Cook County Sheriff Deputies

Authorities report  they arrested Cook County Correctional Officer Tyrone McDowell Jr., 33, of Blue Island, on criminal charges alleging he was involved in $1,760 found missing from 14 detainees’ commissary accounts and the forging of detainees’ cash receipts. Ofc. McDowell’s job included collecting money from detainees newly received at the jail and providing them with a receipt. Bail was set at $50,000. McDowell had been responsible for handling money confiscated from detainees when they first entered the jail.

 Charges include 11 counts of official misconduct, 10 counts of forgery and one count of theft, according to public records. Investigators found $1,760 was missing from 14 detainees when money was confiscated when they entered the jail.  Auditors noticed that one of the receipts had been altered. The Sheriff’s Office of Professional Review investigated this problem. The investigation looked at the facts related to a detainee and revealed he had allegedly been issued a receipt for $500 by McDowell, but only received $200 when he was released on bail. The investigation revealed that the County’s copy of the receipt had been changed to indicate only $200 was taken from the  detainee. Further investigations revealed similar situations occurred with other detainees.