A 17-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department supplemented his city income by supplying one of the city's most dangerous street gangs with drugs, federal authorities alleged on Friday.
William Torpy, 49, of the 11300 block of South Fairfield, allegedly told authorities he dealt drugs to the Gangster Disciples street gang to buy luxuries, including his home in Beverly, a West Loop condo and expensive cars he couldn't afford on his salary, according to the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Gang raid planned on house
In fact, it was one of those gang members, in federal custody on unrelated firearms charges, who ratted out Torpy in August, a move that would prove serendipitous, ATF spokesman Thomas Ahern said.
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That's because the gang member also spilled that plans were in the works for other members of the street gang to rob Torpy's home of drugs and cash.
"We pretty much saved Torpy's life," Ahern said. "We pretty much thwarted a violent home invasion. You're dealing with a major street gang, here."
Federal authorities went to Torpy's Beverly home and told him that he was being targeted by the gang members. That was enough for Torpy, who not only turned in his drug supplier -- a man he grew up with and who now lives in Lake View -- but also allowed a search of his home. Found in the home was cocaine, some $10,000 in cash, 46 flash-powder explosive devices, and numerous bottles of unlabeled prescription drugs including Vicodin, Zanax and Oxytocin, Ahern said.
Torpy surrendered to two ATF agents on Friday, the same day he appeared before Judge Geraldine Soat Brown in U.S. District Court on a single charge of possessing 1.5 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of roughly $30,000, with intent to sell it. Bond was set at $85,000. Torpy put up cash and both his homes and was released.
Torpy now is at risk of losing his firefighter job. When he returns to work he likely will be facing charges of conduct unbecoming of a firefighter, among other charges, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
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