(CBS) STONE PARK Nine men claim they were falsely accused of soliciting a prostitute.
They are suing the village of Stone Park and some of the police officers there, accusing them of running a scheme.
CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports on their charges of a swindle.
“They basically can ruin people's lives,” said plaintiff Michael Massey.
Massey says he's on a quest to clear his name.
“I don't have a record; I've never been arrested; I've never been handcuffed,” Massey said.
Last year the Chicago resident and father of two was stopped by Stone Park police and accused of soliciting a prostitute.
“If I had any ounce of guilt, I would have paid the money, walked away from this and called it a day. But I've always fought against injustice,” Massey said.
Massey is one of nine plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit who say they have been framed by Stone Park police.
Attorney Blake Horwitz says all nine cases followed the same routine.
“The female officer, the undercover officer, calls the police officers over and they arrest them. So it doesn't matter what they say. The men could respond with no, good bye, I don't want to talk to you, and he's arrested,” Horwitz said.
Stone Park police declined requests for an interview, but in a statement they say that, “No individual has been arrested unless he has violated the law by actively soliciting a female undercover police officer for prostitution” and that “The village looks forward to a trial where the evidence will demonstrate the legality and integrity of the village's police operations.”
The plaintiffs also claim Stone Park police forced them to pay $500 in cash in order to recover their impounded vehicles.
They are suing the village of Stone Park and some of the police officers there, accusing them of running a scheme.
CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports on their charges of a swindle.
“They basically can ruin people's lives,” said plaintiff Michael Massey.
Massey says he's on a quest to clear his name.
“I don't have a record; I've never been arrested; I've never been handcuffed,” Massey said.
Last year the Chicago resident and father of two was stopped by Stone Park police and accused of soliciting a prostitute.
“If I had any ounce of guilt, I would have paid the money, walked away from this and called it a day. But I've always fought against injustice,” Massey said.
Massey is one of nine plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit who say they have been framed by Stone Park police.
Attorney Blake Horwitz says all nine cases followed the same routine.
“The female officer, the undercover officer, calls the police officers over and they arrest them. So it doesn't matter what they say. The men could respond with no, good bye, I don't want to talk to you, and he's arrested,” Horwitz said.
Stone Park police declined requests for an interview, but in a statement they say that, “No individual has been arrested unless he has violated the law by actively soliciting a female undercover police officer for prostitution” and that “The village looks forward to a trial where the evidence will demonstrate the legality and integrity of the village's police operations.”
The plaintiffs also claim Stone Park police forced them to pay $500 in cash in order to recover their impounded vehicles.