A veteran Chicago police officer has been indicted on federal charges alleging he used his position to purchase an assault rifle and a pistol from area dealers last year and gave them to an associate who smuggled them into Mexico.

Kevin Rodriguez was charged in a 9-page indictment made public Wednesday with lying on federal paperwork in order to purchase the weapons, which were not available to ordinary citizens under Illinois law.

Also charged was his alleged accomplice, Diego Valdez, who paid Rodriguez more than $2,400 for the weapons, which he later took to Mexico.

The indictment was filed under seal last week, court records show. Rodriguez self-surrendered on Tuesday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes, where he entered a plea of not guilty and was released on

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