Convictions of 18 men tied to corrupt Chicago police officer to be overturned

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Charges will be thrown out against 18 men whose convictions linked them to a corrupt Chicago police officer.

Three men have accused former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts of planting narcotics and "roughing them up."

Those men, along with others, were then charged with crimes.

A Cook County prosecutor is expected to drop criminal charges stemming from those cases on Monday morning.

The mass exoneration will bring the number of defendants who have had cases overturned because of Watts corruption to 42.

Last June, Anthony McDaniels became the 24th person to have his conviction overturned because it was linked to Watts, who led a corrupt crew of CPD cops.

In November 2017, the convictions of 15 men were overturned in what was called the first mass exoneration in the history of Cook County.