Schaumburg settles 13th lawsuit against ex-cops
Schaumburg's 13th settlement among the multiple lawsuits filed against three former undercover officers arrested on drug conspiracy charges three years ago has resulted in the largest single payment yet to a plaintiff and his attorney.
The settlement approved by village trustees Tuesday night pays a total of $37,501 - with $20,001 of it going to plaintiff Sean Cerami and the remaining $17,500 to his attorney.
Besides being the largest of the settlements involving former officers Terrance O'Brien, Matthew Hudak and John Cichy, this is the first to distinguish between payments to the plaintiff and attorney.
But Schaumburg's attorney Jim Sotos explained that the coverage of Cerami's legal fees was a separate provision of the settlement offer.
"As the cases go on longer and longer, the other side has larger attorneys' fees," Sotos said. "The plaintiff (Cerami) is probably not getting any more than the other plaintiffs."
Similar in its claims to the previously settled lawsuits, this one specifically alleged a combination of malicious prosecution and the theft of hundreds of dollars by O'Brien.
Drug charges against Cerami were dropped in August 2013 based on the charges against O'Brien and Hudak, who pleaded guilty and are serving prison terms.
Cichy still awaits trial.
The 13 settlements have cost Schaumburg a total of $263,501. Three similar lawsuits are still pending.
As with all the settlements, Schaumburg is admitting no wrongdoing on behalf of the village or any of its past or present employees.