Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno (1st) walked out of the Leighton criminal Courthouse Wednesday after a cook County judge granted him an I-bond on costs connected to an alleged false police document he filed in January.
The alderman, who is determined to go away office next week after losing a bid for reelection, nodded along as his attorney spoke at a short bond listening to, recounting how Moreno had cooperated with police shortly after a woman he had been relationship changed into pulled over in his 2016 Audi A6 and charged with stealing the automobile.
Moreno didn't seek advice from newshounds as he walked out of the courthouse a couple of hours later, climbed right into a waiting black SUV and rode off down South California Avenue.
Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno (1st) walks with supporters out of the Leighton criminal Courthouse Wednesday afternoon, may 15, 2019. | Ashlee Rezin/solar-instances
right through the bond listening to, prosecutors observed the woman who had been arrested had textual content messages that confirmed Moreno had loaned her the car, and changed into attempting to make dinner plans with her — even after he suggested the motor vehicle stolen to each Chicago police and his assurance business.
choose John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. mentioned the facts as supplied in court docket "outlines… if, genuine, as a minimum a bad lapse in judgment."
Moreno faces costs of disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice and coverage fraud.
Proco "Joe" Moreno | Chicago police
Lyke is the same choose who set $a hundred,000 bail for "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in another false police document case previous this 12 months.
Moreno was taken into custody on the criminal expenses Tuesday evening, in response to Chicago police. lawyer Camilo Oceguera informed the decide that Moreno had instantly hired a attorney and cooperated with police after the girl changed into arrested months ago. however the attorney referred to Moreno had heard nothing from police until he bought news that an arrest warrant had been issued for him.
"for two-and-a-half phrases, he has been an alderman and serving his components and been nothing but a perfect member of society," Oceguera said.
On Jan. four, Moreno known as 911 to record that his Audi had been stolen from his Bucktown home. however prosecutors spoke of the night before, Moreno had invited the 35-12 months-ancient woman he become dating over to his condominium, gave her the keys, took her to his garage and watched her power away.
"The name operator suggested Moreno that any person found driving the car would be arrested," Assistant State's attorney Tom Simpson noted in court docket.
A month later, the woman who stated she become in an on-and-off relationship with the alderman, was pulled over on the Northwest facet. The woman begged cops to examine texts from Moreno that showed he had loaned her the automobile. but the girl turned into taken into custody after police have been unable to get the alderman on the mobilephone or locate him at his house, prosecutors pointed out.
Moreno also informed his coverage enterprise that the automobile had been taken, and in a follow-up name about his claim well-nigh a month later, Moreno speculated that he had left the key within the vehicle in his garage, and need to have forgotten to close the overhead door to the storage or that someone had used a device to unscramble his door opener signal, Simpson referred to. The assurance business did not pay out on Moreno's declare, Simpson referred to, however had been organized offer the alderman as a great deal as $30,000.
Moreno lost his re-election bid to challenger Daniel La Spata in February, simply weeks after the news reports in regards to the stolen car report surfaced.
Moreno had also confronted political headwinds after a woman said he had flashed a "peace officer" badge — which is issued to all alderman — and ordered her to surrender a automobile parking space close Wrigley field. Moreno additionally was filmed taunting the owner of the Bucktown building that housed the famed Double Door track club, after the constructing proprietor had evicted the membership owners.
Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno (1st) walks with supporters out of the Leighton crook Courthouse Wednesday afternoon, might also 15, 2019. | Ashlee Rezin/solar-times
Contributing: Sam Kelly