THIRD DIVISION

										August 29, 2001

1-00-4147

RAYMOND SIWEK,						)   Appeal from the

								)   Circuit Court of

	Plaintiff-Appellee,				)   Cook County.

								)

		v.						)  

								)  

THE RETIREMENT BOARD OF THE 			)   

POLICEMEN'S ANNUITY & BENEFIT FUND,	)

CITY OF CHICAGO, et. al.,			)   Honorable Dorothy

								)   Kirie Kinnaird,

	Defendants-Appellants.ees.			)   Judge Presiding.

	JUSTICE WOLFSON delivered the opinion of the court:

    The question in this case is whether a retired Chicago police

officer is entitled to receive his annuity and pension benefits

despite being convicted of two felony drug offenses.  The answer

requires us to explore the relation or connection, if any,

between the felonies and his service as a policeman.  We conclude

this former police officer is not entitled to benefits.

FACTS

     Neither party disputes the underlying facts of this case. 

     In 1992, Chicago police officer Raymond Siwek (Siwek) was convicted

of two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance. 

At trial, the State's evidence showed Siwek met with a friend,

Brian Marchese, on May 6, 1992.  Siwek gave Marchese $12,500 in

order to purchase narcotics.  Marchese later met with Weiss, an

undercover detective, and paid Weiss for cocaine.  Marchese was

arrested.

     Marchese then became an informant for the police.  He agreed to participate in a trap to expose Siwek as the source of his

funds.  Marchese contacted Siwek and organized another drug

purchase.  Siwek was arrested when he came to Marchese's house

and bought cocaine from Weiss.     

     During his criminal trial, Siwek testified he became a

Chicago police officer in 1968.  In 1971, Siwek was assigned to

the "special operations group," a tactical unit assigned to high

crime areas in Chicago.  After spending several years in this

unit, Siwek was transferred to the gang crimes unit.  Siwek

testified his work in the gang crimes unit included narcotics

work and "undercover buys."  In 1980 or 1981, Siwek was

transferred to the organized crime division within the police

department.  His work in that unit included arresting large-scale

drug dealers.  Siwek testified he also made "undercover buys" as

part of his duties in this unit.  

     In early 1983, Siwek was promoted to the rank of detective

and transferred to the violent crimes unit.  Siwek's "specialty"

within that division was in narcotic-related homicides.  In 1987,

Siwek was assigned to the narcotics section for the deputy

director of the U.S. Attorney's office.  

     In 1989, Siwek was transferred to the property crimes unit

of the Chicago Police Department.  Siwek testified he continued

to be involved in narcotic investigations.  He said that over the

course of his career, he was involved in at least 500 narcotic

arrests, had made 50 to 75 "buys," and had made half a dozen arrests when he was not on-duty.

     Siwek said he met Brian Marchese while they were in the

Illinois Army National Guard.  At some point, Siwek became aware

that Marchese had a drug and alcohol problem.  

     Siwek testified Marchese contacted him in early 1992 about 

a DUI charge that was pending against him.  Marchese asked Siwek

if someone from the Chicago police department could write him a

"letter of consideration" to give to the judge who was handling

the DUI charge.  Marchese told Siwek he would give the department

information on narcotic activity in exchange for the letter. 

Siwek introduced Marchese to a detective in the organized crime

division of the Chicago police department and Marchese became an

informant for the department.

     Siwek said Marchese contacted him several times after he

became an informant.  Marchese passed information to Siwek, who

in turn passed it on to another detective in the police

department.  Siwek didn't know if anyone followed up on the

information.  Siwek eventually told Marchese to give the

information to the detective who helped Marchese become an

informant.  

     Siwek's primary defense at trial was based on his claim that

he became involved in buying narcotics through Marchese as part

of a "sting" operation.  Siwek testified he never gave Marchese

$12,500 to purchase narcotics.  Siwek said he gave Marchese

$2,500 after Marchese called and asked for a loan.  Siwek said

Marchese gave him the title to his truck as collateral for the

loan.  Siwek said he did not know Marchese intended to purchase drugs with the money he loaned him.  

     After Marchese picked up the money, Siwek received a phone

call from him.  Marchese told Siwek he had been arrested.  The

next day, Marchese called Siwek again.  Siwek said Marchese told

him he was arrested for trying to buy a large amount of cocaine.

Siwek assumed Marchese was arrested with the person who supplied

the drugs.  Marchese said he lost $10,000 that belonged to other

people when he was arrested.  Siwek testified Marchese asked if

he could borrow money.  Siwek refused to loan Marchese any more

money.  Marchese asked for help with the charges against him. 

     Siwek testified he agreed to set up a "sting" operation with

Marchese.  Siwek said he told Marchese he would supply the money

if Marchese would "set up" the person who supplied the cocaine. 

Marchese arranged the purchase.  Siwek was arrested as he was

leaving Marchese's house after he bought cocaine from undercover

detective Weiss.  

     Siwek testified he did not contact anyone in the police

department about the "sting" he was setting up with Marchese. 

Siwek said he was going to contact his supervisor after he

received the cocaine.  

     The jury convicted Siwek on the narcotics charges and he was

sentenced to 15 years in prison.

     After Siwek was convicted and sentenced, he resigned from

the police department.  In 1998, Siwek and his wife applied to

the Retirement Board of the Policemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund

(Board) for reinstatement of his annuity and pension benefits.  The Board had been withholding these benefits based on Siwek's

convictions.  

     The Board denied Siwek's petition.  The Board's decision

included the following findings of fact:

	"A.  Siwek was an experienced 24 year veteran police

officer, having at times been assigned to narcotics

investigations as well as to high profile criminal

investigations.

	B.  Siwek was for many years acquainted with one of the

participants in the criminal activity and knew that

individual to be a drug dealer and addict.

	C.  This specific nature of Siwek's felonious conduct

and resulting convictions undermined the oath of office

Siwek took as a police officer to perform act [sic] and

engage in services related to protecting the citizens

of the City and to prevent crimes against the citizens.

	D.  Siwek's felony conviction related to, arose out of

and was in connection with his service as a policeman.

	E.  Pursuant to 40 ILCS 5/5-227 entitled felony

conviction, Siwek is not entitled following his

conviction to the receipt of any annuity benefit."   

     Siwek filed a petition for administrative review with the

circuit court.  The circuit court reversed the Board's decision,

finding Siwek's convictions were not related to his service as a

police officer.  The court ordered the Board to restore Siwek's

pension benefits and awarded Siwek pre-judgment interest.  The Board appeals this order.	

DECISION

Entitlement to Pension Benefits

     The Board contends the circuit court erred in reversing it's

decision denying reinstatement of Siwek's benefits.  According to

the Board, under section 5-227 of the Pension Code (Code)(40 ILCS

5/5-227 (West 1998)), Siwek is not entitled to benefits because

the crimes for which he was convicted (two counts) were related

to his service as a police officer.  Siwek contends the Board

misinterprets the statute in reaching that conclusion, and claims

the circuit court's finding that the conviction was unrelated to

his service as an officer was correct. 

    Where a party appeals the circuit court's decision on a

complaint for administrative review, the appellate court's role

is to review the administrative decision rather than the circuit

court's decision.  Calabrese v. Chicago Park District, 294 Ill. App. 3d 1055, 1065, 691 N.E.2d 850 (1998).  Although a reviewing

court may not reverse findings of fact made by an administrative

agency unless they are contrary to the manifest weight of the

evidence (Chicago Transit Authority v. Doherty, 291 Ill. App. 3d 909, 912, 684 N.E.2d 867 (1997)),  an issue of statutory

construction raises a question of law subject to de novo review.  DiFiore v. Retirement Board, 313 Ill. App. 3d 546, 548, 729 N.E.2d 878 (2000).   

     Section 5-227 of the Code says, in part:

	     "Felony conviction.  None of the benefits provided for in this Article shall be paid to any person who is

convicted of any felony relating to or arising out of

or in connection with his service as a policeman.

		None of the benefits provided for in this Article

shall be paid to any person who is convicted of any

felony while in receipt of disability benefits."  40

ILCS 5/5-227 (West 1998).

     Only the first paragraph of section 5-227 applies to this

case.

     Plaintiff contends the Board's construction of the statute

mandated reversal because "[t]he Board has erroneously construed

this forfeiture statute so broadly that a conviction for any felony would cause a forfeiture of benefits."  (Emphasis in

original).  We do not agree.

     There are a handful of opinions which construe the language

in section 5-227 of the Code.  They are not a model of

consistency.  In the first, Cullen v. Retirement Board of the Policeman's Annuity and Benefit Fund of the City of Chicago, 271 Ill. App. 3d 1105, 649 N.E.2d 454 (1995), Cullen, a retired

officer, shot and killed another motorist during an altercation

after the motorist "cut off" Cullen in traffic.  Cullen was not

on duty when the crime occurred.  

     When the Board learned of Cullen's conviction, it stopped

paying his pension benefits.  Cullen sought to have his pension

benefits restored.  After a hearing, the Board denied Cullen

reinstatement of his benefits.  This court reversed the Board's decision:

	     "The first paragraph of section 5-227 uses the

phrase 'any felony relating to or arising out of or in

connection with his service as a policeman.'

[Citation.] Thus, the statute clearly contemplates the

existence of situations where a police officer could

commit a felony unrelated to his law enforcement

duties.

	     Moreover, legislative intent must be garnered from

a review of the entire statutory plan. [Citation.] The

second paragraph of section 5-227 provides that no

'benefits *** shall be paid to any person who is

convicted of any felony while in receipt of disability

benefits.' [Citation.] Here, the General Assembly did

not require circumstances relating to, arising out of

or in connection with police service attendant to a

felony conviction in order to disqualify an officer

from receiving disability benefits.  Rather, all that

is required is the commission of 'any felony.' ***

	     *** [A]s there is no evidence demonstrating that

plaintiff's criminal actions were in any way related to

or arose out of or in connection with his service as a

Chicago police officer, we reverse the judgment of the

circuit court and remand this cause to it with

instructions that it enter an order reinstating

plaintiff's pension benefits."  Cullen, 271 Ill. App. 3d at 1109.

     After Cullen was decided, this court examined section 5-227 again in Dvorak v. The Retirement Board of the Policeman's Annuity and Benefit Fund, 287 Ill. App. 3d 399, 678 N.E.2d 677 (1997).  Dvorak had taken a leave of absence from the department to work as an "undersheriff" for the Cook County sheriff's

office, but continued to contribute to his pension fund with the

police department during his leave of absence.  Dvorak was

convicted, in part, for having taken bribes in relation to his

service as an undersheriff.  After he was convicted, the Board

denied Dvorak pension benefits.  The circuit court affirmed the

Board's decision.

     On appeal, the issue was not whether, given the facts of the

underlying conviction, the felony itself was "related to" service

as an officer.  Instead, Dvorak claimed the Board could not deny

him pension benefits under section 5-227 because he was on a

leave of absence from the police department when he committed the

felonies and was not serving as a Chicago police officer.  This

court affirmed the Board's denial of benefits in a divided

decision, finding Dvorak still was a Chicago police officer

during his leave of absence and therefore fell under the

proscription of section 5-227.  This court also found:

	"[T]he specific nature of plaintiff's felonious conduct

and resulting convictions undermined the oath of office

plaintiff took as a policeman to perform acts and

engage in services related to protecting the citizens of the city and county and to prevent crimes against

the citizens.  These facts are particularly persuasive

in finding that plaintiff remained within the purview

of the Code even as an inactive police officer." 

Dvorak, 287 Ill. App. 3d at 406.

     We again examined the forfeiture of pension benefits under

section 5-227 in DiFiore v. The Retirement Board of the Policemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund of the City of Chicago, 313 Ill. App. 3d 546, 729 N.E.2d 878 (2000).  However, in DiFiore, the Board's decision denying benefits was based on the second

paragraph of section 5-227, which says that an officer will not

receive any benefits if he is convicted of "any felony" while in

receipt of disability benefits.  40 ILCS 5/5-227 (West 1998).

     DiFiore was on disability leave when he was indicted for

criminal sexual assault of a minor.  The police department

suspended DiFiore, and the Board suspended his disability

benefits.  When DiFiore applied for pension benefits, the Board

denied his request, finding he was not entitled to benefits under

section 5-227 because he was convicted of a felony while

receiving disability benefits.

     This court reversed the Board's decision, finding DiFiore

was not receiving, and was not eligible to receive, disability

benefits at the time of his conviction.  

     Though DiFiore involved analysis under the second paragraph of section 5-227, rather than the first paragraph, once we

determined the second paragraph did not apply to DiFiore, we discussed the intent underlying section 5-227:

	     "We reject the Board's assertion that to allow

plaintiff his pension would defeat the intent of

section 5-227.  The underlying rationale for the

pension forfeiture statutes is to deter public

officials from committing a breach of public trust such

that public officials and their beneficiaries do not

profit from their wrongdoing.  In Kerner v. State Employee's Retirement System, [citation], our supreme court held that the underlying purpose of the felony

forfeiture provision is 'to discourage official

malfeasance by denying the public servant convicted of

unfaithfulness to his trust the retirement benefits to

which he otherwise would have been entitled.'  The

statute presupposes a nexus between the wrongful

conduct and the receipt of state compensation or

benefits.  Here, plaintiff was not receiving disability

benefits at the time he committed the felony or at the

time of his conviction, and the felony was not related

to his law enforcement duties.  Thus, denying plaintiff

his benefits does not further the intent of the

legislature because the nexus between the wrongful

conduct and the receipt of state benefits was not

implicated here."  DiFiore, 313 Ill. App. 3d at 551, quoting Kerner v. State Employee's Retirement System, 72 Ill. 2d 507, 513, 382 N.E.2d 243 (1978).

     This focus on the need for a "nexus" between the wrongful

conduct, or "official malfeasance," and the receipt of state

benefits seems at odds with this court's recent opinion in

Devoney v. The Retirement Board of the Policemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund of the City of Chicago, 321 Ill. App. 3d 1, 746 N.E.2d 836 (2001), our last word on the subject until now.  

     In Devoney, Devoney pled guilty to mail fraud after he and two neighbors, Ballog and Raimondi, attempted to defraud an

insurance company by filing a bogus personal injury claim. 

Devoney used the U.S. Postal Service to mail evidence of wage

losses to the insurance company in an attempt to carry out his

scheme.  When he applied for pension benefits the Board denied

his request.  This court affirmed the Board's decision:

	     "The indictment alleged that petitioner devised

and participated in a scheme with Ballog and Raimondi

to defraud an insurance company and used false and

fraudulent pretenses.  In his plea agreement and his

testimony before the Board, petitioner admitted that he

'conspired' with Ballog and Raimondi.  Petitioner

further testified that Ballog approached him with the

scheme and that petitioner agreed to participate with

Ballog and Raimondi.  At that point, petitioner did not

arrest or report Ballog or Raimondi, but facilitated,

allowed, encouraged, aided and abetted Ballog and

Raimondi in committing a fraud against the insurance

company.  As a result of the scheme to defraud, petitioner collected $70,000 and split the money with

Ballog and Raimondi.  Therefore, petitioner's conduct

of entering into a scheme to defraud with others and

carrying out the scheme went beyond a single act of

individual, personal, criminal conduct while off duty.

[Citation].  Petitioner's conduct involved the decision

to act in concert with others rather than by himself

and facilitate the criminal conduct of others.

[Citation]. ***

	***

	     *** By participating in a scheme to defraud with

others and concealing the scheme, petitioner breached

his duty to report crime, which is a duty arising out

of or in connection with his service as a policeman. 

The public demands faithfulness from police officers to

their duty to report and arrest others involved in

criminal activity.  The purpose of section 5-227 is to

deter public officials from breaching the public trust.

[Citation].  

	     *** Regardless of whether Devoney was on duty or

off duty, in uniform or not in uniform, the law

required Devoney to report crime and arrest persons

engaged in criminal conduct.  The requirement to report

crime and arrest persons engaged in criminal conduct is

directly related to Devoney's service as a policeman. 

The choice made by Devoney not to report or arrest Ballog and Raimondi therefore was related to Devoney's

service as a policeman."  Devoney, 321 Ill. App. 3d at 9-10.

     The dissenting opinion in Devoney did not agree with this focus:

	     "I cannot support the position of the majority

that, if a policeman violates his statutory duties or

his oath of office by failing to report a crime or

arrest persons engaged in criminal conduct in which he

was a participant, this constitutes a significant nexus

between the crime and his service as a policeman to

trigger the application of section 5-227 of the Pension

Code.  A policeman cannot commit any crime, felony or

misdemeanor without violating his oath of office or his

duties under section 107-16 of the Illinois Code of

Criminal Procedure.  [Citation]."

     In Devoney, the majority focused on the violation of the officer's oath or statutory duty as the "nexus" between his

conviction and his service as a police officer.  The violation

was Devoney's failure to report the crimes of his co-conspirators

and his failure to arrest them.  In that way, the majority

distinguished Cullen, where the off-duty officer acted alone.  It may be a distinction, but it is not a persuasive difference.

     We do not subscribe to the majority's reasoning.  Every time

a police officer is convicted of a felony he has violated his

oath of office.  When a police officer is convicted of a crime, he has violated the law he has sworn to obey.  The fact of a

felony conviction, standing alone, cannot, within the plain

meaning of paragraph one of section 5-227, be enough to deprive a

police officer of his pension.  To so hold would be to rewrite

the statute, something we are not authorized to do.

     The question in every paragraph one case is whether the

felony the officer was convicted of related to, or arose out of,

or was in connection with, his service as a policeman.  Each

phrase in the paragraph has a slightly different meaning, of

degree, not kind.  We are required to assume none of the language

used in a statute is superfluous.  Niven v. Siqueira, 109 Ill. 2d 357, 365, 487 N.E.2d 937 (1985).  

     Our inquiry in this case has to do with whether Siwek's

conviction was related to his service as a police officer.  The

two possession counts did not occur in a vacuum.  We do not

analyze the conviction solely on the basis of what happened on

the day of the arrest.  That would be parsing the first paragraph

of section 5-227 with too sharp a scalpel.  We believe the

legislature's charge to us is to examine the conviction in a way

that deters police officers from violating the public trust while

refraining from distorting the clear words of the statute.  We

look to the circumstances that led to Siwek's conviction, and in

particular we examine the relationship between Siwek and

Marchese, a necessary ingredient of the State's charges.

     We agree with the Board that Siwek's conviction was

connected to, or, at the very least, was related to his service as an officer.  Siwek was a police officer who spent most of his

career specializing in narcotics violations.  Logic compels us to

conclude Siwek called upon the specialized knowledge he gained in

his service as a police officer when he committed the felony for

which he was convicted.

     Siwek used Marchese, a police informant, to set up a drug

purchase for him.  Siwek knew Marchese was an informant who had a

number of connections with narcotics dealers.  In fact, Siwek

helped Marchese become an informant after Marchese asked for his

help in avoiding a DUI conviction.  Marchese's knowledge as an

informant was meant to be used to aid the police department in

arresting offenders.  Siwek instead used it to set up personal

transactions for his own profit.

     Siwek's knowledge as a narcotics specialist, his connection

with Marchese as a police informant, and the relationship

Marchese had with the police department are all related to

Siwek's service as a police officer.  At the underlying criminal

trial, Siwek claimed he was acting as a police officer when he

bought the cocaine.  

     Siwek's acts constitute the type of "official malfeasance"

the DeFiore and Cullen courts found should result in a loss of benefits under section 5-227.  We find Siwek is not entitled to

benefits under section 5-227 because his convictions were related

to or connected with his service as an officer.

CONCLUSION

     We reverse the judgment of the circuit court and affirm the Board's decision.

     Reversed.

	CERDA, and BURKE, jjJJ., CONconcur.