Det. Slick slips, but keeps job

Back on May 23, 2012, I wrote an article in which I addressed the impropriety and problems when a detective has a sexual relationship with a confidential informant. At the time I didn't use the detective's name.

This morning's Northwest Herald carries a story about the felony drug charges against Christopher Branham, 43, of Crystal Lake. His attorney, Hal Stinespring, wants the charges thrown out. Judge Prather will address that motion further on October 18.

The story relates how "then-Detective Jason Novak" of the Narcotics Division of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department developed more than a business relationship with a confidential informant, the girlfriend of Branham. One thing led to another, including phone calls, text messages and that she "then performed a sex act on him (Novak)" at Novak's residence.

"Slick", as the informant called then-Detective Novak, and the Narcotics Task Force, went to Branham's residence and was allowed by the woman informant to search for drugs. No mention is made in the Northwest Herald article of a search warrant.

If you want the lurid details of the relationship, read the Northwest Herald article.

It's nice to know how seriously Sheriff Nygren took Novak's gross violation of MCSD rules and regulations. "The department holds officers to a higher standard, Nygren said."

Yeah, sure...

Nygren is quoted as saying, "We will deal with transgressions when they come to our attention, and I think we always have. It would have been easy for us to cut the guy some slack, but we didn't do that here."

Oh, really? Of course, Nygren cut him some slack. A lot of slack. Novak still has a job!

I'll bet that somewhere in the Illinois statutes is a law that prohibits "Slick's" actions. Maybe something about "colors of office"; that is, using his "power" as a deputy to influence a person.

Just how seriously did Nygren take Slick's "transgressions"? Slick got ten days off without pay, and he got transferred to Patrol.

Tell me, folks. Why didn't Nygren fire Slick? Is Slick one of the in-crowd at MCSD? Must be...

McHenry County is screaming for a new sheriff. The new sheriff had better come from outside the department and be someone with no ties to the Department. Hopefully, the new sheriff will be someone who will clean house. He should dump the top rows at MCSD and put in people he can trust.

How many deputies and supervisors knew that Slick was having an improper and probably illegal relationship with a confidential informant? Why didn't the head of the detective division know it? He should have been reading Slick's reports and asking questions. Why didn't he? And why didn't the Undersheriff know? And do something about it!

If I knew about it on May 23, who else knew?