A former DuPage County deputy sheriff assigned to the Corrections Bureau has been found guilty of having inappropriate sexual contact with a female prisoner, according to a news release from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Investigations showed sheriff and prisoner were intimate at least twice
54-year-old Ricardo Hardy of Elgin was found guilty of five counts of custodial sexual misconduct and five counts of official misconduct after authorities found that he had engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts with a female inmate on more than one occasion.
On May 10, 2023, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office received information that Hardy had been intimate with a female prisoner. They contacted the state’s attorney’s office, who opened an investigation which revealed that from March 13, 2023, through April 26, 2023, Hardy and the inmate had been intimate in her cell as well as in a bathroom area.
Additionally, authorities discovered that Hardy had arranged for $300 to be put in the inmate’s commissary account. On May 15, 2023, he was fired and taken into custody from his home.
State’s attorney calls former sheriff’s actions a ‘complete abuse of authority’
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin denounced the former sheriff’s actions, saying he misused his position of power.
“His actions are nothing short of a complete abuse of authority and a betrayal of the trust placed in him, not only by the sheriff’s office but also the residents of DuPage County,” said Berlin in the news release.
Hardy will appear back in court on Aug. 14 for post-trial motions and return of the pre-sentence report.
Photo Courtesy: DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office
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