How does a dirty cop try to make ends meet while he waits for his prison sentence?

Pornography — at least in former Officer Richard E. Doroniuk’s case.

Doroniuk testified today that he applied to the City of Palos Hills for a business license to run a modeling agency.

On the application, he said the woman working for him would be performing secretarial work, but he lied, according to his testimony in federal court.

“I wanted to run the business in a different manner,” Doroniuk said, adding that he actually wanted to run a business shooting pornographic photos.

Doroniuk, who was arrested by the FBI in 2006 and has been free on bond since, said his porn business started out in his apartment, but he wanted to expand.

It was not clear whether his application was rejected. Palos Hills officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Doroniuk, who has pleaded guilty to robbing drug dealers, is a government witness against his former partner, Mahmoud “Mike” Shamah, who is standing trial on corruption charges.

Doroniuk previously testified that he paid a judge in connection with a search warrant. He did not name the judge, who a source said was a Cook County judge. It was not clear why he paid the judge.

Doroniuk testified that a judge approved a search warrant even though the judge knew there really was no “John Doe” informant. Such informants are supposed to appear before judges to provide the basis for a search. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office has tightened procedures over the use of such informants, sources told the Sun-Times.

In earlier testimony this week, Doroniuk outlined numerous times when he and Shamah stole money during search warrants and traffic stops and split the loot.

Today, Shamah’s attorney, Anthony Pinelli, tried to show the jury that Doroniuk is a liar, getting him to admit that he falsified his application for a business license in Palos Hills.

Under Pinelli’s questioning, Doroniuk also said he did not tell federal authorities about some of his alleged ripoffs until a few weeks ago — even though he testified before a grand jury in March 2007.

Doroniuk disclosed that he once stole a credit card from a drug dealer and used it to rack up more than $800 in charges at a model car store.

He also testified that he was on a drug raid when officers arrested a Chicago firefighter in November 2005. Doroniuk said he stole money from drug dealers during the raid. He said money was taken from the firefighter, but did not say how much or what the unnamed firefighter was charged with.

Doroniuk, 32, faces more than 20 years in prison, but he is hoping to receive a reduced sentence for his cooperation. He joined the police force in 2000 and joined the Morgan Park District tactical unit in 2004, where he and Shamah were partners.