Pubdate: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 Source: SouthtownStar (Tinley Park, IL) Copyright: 2009 Digital Chicago, Inc. Contact: http://www.southtownstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4719 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States) EX-COP GETS 11 YEARS IN PRISON An ex-Chicago police officer was sentenced today to almost 11 years in for robbing drug dealers -- a case that prompted the judge to declare he's tired of the growing pace of wrongdoing by cops. "In this city, it seems to me we are bombarded by stories and cases and prosecutions of police misconduct," said U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman, who imposed the sentence on Richard Doroniuk. "It's been accelerating . . . It's very discouraging." Last week, Chicago cop Anthony Abbate was sentenced to 18 months probation by a Cook County judge for pummeling a much smaller female bartender while he was drunk, in a caught-on-video beating that drew national attention. Earlier this month, ex-Chicago cop William Cozzi was sentenced in federal court to three years in prison for the 2005 videotaped beating of a 60-year-old man who was handcuffed and shackled to a wheelchair. The 131-month sentence imposed today by Gettleman actually was a break for Doroniuk, who pleaded guilty to racketeering and bribery, and testified against another police officer. Without a plea deal that saw prosecutors drop a civil rights charge, he could have faced 30 years in prison. "I'm sorry for what I did," the tanned, 33-year-old Doroniuk said in court. "I regret it." Doroniuk -- who at one point launched a porn-making enterprise from his apartment -- testified against his onetime cohort, ex-officer Mahmoud "Mike" Shamah, who was convicted and is to be sentenced Thursday. Doroniuk testified he and Shamah stole money and split it after executing search warrants and making traffic stops in 2005 and 2006. Both Doroniuk and Shamah were caught on wiretapped calls talking about splitting up proceeds of ripoffs. In asking for the judge to uphold the sentencing deal, Doroniuk's lawyer, Robert Clarke, said his client had suffered hardship following the recent death of his fiance. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake