Jeffrey Kriv, 56, has been charged with felony perjury and forgery charges for the alleged scheme<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A former Chicago police officer has been accused of lying about getting his vehicle stolen by an ex-girlfriend to get out of paying 44 traffic tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeffrey Kriv, 56, is facing felony perjury and forgery charges for the alleged scheme that spanned a decade and saved him $3,665, according to an in-depth joint report by The Chicago Tribune <\/em><\/a>and ProPublica<\/em><\/a>. Cook County prosecutors claim Mr Kriv successfully used the same excuse at least 44 times since 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last time he did, in September 2022, Mr Kriv allegedly told a judge that he had a fight with his then-girlfriend the morning the ticket was issued and she went on to steal his car. Like several times before, Mr Kriv showed the court what he claimed was legitimate documentation, including allegedly forged police reports of the supposed theft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I had her arrested,\u201d Mr Kriv said, according to court transcripts reviewed by the Tribune <\/em>and ProPublica<\/em>. \u201cThey charged her with a misdemeanour trespassing to a vehicle … She got, like, three months\u2019 supervision or something like that. It\u2019s kind of a, I don\u2019t want to say the system\u2019s like a joke, but it didn\u2019t really do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The investigative report also uncovered several complaints filed against Mr Kriv from the time he joined the Chicago Police Department in 1996 until his retirement on 17 January of this year. Despite having 20 suspensions totalling 170 days throughout his time in the force, department officials never attempted to fire Mr Kriv until five days before his retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The city first became aware of Mr Kriv\u2019s alleged forgery crimes after a tip was sent to the Office of Inspector General last year. The information alleged that Mr Kriv used the same alibi when contesting dozens of tickets in the last decade, which ranged from speeding, running a red light and parking where it was not allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tim Grace, an attorney for Mr Kriv, downplayed the accusations, saying his client\u2019s character has been misconstrued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany of the facts you compose are incomplete or not true,\u201d Mr Grace told the Tribune<\/em> and ProPublica<\/em> in a statement, noting upwards of 100 recognitions Mr Kriv has reportedly been awarded. \u201cOfficer Kriv has served his city with honour for over 25-plus years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n