John Velez, a man whose murder conviction was overturned after spending sixteen years in prison, is set to receive $7.6 million in a settlement by the Chicago city council, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday.
Velez already received a $2.4 million settlement from Cook County back in Jan. after a key witness in his trial recanted their testimony, the outlet reported.(RELATED: Blue City To Pay Over $21,000,000 To Residents Displaced By Botched Fireworks Ignition: REPORT)
A man whose murder conviction was tossed out after a key witness admitted to providing false testimony at trial is now primed to earn a $7.6 million settlement from the city, adding to the $2.4 million payout he received from Cook County.https://t.co/ndCw7VHqs8
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) July 11, 2024
Velez was sentenced to eighty years in prison after being found guilty of killing Anthony Hueneca in March 2001, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Velez was 17 years old at the time of his conviction, the outlet noted. Chicago police relied on the statements of Gustavo Rivera and three friends who claimed to have witnessed the shooting of Hueneca by Velez who shouted anti-Latin Kings slogans and identified himself as a member of Satan’s Disciples, a rival gang, the outlet reported citing the lawsuit.
However, Rivera recanted his testimony and admitted in 2016 he did not witness the shooting and only identified Velez to get the police to “help him out” with a drug conviction, the Chicago-Sun reported. Rivera’s recantation led to the conviction getting overturned, the outlet reported. Velez was released from prison back on Dec. 11, 2017, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
There were other problems with the case against Velez, the lawsuit alleges, according to the outlet. Police also claimed Velez was a member of Satan’s Disciples who wanted to avenge the death of his uncle as part of a turf war with the Latin Kings gang, the Chicago-Sun reported. However, Velez was not a member of Satan’s Disciples and his uncle was a member of the Almighty Ambrose street gang, the outlet reported citing the lawsuit.
Velez’s then-pregnant girlfriend also claims the police coerced her to give false testimony that her boyfriend admitted to her that “he had recently shot a Latin King” as retribution for his uncle’s death, the outlet reported citing the lawsuit. This evidence was entered into Velez’s trial, the outlet noted.
Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee will vote on Monday on the settlement with Velez, the outlet reported.
