Chicago taxpayers will pay at least $472.8 million to defend and settle lawsuits connected to former detective Reynaldo Guevara, accused of falsifying police reports, framing suspects, and forcing witnesses to identify innocent people as criminals.
The Chicago City Council unanimously approved a $260.8 million settlement for 17 men who spent a combined 383 years in prison after wrongful convictions in cases tied to Guevara's investigations. The settlement brings the total to 32 resolved cases, while another 25 lawsuits remain pending.
The city has paid $56.2 million to private attorneys to defend Guevara and other officers named in the cases. Many of the wrongly convicted men spent decades in prison before judges granted them certificates of innocence.
Guevara retired in 2005 and still receives an annual police pension of $91,000. He has not been criminally charged for his actions as an officer despite repeated allegations of misconduct.
The growing cost of these cases comes as Chicago faces a projected $882.5 million budget gap for 2027.