Willie B. Cochran (born 1953) is an American politician and former
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind t ...
officer. Cochran served as alderman of Chicago, Illinois'
20th Ward from 2007 until 2019.
Early life, education and career
Cochran was born one of ten children to Jasper and Gessner Cochran. Cochran graduated from
Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a co ...
in 1975 and received his MPA from
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
. Cochran served in the Chicago Police Department from 1977 until 2003, rising from patrol-man to sergeant.
Aldermanic career
Cochran was elected alderman for the 20th ward of the City of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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in 2007, unseating
Arenda Troutman with 63% of the vote. Cochran was subsequently reelected in 2011 and
2015. Troutman did not seek reelection in
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, after being indicted on a federal charge. Cochran's ward included
Woodlawn,
Washington Park, and
Englewood,
Grand Crossing, and
Back of the Yards
New City is one of Chicago's 77 official community areas, located on the southwest side of the city in the South Side district. It contains the neighborhoods of Canaryville and Back of the Yards.
The area was home to the famous Union Stock Ya ...
Corruption
In December 2016, Cochran was charged in a 15-count indictment for stealing funds "meant for poor children and seniors". According to the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
, Cochran was to plead guilty in 2018. On March 21, 2019, at the
Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse
The Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, commonly referred to as the Dirksen Federal Building, is a skyscraper in the Chicago Loop at 219 South Dearborn Street. It was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1964. The ...
in
Chicago
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, Cochran pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for misusing campaign funds for gambling and other personal expenses. Under the plea agreement, Cochran faced a sentence of 12 to 18 months in prison or probation. Cochran was sentenced to one year in prison on June 24, 2019 and reported to prison on August 23, 2019.
See also
*
Corruption in Illinois
References
External links
City of Chicago - 20 ward
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cochran, Willie
African-American people in Illinois politics
Chicago City Council members
Illinois Democrats
Living people
21st-century American politicians
1953 births
Illinois politicians convicted of crimes
21st-century African-American politicians