Former Illinois town police chief sentenced

URBANA -- The former police chief of Grant Park has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for taking bribes to drop cases against people accused of soliciting prostitutes.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael McCuskey on Tuesday ordered Scott Fitts to report on July 7 to begin his sentence. The judge ordered Fitts to forfeit $224,760.60, including $58,046 to the Internal Revenue Service.

When he pleaded guilty last year, Fitts acknowledged paying a woman $38,242 to pose as a prostitute and lure people into arrest by Fitts' officers. They say Fitts offered to dismiss the cases of those arrested if they paid a "fine" that was typically $3,500.

Authorities say most of the people arrested agreed to pay, resulting in profits of $400,719.

Fitts was appointed police chief in 1994 and indicted in June 2008.