Sheriff Nygren's General Orders required Zinke to maintain confidentiality. Koziol appears to have merely reminded Zinke of his duty. Whatever Zinke's rank, it does not permit him to interfere in federal investigations.
If a special prosecutor is appointed, it should be fairly easy for him/her to confirm Koziol's affidavit where he claims that he immediately reported the matter to the DEA Special Agent. If the DEA supports Koziol's account of things, then a grand jury should be convened, criminal indictments should be filed against Zinke, and a public trial held.
An independent investigation would show whether Zinke tipped off Goode with inside information about the DEA's investigation, and only an independent investigation will determine whether any indictments are to follow.
Are you suggesting that these allegations should not be investigated? What is your connection to this case?
D'Artanyon, thanks for your excellent comment.
Excellent and intelligent comment from DA.
I find it fascinating all the dodge ball comments I see on NW Herald.
RITA is claiming to be a 'victim?'
Let's see what things don't look so good for the 'victim.'
1) The truck just happened to come out the sister city to McHenry County, Guadalupe, Zecatecas, Mexico.
2) An official for this RITA connected company from Nygren's sister city just happens to have the same last name as a U.S. N. Illinois District Judge.
3) The Judge, just happens to appear in photographs with Nygren, Jose Rivera and Bianchi.
4)This judge just happens to be on the official "Itinerary" as a host to a visit to our US Federal Court House for the Governor of the State of Zecatecas, Mexico, as well as the Mayor of the city of Guadalupe, Zecatecas, Mexico.
(Where the company that RITA claims the drugs were mysteriously placed on the truck by some drug cartel.)
4) The DEA had been on this very same case (trucks coming in from Mexico to RITA Corp, Crystal Lake, for what, 10 months before Sgt. Koziol even was assigned to work the case WITH the DEA.
Some 60,000 pounds of dope mind you, not just the 4,000 pounds.
Sure are many coincidences for the poor "victim" to explain away.
But, let's hold final judgement for the Feds.
Remember, Deputy Sgt. Greg Pyle was arrested in January of 2012, by local authorities, yet the FBI sat on its knowledge of Pyle's activity for about 3 years prior to Pyle's original arrest, then another several months after his initial arrest.
I'd be laying my money down on Koziol's petition making it to a grand jury.
I'd also be laying my money down that the Fed's will soon be showing their cards, in full!
You see readers, 99.9 percent of you, have never seen the documents, have never spent time with authorities and have yet to read some recent federal court hearing testimony.
John Koziol was Nygren's chief Narcotics officer for YEARS, now that he comes forward to blow the whistle, suddenly he is a disgruntled employee with nothing better to do than make false accusations and bring them before the court?
At least he didn't go to somebody's campaign manager first like what happened to Bianchi back in 2008.
Koziol went through his 'chain of command,' believed a link in that 'chain' may have violated the law, and filed his claims with the court of law, not a Campaign manager.
People comment, Well why did Koziol use a divorce family law attorney to file this claim.
Has anybody ever priced out a criminal attorney lately? Im sure Sgt Koziol is like the rest of us, a man with a family, bills to pay and no extra money to take on an entire 5 million dollar per year operation.
So he probably asked for some help. I will say it again, Koziol went straight to the DEA itself, then to the Court.
That is what I would call a stand up Police Officer.
Everybody is innocent until proven guilty to be sure. Let's see what plays out.
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