Orland Mayor Calls On State's Attorney Foxx 'To Get Act Together'

ORLAND PARK, IL — Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau called on the Circuit Court of Cook County and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office Thursday "to get their act together to ensure that law abiding citizens are protected." His comments come one day after the village's police officials announced a record heroin seizure during a local drug bust.

In his comments, Pekau commended Orland Park's police department for its work in arresting three Arizona men with criminal histories in connection with possessing drugs and guns. Pekau then voiced displeasure at early bail amounts he said were set too low for the three men. He said that the county's court system "almost let these three thugs go," while he credited Orland's police department for obtaining a search warrant that led to the discovery of more drugs and guns. According to Pekau, without that action, "these violent felons would have likely made bond and disappeared."

"This cannot be allowed to continue," Pekau wrote in a statement released to the news media Thursday. "The Cook County Court system needs to protect our citizens by enforcing existing laws and ensuring that known, armed, violent felons do not end up back on our streets while facing charges. I am calling on both the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office to get their act together to ensure that law abiding citizens are protected.”

A spokeswoman for the state's attorney office, Tandra R. Simonton, pointed out that it was Foxx's office that asked for the bail review.

"At a court hearing for this case on August 27, Cook County prosecutors asked for a bail review that was granted by the court. All three defendants were ordered held without bail, and they remain in custody today," she said.

Foxx's office also worked with Orland Park police to obtain a search warrant used in the investigation, she explained.

"We were pleased to assist our law enforcement partners at the Orland Park Police Department secure multiple search warrants for this case as part of our commitment to public safety and justice."

"It's possible," she added, "that the mayor may be a bit misinformed."

Orland Park police announced Wednesday that on Aug. 24 they arrested three Arizona men— Hector Acosta-Feliz, 28; Johnnie Lee, 26; and Taurence Lopez, 45 — on a collection of charges, including heroin, methamphetamine and gun possession. They also found a safe and waited for a search warrant to open it. It contained a large amount of drugs.

At first, the men were held on $15,000, $3,000 and $25,000 bond respectively. After the safe's contents were found, bond was revoked for all three.

The drug bust, orchestrated by police, netted about 3 kilos of heroin, about a half-kilo of methamphetamine and pills, and several guns. It was the largest heroin seizure in the village's history, police said.

In an email to Patch, Police Chief Timothy McCarthy said his department also objected to the initial bail amounts set when the men first went to court after their arrests Aug. 24.

"We were not misinformed about anything," he said. "The bond amounts were ridiculously low for convicted felons with significant criminal backgrounds in possession of guns, heroin and other drugs and from out of state."

Read the mayor's full statement:

“First, let me commend the Orland Park Police Department for their outstanding work in apprehending three armed and dangerous felons who came to our town from Arizona last weekend to deal heroin and methamphetamines. These armed criminals posed an extreme danger to our community and our officers acted with bravery and professionalism to arrest them without incident.

That’s the good part. The bad part, which should give us all pause, is the broken Cook County Court System which almost let these three thugs, who were CONVICTED FELONS from another STATE, walk. The ridiculously low bail amounts $25,000 ($2,500 cash) for one, $15,000 ($1,500 cash) for another, and $3000 ($300 cash) for the third are incomprehensible given they had large amounts of illegal drugs and three loaded illegal handguns in their truck. Were it not for the diligence of the Orland Park Police Department in quickly obtaining a search warrant for a safe found in the truck, where almost 3 kilos of heroin were found, these violent felons would have likely made bond and disappeared.

This cannot be allowed to continue. The Cook County Court system needs to protect our citizens by enforcing existing laws and ensuring that known, armed, violent felons do not end up back on our streets while facing charges. I am calling on both the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office to get their act together to ensure that law abiding citizens are protected.”

See also: Orland Police Nab 3 Arizona Men In Record Heroin Bust

Updated Aug. 30, 2019 to include police Chief Timothy McCarthy's statement.