Inmate offers inside mob information

CHICAGO, June 7 (UPI) -- A Florida inmate who has led police on wild goose chases before claims to have inside information on a Chicago mob-related homicide.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel received a handwritten letter Monday from Charles Miceli, who complained his offer of information has been ignored by the FBI. Miceli claims reputed mob boss Joey "The Clown" Lombardo is innocent of a murder he's been accused of and suggests other reputed hoodlums should be investigated instead, the Chicago Sun-Times said.

Lombardo and other alleged organized crime figures were charged in a sweeping federal indictment this spring that aims to solve 18 mob hits.

The Chicago Tribune reported in 2001 Miceli claimed to know about more than 40 crimes, including murders, bombings, corruption and extortion involving top hoodlums and politicians in Illinois, Florida and New York.

"But it was all fiction," said Thomas Ahern, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Chicago.