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Chicago Police Officer Charged
With Stealing Funds From Co-Worker

A Chicago Police Officer assigned to the 311 Call Center has been charged with using a co-worker’s debit card to make withdrawals from the victim’s bank account while she was hospitalized earlier this year, according to the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

George Porter, 46, of Chicago, has been charged with one count of theft and two counts of deceptive practices following a joint investigation by the State’s Attorney’s Professional Standards Unit and the Chicago Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division.

Porter had been assigned to the 311 Call Center for nearly three years and befriended the victim when she began working there earlier this year. The victim was suffering from cancer and Porter would occasionally assist her by giving her rides to work.

On May 23, 2009, Porter was at the victim’s home when she told him she was not feeling well and asked him to purchase some groceries for her.  Because she feared the store would not allow him to use her credit card, she gave him her debit card’s pin number and told him to withdraw cash to pay for the items.  Porter made one withdrawal for $200 at a local Walgreen’s that day but no groceries were ever purchased.

While Porter was allegedly purchasing groceries, the victim began to feel ill and lost consciousness. She was rushed to the hospital and remained there for several days. While hospitalized the defendant used the victim’s card to make cash withdrawals on three additional occasions on May 25, 2009, at two ATMs in Chicago and one at an Indiana casino.  The total amount of the theft was $800.

When the victim was released from the hospital she noticed the unauthorized transactions and reported the matter to the Internal Affairs Division.

Porter was arrested Wednesday and appeared in Central Bond Court today where his bond was set at $50,000.