Felon Ex-Police Chief Denied Pension

Melrose Park - An emotional appeal Thursday evening could not save the pension of a longtime west suburban police chief convicted of corruption.

Vito Scavo gave a fiery defense of his 31-year career as a Melrose Park cop to the police pension board, but it was not enough to sway the board to pay more than $7,000 a month to the convicted felon.

The panel foted 3-2 to deny payments to Scavo.

Last year, a federal jury found scavo guilty on 23 felony counts for shaking down Melrose Park businesses by forcing them to hire a private security firm he owned and staffed with more than two dozen of his officers.

Scavo argued the corruption case had nothing to do with his job as police chief. Under Illinois law any public official who commits a felony related to their job is stripped of their pension.

More than 60 Melrose Park cops signed a petition urging the pension board to allow Scavo to keep his retirement money even as he heads off to federal prison.

Scavo is scheduled to report to federal prison later this summer

His lawyers say they plan to appeal both his conviction and the pension board's decision.