A Chicago man who boastfully told police his street name is "Fast Eddie" allegedly offered a Cook County sheriff's deputy a $40 bribe after he was stopped for throwing something out his window, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. A normal traffic stop then took a turn for the worse. Edward Skopek, 58, was arrested and is now free on $20,000 bond.
While he wasn't charged with driving under the influence and will need to consult a criminal attorney rather than a Chicago DUI lawyer, he also was caught with a cup of ice filled with what police claim was alcohol. He was charged with illegal transportation of alcohol as well as bribery of a public official.
It wasn't clear whether his license was suspended for a past DUI or for some other reason.
The arresting officer, Cook County gang investigator Matthew Gena, pulled him over on May 5 and realized after running his license plate number that his driver's license had been suspended.
When confronted by the deputy, "Fast Eddie" did his best to wiggle free:
"Come on officer, I ain't a bad guy. Can't you cut me a break? Would you take 40 bucks? I'll give you 40 bucks. Just let me go."
That seems a little on the cheap side for such a high-stakes maneuver, but perhaps that's beside the point. His defense, court fees and (if convicted) fine and related costs most definitely will cost more than two 20-spots.
Without skipping a beat (and perhaps a little insulted by the cheap bribe, regardless of his principles), Matthew Gena told him that bribery is illegal and asked the man to step out of his car. He finally got out and was taken into custody without incident.
As if to smooth things over with the officer, Edward Skopek allegedly said the following to the officer after his arrest:
"I am really sorry if I insulted you officer ... I am sorry about that."
All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty, but this case is a great example of why sometimes it's a good idea to exercise one's right to remain silent.
Related Resources:
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Driving Without a Valid Driver's License (FindLaw)
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Man charged with trying to bribe sheriff's officer after traffic stop (Chicago Tribune)
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Contact a Chicago DUI Lawyer (FindLaw)
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