CHICAGO -- A major police corruption probe is under way in Chicago.

Its target: an elite police tactical unit. Its alleged ringleader: a highly decorated police officer who, with other cops, allegedly committed home invasions and robberies.

Unit Five's Carol Marin on Wednesday reported on an exclusive NBC5/Sun Times investigation.

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The following is a verbatim transcript of her report.

CAROL MARIN: As many as eight Chicago police officers, according to a highly placed source, may be criminally indicted soon. They work for SOS, the "Special Operations Section" of the Chicago Police Department.

Unit 5 and the Chicago Sun Times have learned four officers, so far, have been stripped of their police powers, and as many as four more have been told to turn in their guns and badges.

What did they allegedly do?

The Melesio family says they know. They told their story to Unit 5 a year and a half ago.

Marin (on tape): How many police cars arrived on the scene?

Miguel Melesio: I remember three, three.

Marin: Three unmarked cars?

Melesio: Three unmarked police cars.

MARIN: Miguel Melesio, then 18, said he was stopped by Chicago police on Nov. 11, 2004. He'd dropped by his place of work when he and his boss said the officers converged on his car.

Melesio: He just started searching me and didn't give me any reasons for stopping me.

MARIN: Melesio, a good student with no arrest record, thought they were looking for drugs.

Marin: Have you ever sold drugs?

Melesio: Never.

MARIN: He said police then went to his family's three-flat in the 4400 block of West Haddon where his sister Marisol was.

Marisol Melesio: There were two guys and one woman.

MARIN: Marisol Melesio said police searched the building, then suddenly released her brother and left. Soon family members said they discovered more than $13,000 in cash was gone -- money saved from their jobs.

Unit 5 and the Sun Times have learned the Chicago police officers who face criminal indictment and removal are part of a special unit which has city-wide jurisdiction to investigate drug, robbery and gun crimes.

According to a source, investigators have found as many as 25 similar cases in which this mostly white band of cops allegedly ripped off mostly Hispanic victims. Some of those alleged victims were drug dealers. But some other of those victims were just ordinary citizens.

According to federal court records, five civil lawsuits have been filed against the alleged ringleader and other officers.

The city of Chicago has paid out $80,000 in settlements in three of those suits. In two of the cases, police were alleged to have commited home invasions.

NBC5 and the Chicago Sun-Times are not naming the officer because no charges have been filed.

In the case of the Melesios, they are all legal residents and a family of professional landscapers.

A year and a half ago, the family had little hope of ever seeing, not only their money, but justice.

And the alleged ringleader of the group, according to a source, was one of the officers in the Melesio case.

A year and a half ago, the family had little hope of ever seeing not only their money, but justice.

Uriel Melesio: It's going to be our word against his, and they are in the law.

Marin: Do you have any hope of recovering the money?

Roberto Melesio: No.

MARIN: SOS, the Special Operations Section, is informally also called by another name, Sons of Supervisiors, meaning you had to have some sort of clout to get into that unit.

Indictments could come as soon as next week. One of the consequences of this case is that it could jeapordize some of the arrests and convictions that these officers have made.