Decades Profiles Major FBI Undercover Sting

On Friday, April 15, the Decades Network multicast network premieres an original documentary, Operation Greylord, which profiles one of the largest undercover stings in FBI history and the extensive abuse of the public trust within the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois during the early 1980s.

This special half-hour documentary follows the architects of the investigation. For more than three years, agents in the FBI embarked on deep undercover work. They used a system of moles, wiretaps and staged crimes throughout the city of Chicago to build a case against crooked city officials, including prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges. Viewers will hear first-person accounts from the men who risked their careers and reputations to bring the corrupt system to its knees.

“This documentary navigates a complex landscape of the criminal justice system at a timely moment, to bring the untold story of Operation Greylord to light,” said Dan Webb, former U.S. Attorney in Chicago.

Operation Greylord sheds light on the challenges and gut-wrenching choices faced when corruption is so deeply rooted and the way forward is uncharted.

“I went undercover for three-and-a-half years, I was told if I did this, I’d never practice law again — this documentary illustrates the challenges of exposing rampant corruption in our justice system at a moment when transparency is of the utmost concern,” said Terry Hake, former assistant state’s attorney, Cook County, Ill.

Operation Greylord premieres on Friday, April 15, at 8 a.m. ET, with encore presentations at 2 and 8 p.m. ET.   

The Decades Network is a venture of Weigel Broadcasting Co. and the CBS Television Station Group.