Judge refuses to free ex-chief of detectives

CHICAGO -- A judge refused Tuesday to free Chicago's jailed former chief of detectives to spend the holidays with his family, saying he might flee to avoid prison and could pose a danger to the community.

"The organized crime aspects of this case cannot be overstated," U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle said in refusing to grant bond to William Hanhardt, the one-time top detective on the city's police force.

Hanhardt is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to masterminding a series of heists across the country in which thieves under his command got more than $5 million in jewelry, gems and watches.

The 72-year-old retired officer could receive as much as 15 years behind bars at sentencing, currently set by Norgle for Jan. 31.

In his 12-page written opinion, Norgle brushed aside a promise from Hanhardt last week that if he were allowed to go home for the holidays he would return to court in January to face sentencing.

Norgle noted that Hanhardt had been set to plead guilty on Oct. 16 but instead was rushed to a hospital after passing out from an overdose of pain killer that federal prosecutors have called a suicide attempt. He was arrested after leaving the hospital and is now being held in the government's Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago.

In light of the overdose, Norgle said, "it is unconvincing to approach the court now and argue these same family connections will ensure his appearance on Jan. 31."

"His alleged suicide attempt was his own doing, notwithstanding the stressful circumstances he was facing," Norgle said.

As for the mob, Norgle said that the government has gathered evidence that "demonstrates that Hanhardt has a longtime connection to Chicago organized crime."

"Significantly, there is evidence that Hanhardt abused his influence with the Chicago Police Department to further his own organized crime activity," Norgle said.

Norgle cited reports that Hanhardt had leaked to organized crime information about the government's Operation Strawman investigation of Las Vegas casino skimming and given his home phone number to Allen Dorfman, a consultant to the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund who was gunned down in 1983 before starting a federal prison sentence.