The fbi named the investigation operation greylord because of all the judges having gray hair, although the national media reported it was named after the curly wigs worn by british judges. Anyone familiar with the unprecedented government undercover investigation of corruption in the cook county circuit court that resulted in the convictions of. Wayne klatt terrence hake recounts his involvement in the events of operation greylord, the fbi s longest and most successful undercover operation that led to charges against over one hundred of chicagos. Apr 04, 2017 from left, shirley and leonard wass visit with author and former fbi agent terrance hake, who has written a book about the undercover anticorruption investigation operation greylord in chicago. He was recruited by the fbi to work undercover in operation graylord, an undercover investigation of the cook county courts. And in the endthrough undercover operations that used honest and very. This was an investigation of judges and the judicial system that was breathtaking. Operation greylord is the riveting tale of how a few honest lawyers in the united states attorneys office in chicago, with the help of the fbi, uncovered and prosecuted the almost unimaginable corruption in the lower reaches of chicagos criminal and traffic court system.
Nov 05, 2019 operation greylord is the riveting tale of how a few honest lawyers in the united states attorneys office in chicago, with the help of the fbi, uncovered and prosecuted the almost unimaginable corruption in the lower reaches of chicagos criminal and traffic court system. Jul 09, 2016 when the investigationcode named operation greylordwas initiated, terry was a young assistant states attorney fed up with corruption in the cook county, illinois court system. It resulted in bribery and tax charges against 103 judges, lawyers, and other court personnel, and, eventually, more than 70 indictments. And in the endthrough undercover operations that used honest and very courageous judges and lawyers posing as crooked ones. Brockton lockwoods story brocton lockwood, harlan h.
Operation greylord by federal bureau of investigation. Operation greylord was a colossal fbi sting in the early 1980s involving the cook county judicial system. Operation greylord is a story of true crime that details americas largest undercover fbi investigation into corruption. The true story of an untrained undercover agent and americas biggest.
Operation greylord is the riveting tale of how a few honest lawyers in the united states attorneys office in chicago, with the help of the fbi, uncovered and prosecuted the almost unimaginable corruption in. Exfbi agent to chronicle operation greylord at montgomery dinner. He survived operation greylord feature chicago reader. Corruption so pervaded traffic court that lockwood, who at first merely wanted to complete. Operation greylord lee county library system overdrive. The true story of an untrained undercover agent and americas biggest corruption bustprovides a detailed narrative of his role in. In 1978 newly appointed associate judge lockwood reported to chicago to fulfill the obligation all southern illinois judges have to serve six weeks each year to reduce the backlog in the cook county system. But this behind the scenes account, written by the undercover agent who made it all happen, is a detailed play by play of how it all went down. Brockton lockwoods story hardcover december 1, 1989 by brocton lockwood author. The true story of an untrained undercover agent and americas biggest corruption bust hake, terrence on. In 1980, terrance hake was a young prosecutor in chicago, where he complained about the judges taking bribes to fix cases. But this behind the scenes account, written by the undercover agent who made. Operation greylord by terrence hake overdrive rakuten.
Terrence hake is a graduate of loyola university of chicago school of law. The book is published by ankerwycke, an imprint of the american bar. Apr 19, 2017 the article was written by by terrence hake fbi 19811988 with contributions from david grossman fbi 19781999, david ries fbi 19762000 and william megary fbi 19771999. Operation greylord this fbi history article appeared in the april 2017 issues of the grapevine, published by the society of former special agents of the fbi.
Former states attorney turned fbi agent tells story of. It was called operation greylord, named after the curly wigs worn by british judges. Former prosecutor and fbi undercover agent discusses greylord if you are crooked, the first person you destroy is yourself. When the last greylord trial concluded in 1994, terrence hake had testified at the trials of 23 defendants and was officially an fbi agent. Non fiction books by former fbi agents fbi authors. Operation greylord pdf for years, cook county judges were taking part in robberies, rapes, child molestations and murders. Judges on the take how the fbi took on chicagos crooked courts. Greylord was the name the federal bureau of investigation gave the operation to dig out corruption that existed in the courts during this period. On march 15, 1984, in a federal courtroom in chicago, a jury found harold conn guilty on all four counts of accepting bribes to be passed on to cook county, illinois judges as payment for fixing tickets. Jan 12, 1989 the book has a clear antigovernment spin.
The true story of an untrained undercover agent and americas. Operation greylord was an investigation conducted jointly by the federal bureau of investigation, the irs criminal investigation division, the u. Operation greylord operation greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in fbi history, and the largest corruption bust ever in the u. Operation greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in fbi history, and the largest corruption bust ever. History of the fbi s chicago, illinois field office. Review of operation greylord by terrence hake, on the. It resulted in 92 indictments naming judges, attorneys, law enforcement personnel, court. The true story of an untrained undercover agent and americas biggest corruption bust hardcover august 7, 2015 by terrence hake author, wayne klatt contributor. Operation greylord audiobook by terrence hake 9781494586072. Greylord is about judges, their clerks and bailiffs, and lawyers who were corrupt in. Oct 26, 2016 directed by michael mallick, jesse rivkin. Terry hake was the principal fbi undercover lawyer in the investigation, and his new book tells the story from the inside for the first time.
During the investigation, he was hired by the fbi, first as a project development specialist and then as a special agent. The fbi named the investigation operation greylord after the curly wigs worn by british judges. Investigations of public corruption rooting crookedness out of government. By the end of the probe illegal activities from labor union corruption to drug trafficking, organized crime activity and elected city officials on the take were unearthed, and corruption convictions were handed out to 18 individuals.
Disgusted with the corruption that permeated the cook county court system, he had become the fbis mole in its unprecedented investigation of judicial corruption. Greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in fbi. The true story of an untrained undercover agent and americas biggest corruption bust by terrence hake the investigation, known as greylord, became the longest and most successful undercover investigation in fbi history, and the largest corruption bust ever in the u. And in the endthrough undercover operations that used honest and very courageous judges and lawyers posing. Terry hake and the graylord investigation turn crook. Jun 07, 2015 operation greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in fbi history, and the largest corruption bust ever in the u. Federal officials considered him a small fish in the murky seas of greylord. Operation greylord was led by the fbi and a group of u. Operation greylord audiobook by terrence hake, wayne klatt.
Operation greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in fbi history, and the largest corruption bust ever in the u. This book is the story of rampant bribery and fixing of cases in the cook county, illinois, court system. Operation greylord goodreads share book recommendations. Chicago lawyer disbarred in greylord corruption case wants. Operation silver shovel was a major united states federal bureau of investigation fbi probe into political corruption in chicago during the 1990s.
Operation greylord audiobook by terrence hake, wayne. Operation greylord by terrence hake 19811988 with contributions from david grossman 19781999, david ries 19762000 and william megary 19771999 for years, cook county judges were taking part in robberies, rapes, child molestations and murders. Judge brocton lockwood wore a wire for the fbi to help clean up a corrupt chicago traffic court. The fbi named the investigation operation greylord because. These images take an inside look at the key players of the investigation and some of the corrupt people it took down. Former illinois states attorneyturnedfbi agent tells of. Former prosecutor and fbi undercover agent discusses greylord. Operation greylord was a federal undercover operation and judge lockwood was the fbi s operation netted 84 federal convictions, most related to bribery, of judges, lawyers, police officers, and court officials. Operation greylord was a massive undercover sting operation that targeted corrupt judges and court officials in cook county in the early 1980s.
He had susie, two kids, and a law practice that he was successfully rebuilding after an auto accident that nearly cost him his life. As a lawyer in private practice, terry represented an undercover fbi agent who posed as. From left, shirley and leonard wass visit with author and former fbi agent terrance hake, who has written a book about the undercover anticorruption investigation operation greylord in. Members of auroras navy league council 247 spent a recent evening hearing about one our nations biggest undercover operations as former states attorney turned fbi agent terrance hake spoke about his recent book, operation greylord. Read this insider account and see what really happened. Greylord is about judges, their clerks and bailiffs, and lawyers who were corrupt in many ways large and small. In accepting bribes to free the criminals committing these and many other crimes, the judges. Named after the curly wigs worn by british judges, operation greylord rooted out corruption in the cook county, illinois courts in the 1980s. The operation greylord corruption investigation files. It resulted in bribery and tax charges against 103 judges, lawyers, and other court personnel, and, eventually, more than seventy indictments. May 10, 2017 terry hake talks about greylord in episode 337 duration 30. Several newspaper articles about operation greylord, along with an overview of the case found on the fbi website are linked below.
Jul 02, 2018 operation greylord is the riveting tale of how a few honest lawyers in the united states attorneys office in chicago, with the help of the fbi, uncovered and prosecuted the almost unimaginable corruption in the lower reaches of chicagos criminal and traffic court system. Operation greylord was the largest undercover corruption bust in fbi history. State prosecutor terry hake fulfills a lifelong dream by going undercover for the fbi in chicago. Apr 20, 2016 this is the first book detailing operation greylord, one of the most successful undercover investigations in fbi history that occurred in 1980s chicago. Terry hake and the graylord investigation turn crook county. The true story of americas biggest undercover corruption bust will be detailed at the aurora navy league council 247 dinner meeting at 6 p. Hake works tirelessly to expose rampant corruption in the cook county court system.
Conn became the first defendant convicted in a sweeping investigation called operation greylord. A cook county circuit court judge, 2 former judges and 10 lawyers were among 22 people indicted wednesday on charges of paying or accepting thousands of dollars in bribes in the federal operation. Apr 07, 2017 palatine native and former cook county prosecutor terrence hake wrote those words in his 2015 book operation greylord. Operation greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in fbi history, and the largest corruption bust ever in the us. You may have heard about operation greylord, the sting that brought down a good number of corrupt judges and lawyers in 1984, or read about it in the newspapers. Dave dineff considered himself unlucky beyond words. It resulted in bribery and tax charges being filed against 103 judges, lawyers, and other court personnel, and, eventually, three suicides and more than seventy indictments. This is a wonderful nonfiction book written about the greylord investigation in chicago several years ago. The article was written by by terrence hake fbi 19811988 with contributions from david grossman fbi 19781999, david ries fbi 19762000 and william megary fbi 19771999. Terry lost a close friend who never spoke to him after greylord was over. It was one of the most important cases in the annals of public corruption investigations in the united states. Postal inspection service, the chicago police internal affairs division and the illinois state police into corruption in the judiciary of cook county, illinois the chicago jurisdiction. Operation greylord tells the riveting story of one of the largest and most successful undercover investigations in fbi history. Judge brocton lockwood wore a wire for the fbi to help clean up a corru.
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