Sheriff rounds up alleged deadbeat dads
Sheriff rounds up alleged deadbeat dads
By Times Staff nwitimes.com | Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011 5:30 pm | (2) Comments
The Cook County Sheriff's warrant unit recently conducted a sweep of more than one hundred alleged deadbeat dads who are delinquent on child support payments.
The two-week-long sting resulted in the arrest of 80 men who owe more than $1,730,000 collectively in unpaid child support, Sheriff Tom Dart said in a release.
The department is seeking the public's continued assistance in locating additional parents who are failing to meet their child support obligations.
Operation Deadbeat Dads started June 1 when 45 investigators began the sweep across the county.
"It's particularly troubling to think that even on Father's Day -- a day intended to honor one of the two most important people in a child's life -- there are men continuously shirking their duties and failing to provide basic financial assistance for their children," Dart said. "I'm happy that our office is sending a message to all deadbeat parents -- support your kids, or we're coming after you."
Those arrested include Cleveland Keys Jr., 46, of the 1200 block of West 90th Street in Chicago, who owed the highest amount of unpaid support at $213,677.41.
Keys owns a barber shop in Evergreen Park, and was apprehended June 14 after an undercover officer went in for a haircut in order to determine when Keys would next be at the business.
Also taken into custody was Byron Portis, 29, of the 9500 block of South Racine Avenue, who owes $59,227 in child support. When investigators tracked Portis to his south Chicago town home June 5, they discovered more than $44,000 stuffed in a bag, as well as four loaded firearms on the premises.
Another man nabbed in the sweep, Yaser Hadidi, 51, of the 7600 block of West 63rd Street in Summit, has been arrested five times in connection with his failure to pay $50,935.48 in child support. Cook County sheriff's police detectives recently arrested Hadidi on suspicion of LINK card fraud during a sting at his liquor store in Bellwood on May 10th.
Investigators are seeking information on David Fisher, 45, of the 1700 block of West Hubbard Avenue in Chicago, who owes $243,569 in back child support.
Police are also seeking Armando Aguilera, 35, of the 2000 block of South Ashland Avenue in Chicago, who owes $45,305 in unpaid support, among others.
If you have information on anyone wanted for failure to pay child support, please call (800) 447-4278. Visit www.cookcountysheriff.org for more information on offenders wanted on child support warrants.
