Lawyer rips FBI over informant's past
"He didn't have a criminal background; now he does," said attorney Sam Adam Jr. "I don't even think the government knows if it has the right Arenda Troutman or not."
When Troutman was charged with bribery Monday, an FBI agent's affidavit to search Troutman's home and office disclosed that the informant was a target of a mortgage-fraud investigation. The affidavit said the informant has "no other criminal history that I'm aware of."
His convictions include impersonating a police officer, illegally possessing a weapon as a felon and passing bad checks. He posed as a cop during a Nov. 23, 1993 traffic stop on the North Side, and a gun was found in the car, court records show.
The 38-year-old informant didn't hide his criminal past from the FBI, according to Wednesday's filing. He divulged his criminal history to an FBI agent who has since been transferred to another city.
Prosecutors explained that FBI agent Joan Marie Hyde overlooked the informant's criminal history when she took the case from the transferred agent.
"[The informant] was developing land, but now it's not in [Troutman's] ward," Adam said.
Troutman is charged with accepting a $5,000 cash bribe and agreeing to accept an additional $10,000 and other benefits in exchange for taking official action to support zoning changes and alley access at 5730 S. Halsted.
Troutman sent a letter supporting the project on behalf of A.J. Development LLC, records show. The informant's initials are A.J., sources said.
Court records show the informant had filed for bankruptcy in 2003, listing $194,000 in liabilities. He could not be reached for comment.
Contributing: Fran Spielman