A Master Plan | The FBI Files | FD Crime

organized crime tore through the suburbs of Chicago leaving violence and corruption in its prominent officials were seduced by greed and power doing whatever was necessary to protect their [Music] interests everyone was on the table FBI sear fall on the FBI to out the corruption and to find the killer of an innocent woman [Applause] [Music] [Music] Willow Springs Illinois seemed like any other quiet Midwestern Community but it was really one of the most corrupt places in the nation this tiny village nestled just outside of Chicago was in The Hip Pocket of organized crime I'm Jim cstom former head of the FBI's New York office it was only a matter of time before corruption led to assassination and conspiracy to end it required a federal sting operation of astounding [Music] complexity the bank of a sanitary canal in a remote Industrial Area became the sight of a gruesome crime the killers were quick and thir nearby two police officers were out on night Patrol when they heard the shots fir they became alarm one of the officers drove towards the canal to investigate he found nothing as he searched the desolate area you hey chief on the scene was Willis Springs Illinois police chief Michael I heard it earlier myself and I've already checked the area so he too I got a cover the following day a prominent local attorney called police to report that his wife was missing [Music] oh Mr M we'd like to ask a few questions about your wife Lieutenant Howard Van the Cook County Sheriff's department and his partner responded to the call attorney Alan Masters said that his wife Diane had been out the night before with colleagues and friends from a local College where she worked after of theard members would go to a bar she never came home there was no sign of her yellow c meeting usually start I believe it start he said he made calls trying to locate her until in the morning but finally gave up for the officers the information offered little insight excuse me a [Music] minute ask questions liutenant James keing of the Cook County Sheriff's Department joined the officers sit down sir we were just asking Mr Master's questions about his wife's disapp he asked Masters if he could have a look around the house Happ to sure Masters agreed he had nothing to hide the officers continued their questioning anything else you can tell us as far as I as reluctantly Masters offered some new information somebody somebody works for the college he suspected that his wife Diane had been having an affair no idea maybe the two lovers had run off together I don't know who he is or what he looks like I just have my suspicions excuse me guys I think we need to wrap this up Lieutenant vanck wanted to investigate further and look around the house himself sir I think we need to take another look around in here husbands are always suspects when their wives disapp there's nothing nothing sir we need to look around it's time to go missing here let's go now but Lieutenant keting intervened he wouldn't is two investigators always check out the scene in his mind everything had checked out let's go now vanck was upset he didn't know why keing would undermine his investigation [Music] outside keing confronted Lieutenant vanic telling him to back off no cause of no as far as he was concerned Masters was not a suspect but vanic didn't buy it and he let keing no it's just as the two men were about to explode Willow Springs police chief Michael Corbett arrived at the scene come on easy come on guys same side come on man Kon would have the final word man you're off the case forget it you're off the case man you got that the question still remained where was Diane Masters her disappearance grabbed the media's attention and Diane if you would please come she had been very active in the local community Diane had worked hard to help open a shelter for battered women she was also involved in local politics and sat on the board of the morraine Valley Community College present Diane with his plaque to show she did not appear to have any enemies all the hard work and her dedication in opening this crisis center something that is needed desperately in this community but investigators began uncovering other [Applause] details it was reported by Diane's friend that her husband was controlling and abusing happen sooner or later and that Diane was planning to file for divorce you know you knew assistant us attorney Tom scorza followed the case we were pretty certain that what had happened here was that Diane and Allen in regular had a regular marital dispute sort of ordinary dispute but that it had escalated uh into something much worse go ahead and send him in scor's investigation soon revealed that Alan Masters was more than just a bad husband hey how you doing it was rumored that Alan Masters had bribed local officials and police officers to secure favorable outcomes for his clients how to go very well very well nothing to worry about corruption extended right to the top of law enforcement allegedly Masters frequently Enlisted the help of Chief Corbin I don't hear about this anymore it be worth every penny [Music] it was also rumored that Masters in Chief corporate were involved in safeguarding some of the Chicago mob's bedding and prostitution Rings which were run out of show clubs throughout Suburban Cook [Music] County but investigators were focused only on Diane's disappearance with no evidence and few leavs that investigation sto unaware of Alan Masters or his wife's disappearance the FBI had already begun an independent investigation into the mob controlled rackets of the Chicago area are us attorney David Stettler worked with the FBI to help unravel the prostitution operation okay thanks at that time there were a number of topless bottomless joints that one could go to and many of them were undercover fronts for prostitution so you could go in uh you could watch the naked girls dancing on the stage and for a price you could Retreat to the back either to a booth or a back room and engage in one form of sexual activity or another with the dancers the club Owners knew that their customers would spend more on drinks and prostitutes if they could use their credit cards ni need to see some new patrons were Rel it they did not want bills arriving at their homes or businesses with charges incurred from nightclubs with C names the club Owners found credit card transaction companies that were willing to process the charges using false but respectable business names special agent Ivan Harris of the FBI's Chicago Field office was assigned to help help bring down the illegal businesses the scam uh was using various companies in order to launder credit cards uh through their business to make it appear that businessmen were actually uh eating at a restaurant or using Limousine Service uh to incur the charges when in fact uh there were charges for prostitution Larry Wright was one of the credit card transaction company owners Wright would pick up the week's transaction from the clubs and process them through his company National Credit Service or NCS one of his clients was a club owner named Joseph Maron whose Club was a front for a mob controlled prostitution house Wright wanted to expand his own operations he approached Marin about setting up an illegal betting Club she's not had a chance to really interview Marin was willing to help out the man who made him money right would first need to pay protection money to local police in order not to be exposed and arrested you you feel pretty confident Marin was the man who could arrange that protection right more than willing to pay good guy Marin arranged the meeting at the Willow Springs Police Department I trust him complely yeah it was to take place with police chief Michael [Music] Corbett it was believed that Corvett had been handpicked by the Chicago mob boss to oversee and protect their interests in and around Willow Springs the word on the street of course was that no one could do anything in will Springs without the permission of uh the chief of police Mike Corbett the message also was from virtually anyone you would talk to that he was so powerful that he was so well connected that nothing could ever be done about him I just want to make sure I don't get any unexpected visits Corbett agreed to help Larry Wright set up the new betting operation for a price not quite yet in return Corbett assured him he wouldn't get any heat from his off Larry Wright was well on his [Music] way he returned to his office at National Credit Service operated out of a nondescript Office Park location hi right worked with two other staff members doing great but these were not ordinary employees way NCS was not just a credit card transaction service for illegal activities it was a front for the [Music] FBI Larry Wright was actually undercover special agent Larry Damron by and he and the FBI were using NCS to work their way into the heart of the corruption in Willow [Music] Springs while local investigators struggled to unravel The Disappearance of a prominent attorney's wife the FBI had set up an undercover operation in the town of Willow Springs just outside of Chicago their target organized crime and the corrupt police who protected them from prosecution the undercover work was often painstaking and frustrating FBI special agent Larry Damron explains the difficulties inherent in undercover work during the course of the undercover operation you try to immerse yourself in what you're doing and you and you try to assume that role because it's necessary for you to do that in order to uh accomplish anything often times you'll hear people make comments or you'll see people do things that uh in any other circumstance they would be arrested for immediately and so what you have to remember is you're in a role and you play that role out damr had heard stories about how the mob resolve problems getting in the tr get I'm not getting in the TR were Swift and violent and their signature was unmistakable two bullets in the head there was no room for mistakes Victor spilatro a player in Chicago's organized crime approached Damron at NCS Victor himself wielded little power lar in the his brothers held tremendous influence within the mob's hierarchy Damron was starting to move into the center of the violent Chicago Underworld the spos were one of the best known names uh of mobsters in Chicago the older brother uh Tony was the boss in Las Vegas he represented the Chicago outfit uh for their interest in Las Vegas um had been a prominent figure and had been widely U uh mentioned in the paper having been involved in murders and extortions and things like that agent Damron quickly developed a reputation as an effective businessman in laundering money for Mob operations we got everything back here that you need you come come on back sure everything's all right spilatro knew of NC's activities with the local nightclubs they were under his control really appreciate what you're doing for good everything's going good with the business yes it's going great that's great he told Damron he would have to pay him a cut to stand business I'm glad you appreciate what we do for you okay well that's really good Damron had no objection is really really the level that we had there is we were paying protection to a fairly important um aspect to the Mob the spalatro family and so that gave us a little bit of uh U status if you will but we had absolutely no Authority or anything like that in the mob we were just workers and our value was we made them money agent Damron traveled to a remote hotel where he met with FBI special agent Gordon Brooks oversaw the undercover operation to ensure the damron's real identity was not compromised the two met in frequently to exchange information Brooks vigilantly kept tabs on Damron the investigation was as dangerous as it was complex not to worry about things the agent cautiously moved forward he wanted to continue expanding the FBI's undercover operations he used every opportunity he could to sell the idea of opening more bedding and prostitution houses throughout suburban Chicago was all right even with a go-ahead from the spelos Damron would still need permission and protection from the police the future to the future he met with nightclub owner Joseph Maron to hash out the details of the new clubs and secure police protection how you doing but there was a problem look look I got some upsetting news what's up their protector Chief cor had been removed by the Willow Spring City Council Under Suspicion of corruption um another high ranking law enforcement official who could provide the same protection as Corbett Lieutenant James keting Cook County's vice squad supervisor tell you what you know he deals with me US attorney Tom scorza was not surprised by the development King's reputation was well known you you feel pretty confident about this guy Jim keading was a lieutenant in the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department but if anything the rank understated his influence he was a very well connected Ed officer in a very corrupt Department uh he had connections with people of higher rank who were also corrupt so he was a key figure with Corbett out of the picture the FBI shifted their focus to keing I really appreciate Damron met with him at a restaurant outside of Willow Springs it allows me to really concentrate on my job heting said he'd have no problem helping Damron expand his operations have some good people working with me one thing we need to understand is if there's a situation that comes up but any move Damron made would have to be approved by him make the decision something go down he warned Damron to play it straight with him and his people have any problem or he told us that the one thing that he wouldn't tolerate was if someone double crossed him and he said if if that happened that we' they'd find us with our legs on one of the streets in the area and our head on another Street in the area as instructed by the FBI Damron proposed another operation a club that would be a front for prostitution going to hold on to this he gave the lieutenant the first of many payments to ensure police protection looks like a bonus for the guys before he left keing said he knew someone who might be able to help himing area a lawyer named Alan Masters hold on this can I really app though he had no direct dealings with Alan Masters Damron had heard the name mentioned by Chief Corbit didn't get that well I knew that Master was a well-known attorney on the south side of Chicago that he had a tremendous reputation for being able to get things done particularly in the in the local court system and the U the Scuttle butt was that that he wasn't reluctant to pay bribes or to deal with people however he needed to Damron continued his meetings with his case supervisor special agent Gordon Brooks Damron needed to know everything he could about Alan Masters and his relationship with keing and Corbett now you're in with Corb dirty the FBI and US attorneys quickly established a hierarchy within this ring of corruption okay you're making your way up to keing right I want you to Corbett was the king in will Springs but anytime he had to do something that involved the broader Cook County he needed to get the permission of keading and keading always had to check with the ultimate fixer Allan Masters to make sure everything could be handled at the court level can maybe get Masters as the extent of Alan Master's criminal activity became clearer the FBI began looking closer at his possible role in his wife's disappearance the two distinct cases were beginning to overlap and damron's objectives were broadening authorities going through County still he was a suspect in The Disappearance of his wife uh it was thought that if we could develop a relationship with him there might be something there uh that would come come to light and uh and might be of some benef benefit to that investigation our little Damron learned that Alan Masters allegedly made payoffs to several area judges in exchange for favorable decisions now we need to have that hearing on the Sanderson case needs to go our way we have an understanding of that judge agents speculated that Diane might have witnessed her husband's illegal activity and threatened to expose him than we terms with that right this way now trying to elicit information about Diane's disappearance Damron continued his efforts to make inroads into the corruption around Willow Springs he met with keing several weeks later to follow up on his plan to open a show club a good manager lined up I've got again mentioned that his friend Alan can take care of that he's a real fixer Damron took the opportunity to bring up alen's wife I open keting said last one that I open but then added an unusual comment the same plan we had with the other one probably heard of him seen him we talked uh about Master's wife uh turning up missing and keing said well she turned up missing like the day before the divorce was going to be filed that was convenient wasn't it it was convenient and chuckle about what a what a good circumstance that was Damron was cautious not to probe too far fearing that keting might grow suspicious you've known this fell for a long time known him for a while I've worked with him before sure he can do as the meeting ended keing handed over Alan master's phone number saying the lawyer was expecting his call won beated I just need to make L up I'm going with the same he proceeded to set up the meeting with Alan Masters hello Mr Masters how are you this is Larry Wright speaking the attorney agreed to help push through all the necessary permits and legal documents which meant bribing officials and securing protection yeah we've been working uh pretty hard on it for a while now well some I think it be suggested they get together talking about uh the meeting was set for the following week Monday December 13th okay I I'll look forward to meeting you then I think we can maybe do some business okay thanks bye before the meeting would take place however a police officer on routine Patrol near the sanitary Canal area in Willow Springs noticed something unusual tire tracks led directly into the canal he immediately called for assistance little did he know that the lid was about to come off the underworld in Willow Springs find these trucks out here in mark while the FBI continued their undercover operation in the Chicago suburb of Willow Springs an officer out on routine patrol made an alarming Discovery tire tracks leading directly into the sanitary Canal police officers and a dive team responded to the site overseeing the investigation was James Ross an honest cop appointed by city council to replace Michael Corbett as the police chief in Willow Springs though Corbett had been ousted from the Department his legacy of corruption remained below the surface divers found a virtual underwater parking lot 82 cars lined the bottom of a polluted Canal us attorney Tom scorza believed he knew why the cars were there and who could make a profit allowing them to be dumped without a police investigation those are known as uh Insurance give UPS people who want to collect money on their car when the car is not worth very much anymore will find a way of uh losing the car and then reporting it stolen and collecting Insurance my belief was that Corbett had been the approver of all of The Dumping of the cars in the will Springs canal By Night Time a third car had been dredged up a yellow cavac the license plate on the vehicle DGM 19 was well known in Willow Springs it was the tag registered to Diane Masters Lieutenant Keon the Cook County Sheriff's Department arrived at the [Music] scene Chief Ross was surprised that keing a Vice Cop had been notified he asked keing why he was there heting had no response officers continued examining the cabin when they cried open the trunk they discovered a [Music] decomposed Ross immediately ordered that the car and the body be taken back to a City Garage where they could be thoroughly examined for Clues the decision not to use the police garage was well reasoned Chief Ross knew this case potentially had far-reaching implications and he couldn't trust his own officers the fewer people nosing around the [Music] better State Police began to scour the car in the body for evidence they found 22 caliber shell casings in the trunk the keys were still in the [Music] ignition eerily the watch on the deceased body and the dashboard clock had stopped at exactly the same time 150 they removed the body for further forensic investigation the forensic team examining the body found the skull had been crushed they also discovered two Bullet Hole entries in the left cheekbone the bullet fragments inside the skull were removed and sent off to the FBI lab for ballistic evaluation [Music] dental records confirmed what everyone believed the body found in the trunk was Diane Master this the 9-month investigation into Diane's disappearance was now a homicide investigation come on here Chief Ross called in Cook County detective John Reed to work the homicide he was to team up with the FBI who was now taking over the murder investigation detective Reed was not to trust even his closest friends in the department he was told that through the FBI undercover operation run out of NCS Law Enforcement Officers were being investigated for corruption the only man in dep and some had ties to alen Masters who is now a firm suspect in Diane's murder those right we were just talking about the as agent Harris and detective Reed initiated their Mur investigation agent continued his undercover today to set up a time and place for our meeting called Alan Masters to confirm their meeting to set up the show club jamed I expect to be in court all day tomorrow I'm sorry well was evasive and distracted okay too that's okay with you maybe we can maybe we can work something out then just give me some time he canceled the meeting okay thanks Mr Damron immediately called [Music] King with the conversation being recorded by the FBI he hoped keing would explain why Masters was being evasive no I was wondering if you had any information on that as I said he's uh pretty busy uh how about if he give me a call in 3 or 4 weeks but ke was cryptic maybe we work something out then he instructed Damron not to buy father Masters he had too many problems to deal with okay [Music] fine the new show club would have to [Music] wait what do you got for me the trans Damron met with agent Brooks Masters and keing both appeared nervous since Diane's body had been discovered but that was hardly enough evidence to prosecute either of them for murder really about perhaps Damron had overlooked something he handed over his tape recorded conversations with keing this is going to nail him we're going to get him can you play that again please mhm K over the next several months the US attorney's office the Cook County Sheriff's department and the FBI began the process of merging the various investigations all right well between wasting this tape Cook County lieuten James keing and former willings police chief Michael cor if that's the case and if we can put if we can it fall on prosecutors to begin constructing a case proving that the three men and all of their activities represented an ongoing organized criminal Enterprise all right we can get that the RICO prosecution happening that's and what we had to do in order to prosecute Masters and Corbett and keing for a collection of their activities including the homicide we had to to show that they made up a criminal organization a mini Mafia appreciate you meeting with us tonight Mrs Camp staff um well if you guys detective Reed in agent Harris's First Step was to question Diane's friends who had been with her on the night she disappeared you said that you uh followed her home that night one of Diane's colleagues Genevie cap staff had actually followed Diane home that evening after a board meeting and so I just wanted to see so I followed her cap staff claimed everyone on the Marine Community College Board who worked with Diane suspected that she was having an affair with an economics professor she admitted that she wanted to see if the two were going to Rondevu she followed Diane to her street when Diane turned to go home cap staff continued [Music] on is there anything else that you tell further questioning revealed that all of the community college board members including Diane were given a $100,000 life insurance policy as part of their employment benefits $100,000 right right but that only covers the policy specifically stated that proceeds would be paid if a board member died while traveling to and from board meeting the policy was void when the board member entered their home that's all but we apprciate Alan M's claimed Diane never arrived home that night he was therefore eligible to collect the insurance money several months before Diane's body was discovered in the trunk of her car Masters filed a claim with the insurance company after filling out all the paperwork he sent it off though Diane's fate at that time was unclear Masters had a judge declare her legally dead as a result he was about to receive [Music] $100,000 Alan MERS was fast becoming the FBI's prime suspect in the murder of his wife Diane shortly after her body was discovered investigators learned that he had filed a claim with his wife's Insurance Company within a few months two checks appeared in the amount of $50,000 each if federal agents and prosecutors could prove Masters was responsible for his wife's death and that he profited from it it would be one more element that showed that he and his accomplices were involved in an ongoing criminal Enterprise homicide in a federal racketeering case carries much more jail time than a state charge as the investigation began to take on a clearer Focus FBI agents working the undercover case receiv received bad news listen we're going to have to move rather quickly on the Washington Post had gotten word of the operation listen we're having a bit of a problem we got we're almost at the point where we can really make some impact post gave the FBI 3 weeks to wrap it up before running the story we have have to be closed down is that right yeah something like that agents had no choice but to quickly bring their C operations here so please do me a favor for us attorney David ster the timing couldn't have been better all right what the project had run its course and the bulk of the information anybody was ever going to get had been retrieved and to make the operation go on go on longer would have resulted in additional evidence but it also would have resulted in the evidence that had been gathered becoming more and more stale agents had meticulously pieced together the web of corruption that extended to the nightclubs under mob control now it was time to shut them [Music] down go FBI open the door open the door the FBI hit all of the clubs on the same with massive Force several hundred officers and agents raided over a dozen clubs throughout count including those in Willow Springs stay right here go on stay right here behind your back inside the club's federal agents were able to collect volumes of incriminating evidence 55 people were indicted including club owner Joseph Marrin Tony spilatro and his brother Victor they were prosecuted in both the state and federal courts for extortion prostitution bribery and racketeering several deputies from the Cook County Sheriff's department and officers from the Willow Springs Police Department were also indicted and convicted for protecting these businesses move a little faster after 3 years of undercover work the sting operation was now officially closed what friend name or undercover special agent Larry Damron it was finally time to leave the role of Larry Wright I would say the Finish was Elation and disappointment at the same time disappointment that there were so many opportunities out there to to identify other criminal activity we knew that uh that it was a good job that we had gathered tremendous amounts of evidence and that we had a a real insight into uh some of the criminal activity that was taking place that we hadn't had before Alan Master local authorities the FBI and prosecutors could now Focus exclusively on the Diane Master's murder investigation whereit her punched on she said he hit hit her and oh yeah continued questioning her friends and Associates including the man with whom she was allegedly having an affair were things that economics professor Jim Cel that he was he was not he was not he confirmed that he and Diane had a relationship well he also claimed that Masters had abused Diane physically mentally and emotionally time when we were at one of our she lived in fear of her husband of wine together and Dian and Di had told him she planned to file for divorce those Celiac also had reason to fear Alan Masters one night Celiac and Diane had met for drinks at a local bar he recalled that Diane called home to check on her daughter instead of getting the babysitter on the phone Alan unexpectedly answered Alan he suspected she was with her lover um I didn't know you were he was and began to threaten I was call to check on Andre he vowed to destroy [Music] her Celiac said Diane returned from the phone call and was very [Music] upset he went to the bar for more drinks there a man suddenly confronted him and began firing off a series of questions oh yes I did the man never identified himself 10 12 years what's your name he asked Celiac's name where he worked ccnc though the man said little else Celiac felt he had just received a threat stay away from [Music] Diane andc would later recognize the man of as Lieutenant James keing he said that on the night of Diane's disappearance she had called him and warned him not to meet her for drinks different so this was an unusual move on her part usually got together after her college board meetings up what was the tone of voice lately she had been troubled by Alan's behavior that they were going to another restaurant ciac took her advice and canel their plans at the same place he never saw Diane again meeting was always a matter they're on the way now agent Harris and detective Reed continued to develop Witnesses hey you come by they discovered that Masters had hired a private investigator to keep Ts fromed that his wife Dian we subsequently developed a cooperating individual named Ted nakaza who was a private investigator with Allan Masters Masters had requested Ted nakaza to place a bug on his home telephone number because he suspected his wife Diane uh was having an affair I got a few tapes hey what do you guys got for me myaza told investigators the bug was successful in exposing Diana and Celiac's Affair good news Ted ner played back a telephone conversation captured on tape where Diane was talking in highly sexual way with the boyfri Jim Celiac um according to Nika after playing the tape Allan Masters declared his intention to kill Diane and to get keing to make it look like an accident Allan Masters wanted his wife murdered and he had the resources to get away with [Music] it we got to stay cool the FBI and local authorities continue to uncover evidence against Allan Masters and his associates that pointed towards a conspiracy to murder Allen's wife Diane through a private investigator hired by Alan Masters Diane's Affair had been exposed that his wife was Che Allen's rage was out of control but investigators had no hard evidence to charge him with murder going to do this after an exhaustive 5-year investigation that was about to change he intended to have Diane killed they uncovered a c County Sheriff's deputy who was willing to talk agent Harris Deputy Jack Bachman had startling information Keen brought me into bman had been too afraid of the consequences of coming forward on his own he say anym he claimed that he had been approached to kill Diane the offer had come through Lieutenant James ke Bachman had a series of conversations with keing and ultimately keading asked Bachman if Bachman would be interested in the job of actually stalking and killing Diane Masters really Bachman said keing offered him $25,000 to carry out the hit and uh Michael Corbett the chief of police had already agreed to dispose of the body trustworthy and cor over Springs will help ban declined the offer no sir I'm sorry I can't get involved in anything like that no no sir through keing Masters had clearly solicited about this this meeting we just had and that what well no but he did offer me this one of the final pieces prosecutor scorza needed to bring an indict he said he wanted to eliminate her I said what do you mean by what we were able to show is that when Allan messes decided to kill his wife he simply was able to turn to the two police officers that he'd already been working with on corrupt activities and criminal activities and that made the homicide and the planning of it and the solicitation of it it made it an activity of the Criminal the price the pieces had finally come together investigators put together a likely scenario of Diane Master's murder said she Allan Masters had found a Hitman to kill Diane and her boyfriend when they met for the usual drinks after her college board meeting however Diane didn't meet with Celiac that evening you're home late tonight the meeting ran [Music] late Furious Masters took matters into his own [Music] hands Alan masses was at home babysitting their young daughter he was setting up his Alibi by making longdistance calls all night to prove that he was home he never never expected his wife to walk in the door she did she began the process of getting undressed and he hit her with a blunt instrument two blows to the [Music] Head Masters then called Chief Corbett who came with an unknown accomplice to dispose of the body they dumped Diane's body in the trunk of her Cadillac Corbett then drove away with the accomplice following him Masters remained at home with his daughter they drove to the remote sanitary Canal Diane's watch was reset to throw investigators off the trail should her body ever be found finish they then fired Two Shots into her head they wanted to like a mob hit they also reset the dashboard clock to 150 Allan Masters made sure that he was on the phone at the time to corroborate his Alibi Corbett and the accomplice dumped the Cadillac into the CL in June of 1988 6 years after Diana murder investigators brought charges against the three conspirators I know my former police chief Michael Corbett was the first arrested on federal charges of racketeering bribery and conspiracy to solicit and cover up the murder of Diane Masters special agent Ivan Harris tried to elicit a confession M corber subsequently confessed that he was in fact the person that had put uh Dian Master's car in the canal uh he disavowed any knowledge knowing that she was in the trunk of the car at that time book County Lieutenant James Keon is arrested next on the same federal charges he too denied involvement in Diane's [Music] murder FBI and finally Alan Masters in addition to racketeering and bribery the indictment against Alan Masters charged that he planned solicited and aided and ab beted the murder of his wife if you wish one prosecutors would not have enough hard evidence to charge any of the conspirators with the actual murder of Diane prosecutor Tom scorza was able to successfully tie all of their criminal activities together for the jury Masters was convicted on all counts collecting the $100,000 insurance money after having his wife murdered also made him guilty of male fraud he received a total of 40 years effectively to the end of his life former Chief Michael Corbett received 20 years James keing was convicted and sentenced to over 30 years the mass case was special in my experience because there was no one single piece of evidence proving guilt what there were were a thousand little pieces that made a mosaic that was made the case intriguing it made it very difficult to present it made it a challenge to present to the jury but it made a terrific story because in the end the jury could see how one little plate piece from over here and one little piece from over there made a picture and the picture was a plot among three fellows who had been involved in a lot of criminal activ to do their ultimate criminal act murder Diane Masters watch yourself the undercover investigation that agent Damron oversaw and the work of several other FBI agents exposed a deeply rooted corruption throughout Cook County and brought it to its ultimate Demise by weeding out these pockets of corruption the people living in the suburbs of Chicago no longer have to live with the LA lawlessness that threaten to destroy their community [Music] [Music]

Channel: FD Crime

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Id: oKtDuC4V2i0

Length: 50min 5sec (3005 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 07 2024