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Man Charged With Threatening Ald. Burke

Updated 02/25/11 - 4:04 p.m.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bond was set at $25,000 on Friday for a Southwest Side man accused of threatening to kill Chicago Ald. Edward Burke (14th.)

Police confirmed to CBS 2 Friday morning that Timothy J. Hercog, 48, of the 4400 block of South Homan Avenue, was charged Thursday night with felony intimidation of a public official.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Debra Dale reports

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Hercog was ordered held on $25,000 bond during a bond hearing Friday. He was due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Mar. 3.

Police said Hercog left three messages at Burke's office this week, between Sunday and Wednesday.

In one of the messages, Hercog allegedly said he wanted to kill Burke, while in another, he allegedly told the aldermen he had "better keep his bodyguards."

Ed Burke
Ald. Ed Burke, 14th Ward (CBS)

Burke is the longest-serving alderman and the chairman of the powerful City Council Finance Committee. During the mayoral campaign, Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel said if he won, Burke would lose his six-man Chicago Police security detail.

Authorities traced the calls to Hercog's phone number, and he was arrested Thursday afternoon at the Wentworth District police station, 5101 S. Wentworth Ave.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

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