Thread: Chicago: Police station janitor found on terror list

Police station janitor found on terror list
N.W. SIDE | He's fired -- he had cleared hiring checks

May 8, 2007
BY LISA DONOVAN AND FRANK MAIN Staff Reporters ldonovan@suntimes.com fmain@suntimes.com
A supervising janitor at a Chicago Police station on the city's Northwest Side has been fired after a chance parking violation revealed his name was on a federal terrorist watchlist.
The concern was great enough that bomb-sniffing dogs conducted a sweep of the building Monday but found nothing.

Authorities say he passed a local background check and began working last month supervising the cleaning work at the Chicago Police 25th District and adjoining Area 5 detective division, as well as the Cook County Circuit Court branches 23 and 50 at Grand and Central.

The janitorial firm and the police both conduct background checks. Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said Illinois State Police handled the federal background check. The supervising janitor's federal check was still pending.


Got stuck on list during probe
In February the supervising janitor, Arif Sulejmanovski, 47, of Carol Stream, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bribing a public official to obtain a Social Security card for an illegal immigrant living here. The sentencing was under review.
"There's always a concern when an employee has been arrested or there's been a known prior arrest history or criminal history," Bond said.

She said Sulejmanovski worked for Nationwide Janitorial Services Inc., which holds a city contract. No one at the company could be reached Monday night.

It was Friday when Sulejmanovski's 1999 Mercedes Benz coupe caught police attention. Parked illegally at an Area 5 police lot, officers ran his license plate through a multijurisdictional law enforcement database.

It showed Sulejmanovski's name was on a federal watchlist of international terrorism suspects, sources familiar with the case said. Police took his ID and instructed him not to return to work, Bond said.

But police have learned that Sulejmanovski landed on the list a few years ago, when authorities were trying to determine whether the Social Security case was a criminal or terrorism probe. That question has been answered, said Bond: Criminal. Still, his name remains on the watchlist.

Attempts to reach Sulejmanovski on Monday were unsuccessful.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/3749 ... 08.article

In February the supervising janitor, Arif Sulejmanovski, 47, of Carol Stream, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bribing a public official to obtain a Social Security card for an illegal immigrant living here. The sentencing was under review.
"There's always a concern when an employee has been arrested or there's been a known prior arrest history or criminal history," Bond said.

Illinois State Police handled the federal background check. The supervising janitor's federal check was still pending.

Don't you feel ever so safe, now

CONCERN? That's how they view this travesty??

CONCERN

"There's always a concern when an employee has been arrested or there's been a known prior arrest history or criminal history," Bond said.

Authorities say he passed a local background check and began working last month supervising the cleaning work at the Chicago Police 25th District and adjoining Area 5 detective division, as well as the Cook County Circuit Court branches 23 and 50 at Grand and Central.

That mus have been one hell of a good background check they gave this fellow. Probably about like the one they'll give all the illegals when they give them amnesty.

Originally Posted by pjr40

Authorities say he passed a local background check and began working last month supervising the cleaning work at the Chicago Police 25th District and adjoining Area 5 detective division, as well as the Cook County Circuit Court branches 23 and 50 at Grand and Central.

That mus have been one hell of a good background check they gave this fellow. Probably about like the one they'll give all the illegals when they give them amnesty.

No one's getting AMNESTY BY ANY NAME, PJR!
Keep positive and let them all know that Americans will NOT put up with their SALE of America!!

The mustard's out of the bottle and it's NOT going back in

this is bullshit. He was in trial, but for what reason to be classified as a terrorist? Please tell me?

Mr. Sulejmani,
I can't imagine what your family has gone through with the court case and now this police business, but I ask you not to come after the "messenger" here. This was a story that the police department notified us about, it was a legitimate story and I'm sorry if it reopened old wounds. And, we were the only news outlet to spell out that your father isn't a terrorist, that the government had weighed whether this was a terrorism case or a criminal case and that it was decided the case was criminal in nature.

If your father would like to speak with me about his experiences landing, unknowingly, on this watchlist, I think it would be very telling. As you know, there's been a lot of criticism of this watchlist and concerns that, even though an investigation might clear someone they remain on this list. This seems to be the case with your father. Again, my thoughts are with you and your family. Please feel free to contact me at my work 312-321-**** or on my cell phone 312-446-****.

Lisa Donovan
Sun-Times

Why don't you fill us in on the details, TIMMY.

It sounds, from what you've written, that you might have facts that have not been included.

I'd be interested in hearing whatever details you have.

Watchlist or not, shouldn't pleading guilty to a federal charge of bribing a public official to obtain a Social Security card for an illegal immigrant have been a red flag to somebody?

Originally Posted by had_enuf

Watchlist or not, shouldn't pleading guilty to a federal charge of bribing a public official to obtain a Social Security card for an illegal immigrant have been a red flag to somebody?

Ahhhhhhh geez, HAD.........such a SMALL little detail.

Can't we give a CRIMINAL a break? After all, they're only here to work hard and be a good American......right?

I don't understand why we should expect a CRIMINAL to be so inconvenienced.