Waukegan Officer Charged With Misusing Police Databases For Personal Searches

Oscar R. Magpali, a 40-year-old Antioch resident and Waukegan police officer, has been charged with five counts of official misconduct. Prosecutors allege that the 11-year veteran misused state law enforcement tools to search for personal information about four specific individuals. The charges were announced on October 20 following a joint investigation by the Waukegan Police Department and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Berrill detailed the specific instances of misuse during court proceedings on Tuesday. Magpali is accused of using the Illinois Law Enforcement Agencies Data System, known as LEADS, to run National Crime Information Center searches on June 13, 2025. Those searches targeted a female colleague’s name, driver’s license, and vehicle registration. Berrill stated that Magpali also used the Flock license plate reader system to repeatedly check that same woman’s registration on the same day.

The pattern of alleged searches continued through the summer and fall of 2025. On July 1, Magpali used LEADS to search the name of a male Waukegan officer. Berrill noted that this search was tied to a domestic incident that involved Magpali but not the male officer. Shortly after that LEADS search, Magpali allegedly used the Flock system to look up the female officer’s registration and then the male officer’s registration, citing a theft that prosecutors say never occurred.

Further charges involve searches conducted in November 2025. Magpali allegedly used LEADS to check the registration, name, and driver’s license of a second woman who had no known association with him. He tied these searches to a police incident that Berrill described as not legitimate. On November 10, Magpali repeatedly searched the registration of a man through the Flock system, using false theft justifications and inaccurate report numbers.

The investigation began after an initial review identified numerous database searches of vehicles registered to department employees and people associated with them. The department opened separate criminal and administrative investigations based on those findings. The Criminal Investigations Division conducted the criminal probe, which included an extensive review of electronic records and witness interviews. Magpali was placed on administrative leave when the allegations first surfaced.

In court, Judge Patricia Cornell found probable cause for the charges and released Magpali with Level 1 pretrial conditions. The judge ordered that Magpali have no direct or indirect contact with the four people whose information he is charged with searching, as well as three others whose names were searched through Flock but not LEADS. One of those three individuals is also a Waukegan police officer.

Defense attorney Jason W. Lee told the court that Magpali served in the military for nine years, including a tour in Afghanistan, before joining the police force. Lee described Magpali as an honorably discharged veteran and an outstanding community member. Magpali was named the department’s Employee of the Month in May 2022. He served in the Patrol Division’s night shift and held roles as an evidence technician, field training officer, drone operator, and member of the major crime scene unit.

Waukegan Police Chief Elias Agalianos stated that the department holds its officers to high standards of professionalism and accountability. Agalianos said the department is responsible for investigating misconduct thoroughly and impartially. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart emphasized that law enforcement professionals are trusted with powerful investigative tools. Rinehart noted that officers are trained to never use LEADS for personal reasons because the system holds private information.

The police department launched a department-wide audit of officers’ use of law enforcement databases when the investigation began. That audit remains ongoing due to the volume of records that need to be reviewed. Magpali is scheduled to appear in court again on December 2 for a status hearing on his preliminary hearing.