From the Chicago Dispatcher
April 2009
47 Years for Cabbie Killer
Gary Allard sentenced to 47 years in prison for April 2003 slaying of cabdriver Mohammad Rafiq Haroon.
By: Jonathan Bullington
In an instant, the tension turned palpable.
Merely 20 feet separated the family - the pain of the loss still fresh in each member's mind - with the man who brought that pain into their lives. And in between the judge’s words they could hear the intermittent sniffling of that man's family, sitting directly across the courtroom aisle.
Such was the scene at the March 19th sentencing hearing of Gary Allard, who - in that courtroom at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building on 26th and California - admitted to the heinous murder of 53-year-old cabdriver Mohammed Rafiq Haroon, nearly six years ago.
On that early morning in April, Allard flagged down Mr. Haroon's taxi near the corner of Albany and Addison. He told police he originally intended to run out on the fare, but decided instead to rob Mr. Haroon. After putting a knife to Mr. Haroon's throat and demanding the driver hand over his cash, Allard slashed Mr. Haroon's throat, slicing his jugular vein.
Mr. Haroon was able to exit his cab and flag down a passing motorist, who called for help. He was rushed to Illinois Masonic Hospital but the blood loss was too severe. He was pronounced dead at 1:18 a.m., April 16, 2003. He left behind a wife, brother, four children and countless friends.
After the murder, police received a tip from a neighborhood woman who mentioned that a group of unsavory young men lived near where Mr. Haroon was killed. According to Assistant State's Attorney Nancy Galassini, that tip led police to a house on the 3400 block of N. Elston Ave., owned by a man Allard called “Uncle Larry,” even though the two were not actually related. Ms. Galassini said Allard went to Uncle Larry's house after the murder, showed him the murder weapon and told him he had “done something stupid.”
After asking Uncle Larry to hide the knife, (which he did, but not without boiling it first, Ms. Galassini said) Allard and his two friends left for Indiana.
While they were gone, police began visiting Uncle Larry's house, but were at first unable to speak with him. Yet, when they learned a cab had been dispatched to that address shortly after the murder, they spoke with that cabdriver and learned he had picked up three boys, one of whom wasn't wearing a shirt. With this information, police increased the frequency of their visits to Uncle Larry's house. When they eventually spoke with him, they learned of the knife Allard brought there for hiding.
Now believing Allard to be a clear suspect, police stepped up their search for him. A few days after finding the knife, police spoke with Allard's friends.
According to Ms. Galassini, Allard's friends told police he had admitted to killing Mr. Haroon. After scouring areas where Allard was known to frequent, police received a call from one of Allard's friends saying they could find him at Cook County Hospital, where he was eventually placed into police custody. During the course of his questioning, Ms. Galassini said Allard confessed on videotape to robbing and murdering Mr. Haroon.
Since his capture, Allard had been in Cook County Jail awaiting trial on charges of first degree murder, armed robbery, vehicular invasion, burglary and felony murder - the last charge carrying the possible penalty of death. Yet, as part of an agreement, Allard plead guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced by Judge Evelyn Clay to 47 years in prison. And with Illinois' Truth in Sentencing Law, Allard will have to serve 100 percent of his sentence. Thus Allard will serve all 47 years of his sentence minus the time he's already spent incarcerated. Allard won't be released from prison until 2050, 41 years from now. He'll be 68 years old, if he survives his stay in maximum-security prison.
“Twenty-seven years is the average life expectancy in prison,” Ms. Galassini said. “His sentence is basically a life sentence.”
Ms. Galassini said she was very pleased with the outcome of the case.
“You never know what will happen with a jury trial,” she said. “With a plea deal, there's no appeal. It cuts off so many avenues for continuation.”
She added, “I think the family wanted closure.”
For their part, Mr. Haroon's family was relatively pleased with the punishment given to Allard.
“Justice was really done today,” said Mr. Haroon's brother and fellow cabdriver, Salim Haroon.
About time. This sentence given to Allard should be posted for all to see.
All of them should be death or life in prison. This can happen any where and any time.
I'm opposed to the death penalty so I think this was a good sentence and Allard will probably die in prison anyway.
$1 Fue Surchage is up and running due to high gas cost!!!
Gas is over $2.18 a gallon in all Chicagoland area so per rule, We can post the $1 fuel surchage back on sheild again.
Gas cost per gallon is minimum $2.25 to maximum $2.60 in all Chicago area.
R you doing it?
By the way, i see cabbies getting beaten on road very often. Also Wiedsberg law is also not enforced by this city and state attorney.
We don't want this unfair credit card scam ordinance rule. This is nothing but a scam. The city does this so cab companies can rob the driver's hard earned money by lying about cards being declined.
This is also a scam so drivers are unfairly charged %5 of the card fare going to cab companies or card companies.
This is also a scam by this city so they can fine drivers hundreds of dollars for refusing to accept cards. the city knows most drivers don't like getting ripped off of their hard earned money by accepting cards.
This information is false.
The city's surcharge enacts a $0.50 fuel surcharge when the average gas price reaches $2.70/gallon for seven consecutive days. A $1 surcharge goes into effect when the average gas price reaches $3.20/gallon for seven consecutive days.
According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, the average price for regular gas today (4/3/09) is $2.160.
Please do not post information that you know to be false or misleading.
Chicago Dispatcher
There are numbers of facts about why credit card ordinance is a scam and unfair.
1, City knows they can make hundreds of dollars by fining drivers who refuse to accept card payments.
2, It's scam cos most time, cards get declined at cab company casheir's office even if it got approved at meter process.
3, It's a scam cos drivers are being forced to pay %5 of the card fare to cab companies or card companies.
Many bussiness charge minimum credit card processing fee to accept cards, but cab drivers should still accept cards by not charging card processing fee to customers?
Many shops and resturants and even theCity offices charge fees to accept cards and some city agencies don't accept cards at all but still we are required to accept cards?
I waited in line for 20 mins at secretery of states office but when i approched the casheir's office, the lady said we don't accept american express.
This whole thing about credit card for cab fare is a rip off for hard working cabbies!!!!!!
I too hate this credit card for cab fare thing!
I was so sick of losing money by accepting cards.
I have lost money so many times,whole card getting declined to %5 card fee rip off.
I no longer accept cards and when there comes a day of court date for card refusal, I will simply give up Chauffer's License and switch job that pays me better than this $40 a day for 12 hour cab job.
I will choose to remain free of getting ripped off by City and cab companies.
I agree my friend. When, I get that ticket. I will not pay or go to court. I will tell the city keep the license. I don't want it no more. I quit this job.
I too will do the same. send me credit card refusal complaint form and I will send back chauffer's license.
it just suxxxxxxxxxxx!
5% of credit card receipts is not right. One lawyer, Clayton Voegtle in Libertyville is fighting to get refunds. He wants to help drivers get that 5% back and he does not charge the driver directly he only gets paid if he gets a recovery. Call him 847 918 9840 if you want to stop the companies taking 5% and get your money back.
That is very sad for that Cabbie getting killed. That person should get the chair for killing him.
To be honest, I too am looking for another job, probably cashier job but hard to find.
Seems like I should just go with Mcdonald job cos it pays me 9$ hourly and I can make $72 daily. that is twice more than I make when driving cab for 12 hours and make $42.
cab bussiness has tanked and it is gonna be doomed!
too many cabs, too many new bad drivers, too many unfair regulations, very less riders!!!!!!!!!!
