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Archive for the ‘Drugs’ Category
Former Oak Lawn Illinois Police Officer Steve Harrison, Out On Bail For Robbing Motorists, Arrested On Drug Charges
July 3rd, 2008
OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS - Former Oak Lawn police officer Steve Harrison has again been arrested — this time on a drug charge.
According to reports, on June 20, Harrison was seen by a Chicago police officer allegedly making a drug exchange, with money, on the 4700 block of West Lake Street in Chicago.
Harrison was arrested and charged with a felony for possession of a controlled substance.
Harrison was the officer who was arrested in October of 2007 for allegedly extorting money from Hispanic drivers on their way to work in Alsip.
Harrison allegedly pulled the drivers over and told them they could pay him money or go to jail.
Oak Lawn police found ticket stubs that Harrison allegedly used as receipts that he gave to the Hispanic drivers.
Harrison’s bail is set at $55,000 after a judge added $5,000 to the bail because Harrison was arrested for the drug charge when he was on bond from the extortion charge.
Read MoreThree Los Angeles California Police Officers Suspended, Under Investigation After Lying In Court About Arrest - Charges Against Man Dropped - Caught On Video
July 2nd, 2008
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - Three police officers have been placed on leave while internal affairs investigators look into their conduct in a cocaine arrest case.
Police Chief William Bratton told the city Police Commission on Tuesday the men were sent home with pay after a judge stopped a trial and exonerated a man of cocaine charges when a video of the defendant’s arrest contradicted the testimony of at least one officer.
“I assure you that there will be a full, comprehensive investigation,” Bratton said. “We take these matters very seriously. We will not tolerate officers breaking the law to enforce the law.”
The officers were assigned to home, meaning they were placed on a departmental leave for an indefinite period of time, police spokesman Richard French said.
Police officials did not release the names of the officers.
Read MoreNorwich Connecticut Police Officer Michael Blanchette Gets A Special Plea Deal And Tiny Slap On The Wrist After His Arrest At Heroin Dealer’s Home In New York City
July 1st, 2008
NORWICH, CONNECTICUT - Norwich Police Officer Michael Blanchette pleaded guilty Monday to the charge of disorderly conduct in connection with his arrest in Bronx, N.Y. in May, according to court officials.
Blanchette, 42, was ordered to pay a $100 fine.
On May 16, Blanchette was arrested, along with his brother Anothony Blanchette, 29, at the residence of a suspected heroin dealer in the Bronx.
Michael Blanchette was charged with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance. His brother, Anthony, faces felony drug possession charges.
Michael Blanchette is the focus of an internal investigation still ongoing at the department. He has since applied for retirement. Appeared Here
Los Angeles California Police Officers Richard Amio And Evan Samuel Caught Lying In Court - Judge Abruptly Ends Trial And Exonerates Defendant - Caught On Video
July 1st, 2008
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - A Los Angeles judge abruptly ended a trial and exonerated a man of possessing cocaine Monday after a courtroom confrontation in which a defense attorney produced a surprise video of his client’s arrest that sharply contradicted the testimony of two police officers.
Superior Court Judge Monica Bachner dismissed charges against Guillermo Alarcon Jr., a grocery store worker, after prosecutors reviewed the tape and acknowledged that it was inconsistent with the officers’ sworn testimony.
Los Angeles Police Department officials said they had launched an internal affairs investigation of the officers. Additionally, prosecutors said they would refer the matter to a division within the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office that investigates police misconduct cases.
During the trial, which began Friday, the officers told jurors that they had chased Alarcon, 29, into his Hollywood apartment building last year and seen him throw away a black object. They testified that one of the officers picked up the object a few feet from where Alarcon was standing and discovered powder and crack cocaine inside.
Read MoreFormer Shreveport Louisiana Police Officer Roderick “Rickey” Moore Found Guilty After Supplying Drugs To Whores In Exchange For Sex - Even His Daughter Testified Against Him
June 30th, 2008
CADDO PARISH, LOUISIANA - A Caddo jury quickly found former Shreveport police officer Roderick “Rickey” Moore guilty Saturday of supplying drugs to strippers in return for sexual favors.
Judge John Joyce polled the seven-woman, five-man jury just after 2 p.m., barely two hours after he charged them. That showed only two of the 12 jurors believing defense claims there was no proof Moore actually passed drugs to the police confidential informant, a stripper at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club. Moore, 52, had been charged with providing her with Lortab and cocaine.
Moore was impassive as the jury determined his fate. He was dressed in tan pants and a gray tweed jacket with elbow protectors, and looked almost professorial. His family members did not comment. But his daughter Kammi, who testified against her father, was quietly overcome by emotion as she sat in a rear row of seats as the verdict was read.
Read MoreSurveillance Video Catches Lying New York City Undercover Police Officers Dancing In Street, Framing 4 Innocent Men On Bogus Drug Charges
June 28th, 2008
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Undercover police officers who arrested four men on drug charges are under investigation after surveillance video proved the men they arrested committed no crime.
Drug charges against brothers Jose Colon and Maximo Colon, along with two of their friends have been dropped.
The undercover NYPD officers are seen on video dancing in the street, then attempting to frame four innocent men.
“I asked police officer why are you arresting me,” said Maximo Colon. “Never did I get an answer.”
The investigators swore under oath they bought drugs from the four men. Jose and Maximo colon say that didn’t happen.
“The cops are supposed to help us,” said a shaken Jose Colon.
Defense lawyers say the surveillance cameras proved their clients were framed.
“It was nauseating,” said defense lawyer Rochelle Berliner.
Read MoreSecond Huntsville Alabama Police Officer Wesley Little Quits After Indictment - He And Partner Ryan Moore Are Charged With Drugs, Tampering With Evidence, And False Reporting After Planting Drugs
June 28th, 2008
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA - A second Huntsville police officer previously indicted by a grand jury turned in his badge Wednesday morning.
Wesley Little resigned two days after his partner, Ryan Moore, turned in his resignation. Both officers appeared before a Huntsville personnel review board last week to determine whether they would keep their jobs despite allegations of misconduct.
Both Wesley and Moore are facing multiple felony charges for allegations that include drug possession, tampering with evidence and false reporting.
Stay tuned to WAAY 31 and WAAYTV.com for more information as it becomes available.
Former Oak Lawn Illinois Police Officer Steven Harrison, Previous Accused Of Robbing Motorists, Arrested While Buying Heroin
June 28th, 2008
OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS - A former Oak Lawn police officer accused of misconduct for allegedly extorting money from motorists during traffic stops is in trouble with the law again after a recent drug arrest.
Steven Harrison, 26, was arrested the evening of June 20 when a Chicago police officer witnessed him exchanging cash for several packets of heroin in the 4700 block of West Lake Street, police said.
Harrison was charged with possession of a controlled substance and was held in lieu of $55,000 bail, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. On Friday, Judge Rosemary Grant Higgins tacked on another $5,000 for violating a $100,000 bail in the misconduct case by his new arrest.
The judge ordered Harrison, should he post bail, to seek treatment immediately for drug abuse.
Harrison’s attorney, Brian Barrett, declined to comment about his client’s alleged drug use.
Read MoreAlabama State Prison Guards Tommie Borden And Mark Clark Found Guilty After Smuggling Marijuana Into Prison - Both Face 1 To 10 Years Behind Bars
June 26th, 2008
PELL CITY, ALABAMA - Two former state prison guards now face time behind bars after a circuit jury in St. Clair County found them guilty of promoting prison contraband.
Tommie Borden and Mark Clark could each get 1 to 10 years in prison after being convicted of smuggling marijuana into the St. Clair Correctional Facility. They were arrested in December 2006.
Clark had been employed as a prison guard for three years while Borden had worked in the corrections system for about a year.
A judge in Pell City scheduled a sentencing hearing for September.
Lowell Massachusetts Police Officer David Annis Indicted, Charged With Gambling And Extortion Charges
June 26th, 2008
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS - A Lowell police officer was indicted today on charges he gambled illegally on sports and used his law enforcement powers to dig up dirt on his Westford bookie to get out of paying back his debts.
[BCN: Anyone who has had any contact with this lying sack of shit is left with the desire to kill him dead. Annis sells drugs, assaults and robs those he arrests, receives sex from known whores in exchange for protection, threatens individuals with arrest if they won't lie for him, stalks the spouses and girlfriends of those he arrests in efforts to get laid, and deals in stolen goods. Annis belongs behind bars, or better yet, 6 feet under.]
David Annis, 33, faces gambling, extortion, and charges that he illegally obtained criminal record information to intimidate the bookmaker from collecting his $5,000 tab.
“We allege that David Annis violated the trust and authority bestowed on him as a police officer to commit these crimes,” Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement. Leone thanked the Lowell police for their cooperation in discovering the alleged crime and reporting it to his office.
Authorities said Annis began an unsuccessful gambling spree last August, betting online through the bookmaker. In September, the bookmaker asked to meet Annis to collect the money Annis owed him. During the meeting, Annis allegedly showed the bookmaker his badge and the criminal records and said he might be “investigating gambling cases.” He said the bookmaker wouldn’t be arrested if “things could go smoothly.”
A man who answered the phone at the number listed for Annis in Lowell declined to comment.
“If these allegations prove to be true, Officer Annis will have betrayed his oath of office and his badge,” said Lowell Police Superintendent Kenneth Lavallee. “Public trust is critical to the law enforcement mission.”
The department would not comment on whether Annis would be suspended or placed on leave pending the outcome of his case. No arraignment date has been set.
Read MoreMiddlesex County Massachusetts Corrections Officer Scott Sears Arrested, Jailed, Charged With Smuggling Drugs Into Billerica House Of Correction
June 26th, 2008
BILLERICA, MASSACHUSETTS - A Middlesex County corrections officer was arrested today in a sting operation at a Winthrop doughnut shop on charges that he ferried drugs from dealers to inmates at the jail where he worked, State Police said.
The sting came at the end of an eight-month investigation into Scott Sears, 36, of Winthrop, said David Procopio, a State Police spokesman. In October, State Police and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office heard from informants that Sears was allegedly smuggling drugs into the Billerica jail.
Sears, who had worked for the sheriff’s office for two years, would allegedly meet with drug dealers, collect marijuana and heroin on behalf of the inmates, and then bring it into the jail for a fee.
Read MoreFormer Syracuse New York Police Officer George A. Bush Arrested, Charged With Drunk Driving And Crack Cocaine
June 26th, 2008
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - A former Syracuse police officer was arrested early this morning in the village of Phoenix.
George A. Bush, 55, of 812 Spencer St., Syracuse, had crack cocaine in his possession when a village police officer pulled him over about 3:30 a.m. at Main and Volney streets, Phoenix police Chief Rod Carr said.
Bush was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of cocaine, third-degree bribery of a public servant and driving while intoxicated, all felonies; and seventh-degree criminal possession of cocaine, DWI-drugs and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, all misdemeanors. Bush also was issued traffic tickets charging him with failing to signal and unsafe lane change.
“This should show folks that we treat everyone the same, whether they wore a badge or not, and that police are human. We put our pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else. We’re not super human,” Carr said. “We’re all human beings and we have free will. And it depends on what you do with that free will to make the right choices in life.”
Read MoreFormer East Cleveland Ohio Police Officer Det. Tiffiney Cleveland Indicted By Federal Grand Jury For Drug Scheme - Faces Several Fraud Counts Also - Married A Drug Dealer Who Is Now Serving A Life Sentence For Selling Cocaine
June 25th, 2008
EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO - A federal grand jury has indicted a former East Cleveland detective on charges she used police computers to help her drug-dealing husband avoid an undercover investigation.
Tiffiney Cleveland is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and unauthorized use of a computer, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court.
Cleveland, 40, also faces several counts of fraud for providing false information on mortgage and vehicle loans.
Cleveland’s woes stem from her relationship with long-time drug dealer Lesean Roberts, whom she married in June 2005. Roberts, 39, is serving a life sentence for selling cocaine after drug agents arrested him in July 2006.
Mayor Eric Brewer demoted Cleveland shortly after Roberts’ arrest put the detective under a cloud of suspicion. Brewer fired Cleveland in October.
City officials were aware of the federal investigation and cooperated, Brewer said. “We’re cleaning up our own house,” Brewer said.
Read MoreTrial Begins For Fired Veteran Shreveport Louisiana Police Officer Sgt. Rickey Moore - Charged With Selling Drugs
June 24th, 2008
SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - Jury selection began today in the trial of fired Shreveport police sergeant Rickey Moore, who is charged with selling cocaine at a downtown nightclub.
Moore was arrested last November and accused of selling cocaine. Narcotics agents said they videotaped Moore passing cocaine at the nightclub. The 17-year veteran of the Police Department, who worked as a patrol sergeant, was fired the next day.
Moore, 52, denies selling drugs and has pleaded not guilty in Caddo District Court.
A second police officer, Joey Willis, is accused of checking license plate numbers for Moore in an effort to find out who had tipped police about Moore’s alleged drug activities. Willis, who was fired from the Police Department last month, has pleaded not guilty to malfeasance in office charges and is awaiting trial.
Moore also faces charges in Bossier Parish that he kept a pharmacopoeia of drugs at his home in Princeton. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Read MoreSteroid Using And Dealing Tennessee State Probation Officer Mike Lankford Suspended After Admitting To Using And Selling Drugs
June 24th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - The Channel 4 I-Team reported that someone hired by the state to keep drug users on the right path admitted to using and selling steroids.
State probation officer Mike Lankford was placed on administrative leave after admitting to using and selling steroids to investigators, the I-Team’s Jeremy Finley reported on Monday.
Finley said the officer also has ties to the chief suspected dealer in a steroid investigation that has a number of law enforcement officers caught up in it.
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“Whenever there’s any kind of allegations of illegal activities, it bothers us,” said Office of Probation and Parole representative Jack Elder.
In a Metro police investigative report obtained by the I-Team, Lankford told investigators he purchased steroids, injected them into himself and sold them.
In the report, Lankford names Scott Haines, the trainer charged with selling steroids to officers in middle Tennessee.
Read MoreSuspended Huntsville Alabama Police Officer Ryan Moore Quits - He And Partner Wesley Little Face Drug, Tampering, And False Reporting Charges After Planting Drugs
June 23rd, 2008
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA - One of the two officers facing felony charges for alleged misconduct turned in his badge Monday.
His job was already on the line, but Officer Ryan Moore decided to pull the plug himself before city officials determined his future status with the Huntsville Police Department. A two-sentence press release said Moore has resigned his position with the department effective immediately.
Moore and Officer Wesley Little are facing multiple felony charges for allegations that include drug possession, tampering with evidence and false reporting.
Moore had appeared before city officials last week in a personnel hearing to determine his employment status. Both officers were on administrative leave for the last three months.
WAAY-31 News obtained copies of the indictments that were handed down by a Madison County grand jury earlier this year. The indictments said Moore allegedly had marijuana in his possession that was not for personal use, and he had tried offering it to other officers.
Read MoreJailed Indianapolis Indiana Police Officers Robert B. Long, Jason P. Edwards, And James Davis Quit Before Being Fired - Each Faces Federal Drug Charges
June 20th, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - Three Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers who are facing federal drug charges resigned Thursday.
The resignations came after the officers — Robert B. Long, Jason P. Edwards and James Davis — met with police commanders at the Marion County Jail, where they are being held after their arrests Monday.
After Deputy Chief William Benjamin and Maj. Lincoln Plowman, both from the investigations branch, told the three officers they were being suspended without pay and that the department was beginning the process to fire them, the three officers handed hand-written resignations to the commanders, said Sgt. Paul Thompson, spokesman for IMPD.
“They were presented with the intent to terminate them, and they decided to quit,” said Thompson.
Police Chief Michael Spears had said he wanted to move the termination process against the officers forward as quickly as possible, Thompson said.
Read MoreFired Joplin Missouri Police Officer Lt. Geoff Jones Appeals Firing For Drug Use, Associations With Known Criminals, And Resultant Distrust Of Him By The FBI In An Investigation
June 18th, 2008
JOPLIN, MISSOURI - Joplin police Lt. Geoff Jones was fired this year because of alleged associations with known criminals at poker tournaments, a resultant distrust of him by the FBI in an investigation and a failure to disclose his use of prescription drugs, the city’s police chief testified Wednesday.
Chief Lane Roberts was the principal witness to testify at a Personnel Board hearing on Jones’ appeal of his firing.
The hearing was suspended after five hours of testimony, with the board yet to hear Jones’ side of the story. The board plans to reconvene the hearing at a date yet to be announced and then make its decision on his appeal.
Roberts fired Jones from his duties with the Police Department on Feb. 8. He was given a fact-finding hearing March 3 and later was given final notice by City Manager Mark Rohr of his dismissal.
Read MoreNashville Tennessee Police Officers To Finally Be Tested For Steroid Use - Three Recently Fired After Investigation
June 16th, 2008
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - The Metro Police Department announced on Monday that all officers will be tested for steroids in addition to their current drug testing program.
The decision comes just months after three officers were decommissioned after a steroid investigation.
“This police department insists on the highest standards of behavior from our employees in providing the most professional police services possible. It is imperative that the communities we serve have strong confidence that this is an agency totally committed to a drug-free work force. That drug-free definition includes anabolic steroids,” said Chief Ronal Serpas.
An officer who was still going through training also resigned in March after his name came up in the investigation.
According to the Metro Police Department, Nashville joins other police departments, including Dallas and New York City, which this year added, or are about to add, anabolic steroids to random drug testing programs. Appeared Here
McColl South Carolina Police Officer Arrested, Jailed, Suspended, Charged With Trafficking Cocaine - Bonus: Wife Busted For Drug Possession
June 16th, 2008
MC COLL, SOUTH CAROLINA - A McColl police officer is in jail after authorities in Columbia say he was trafficking cocaine.
Richland County investigators arrested 38-year-old Jerry Smith, and his wife, 42-year-old Udora Smith, on Friday.
Jerry Smith faces charges of misconduct in office and trafficking cocaine.
Udora Smith faces charges of unlawful possession of a prescription drug.
McColl Police Chief Tommy Langley says Jerry Smith is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Charlotte Mecklenburg North Carolina Police Officers Gerald Holas And Adam Ross Arrested On Federal Crack Cocaine Charges
June 13th, 2008
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers have been arrested on federal drug charges.
Gerald Holas and Adam Ross were arrested on Thursday afternoon. Both are charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, better known as crack cocaine.
Another man, David Lockhart, faces the same charge and a second charge of possessing crack cocaine.
An order was put in place to seal many of the documents, including the FBI’s affidavit, which said that wiretapping was used in the investigation.
Holas was assigned to the Street Crimes Unit and has been an officer for nine years. Ross worked in the Adam 3 District and has been an officer for two years.
All three men are being held in federal custody at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Jail. Their next court date is scheduled for June 16.
If convicted, the men face a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. Appeared Here
Bibb County Georgia Deputy Sheriff Jiwana Daquare Green Arrested, Charged With Drugs And Traffic Offenses
June 12th, 2008
MACON, GEORGIA - Macon police arrested a Bibb County sheriff’s deputy assigned to the Corrections Division just after 1 a.m. Wednesday following a traffic stop near the intersection of Eisenhower Parkway and Macon Tech Drive.
Jiwana Daquare Green, 30, was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and several traffic charges, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
Green has been employed with the sheriff’s office for three years.
Green was pulled over by Macon police officers for traffic violations in his personal vehicle, according to the release. Green’s traffic violations included driving with a suspended registration, no front headlights, no tag light and no proof of insurance.
Chief Deputy David Davis said Green has been suspended with pay pending the results of an internal investigation.
Macon police spokeswoman Sgt. Melanie Hofmann said a woman, Janna Keion Green, 29, also was in the car and was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Read MoreGilbert Arizona Konnie Bonini And James Clark Quit Amide Drug Allegations
June 9th, 2008
GILBERT, ARIZONA - When Gilbert officer Konnie Bonini went to supervisors in January, she said she only wanted to get a fellow officer help.
But after revealing she knew an officer who drank before work and abused muscle relaxers without a prescription, she was involved in a two-month criminal investigation that implicated her and officer James Clark, eventually leading both to resign, records recently released to the Tribune show.
Clark and Bonini had just ended a five-month relationship days before Bonini went to her supervisors. She admitted that despite her claims of watching Clark consume the pills and drink before work, she did nothing and that she once provided him with several leftover prescription pills, records show.
The investigation also revealed Clark had been driving a police car with a canceled driver’s license and had been busted in the past for sneaking prescription drugs from Mexico.
Read MoreFormer Swampscott Massachusetts Police Officer Thomas Wrenn Expect To Plead Guilty To Federal Drug Charges
June 7th, 2008
SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS - A former Swampscott police officer arrested on drug charges in March is scheduled to plead guilty next week to charges of distributing both Percocet and cocaine, according to court records.
Thomas Wrenn, 37, of Nahant was charged last month in a superseding complaint with possession with intent to distribute both oxycodone, the active component of Percocet, and cocaine.
According to the case docket, a status hearing earlier this week was canceled and a change of plea hearing was scheduled for June 12 in U.S. District Court before Judge Joseph Tauro.
Wrenn was originally arrested March 13 outside a Lynn restaurant, where he had allegedly just accepted a package of Percocet pills from someone who was cooperating with federal investigators.
A judge subsequently found probable cause for the case to move forward to trial. Wrenn resigned from the force in April, citing “personal reasons.”
Read MoreMassachusetts Corrections Officer Justin P. Boudreau Arrested, Charged After Raid On Pot Growing Operation
May 31st, 2008
SPENCER, MASSACHUSETTS - A former Department of Correction employee was arraigned yesterday on charges he was growing marijuana for sale in his Main Street apartment and had a loaded gun in his car when police raided his home earlier this month.
Police allegedly found 75 fledgling marijuana plants set under grow lights in a spare bedroom, where the heat was also turned up, in Justin P. Boudreau’s apartment at 6 Main St., Apt. 6, when they conducted a raid May 18. They also allegedly found two rifles in the apartment and a loaded .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun in the console of his unlocked car. Mr. Boudreau was arrested Wednesday night on a warrant issued by Western Worcester District Court, East Brookfield.
Officers also seized letters from a female inmate at Framingham State Prison. The letters were addressed to Jeff Podine of 8 Sunset Lane, Spencer, a residence police also raided May 18. In that incident, Jeff M. Castro, 26, of that address, was arrested and charged with drug violations.
Read MoreFormer Dayton Ohio Police Officer John Calvin Crenshaw Arrested, Charged In Connection With Drug Ring
May 31st, 2008
DAYTON, OHIO — Brookville police said they arrested 11 people Thursday, including a former Dayton police officer, in connection with an alleged drug ring.
According to Brookville Police Chief Ed Preston, the arrests came after a nine week investigation which resulted in a search warrant being served at 616 Rona Parkway.
Officers said they began investigating after getting several complaints of drug activity inside the Rona Parkway apartment.
“We were able to get (an officer) in undercover and make some controlled buys,” Preston said.
Preston said one of the suspects, John Calvin Crenshaw, 46, admitted to spending time as a Dayton police officer.
“By his own admission, he’s a former Dayton police officer,” Preston said. “The guy apparently went the other direction, on the wrong side of the law, so we’re very happy to put him where he belongs, which is behind bars.”
Read MoreVeteran Miami Florida Police Officer Geovani Nunez And Detective Jorge Hernandez Charged With Protecting Cocaine Shipments
May 31st, 2008
MIAMI, FLORIDA - Two veteran police officers were charged Friday with providing protection for purported shipments of cocaine and stolen goods in what was actually an undercover FBI operation.
Officer Geovani Nunez and Detective Jorge Hernandez are accused in court documents of helping protect shipments of what they thought were stolen televisions and computers and at least 12 kilograms of cocaine - sometimes by using their police cars to escort trucks.
Prosecutors said the 13-year veterans of the Miami Police Department were paid a combined $39,500 by a secret FBI informant they thought was involved in illegal businesses, prosecutors said.
Nunez and Hernandez were released on bail after appearing briefly in court. Nunez’s attorney, Michael Catalano, said the allegedly illegal conduct was staged and not real because it was an FBI sting. Catalano also said the officers would fight the charges, which carry potential life sentences.
Read MoreJudge Rejects Special Deal For Atlantic City South Carolina Police Officer Terrance Wiggins - Charged After Sex With A Crack Whore In Police Station
May 30th, 2008
ATLANTIC BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA - The State Law Enforcement Division charged an Atlantic Beach officer with misconduct in office in October after a woman accused him of sexual assault inside the town’s police department.
Tuesday, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office offered Wiggins a plea and Wiggins accepted it, but circuit court judge Michael Baxley refused to accept the plea.
Prosecutors offered Wiggins a fine and probation in exchange for the plea, but the judge wouldn’t accept the deal, according to assistant solicitor, Scott Graustien.
Read MoreCameron County Texas Constable Saul P. Ochoa Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Drug Dealing Charges
May 30th, 2008
CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS - Cameron County Precinct 1 Constable Saul P. Ochoa entered a plea of not guilty Thursday on a four-count federal indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Ochoa appeared before U.S. Magistrate Felix Recio shortly after 10 a.m. wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Attorney Gilberto Hinojosa is representing him.
Ochoa, who was arrested by FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration agents Wednesday in Port Isabel, is scheduled to appear before Recio Tuesday for a detention hearing. No bond was set during Thursday’s court precedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office requested Ochoa undergo a medical examination to determine if he is addicted to cocaine after he allegedly told federal agents he often uses the substance.
Hinojosa objected to the medical examination, however, Recio sided with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and ordered Ochoa be tested for drug addiction before Tuesday’s hearing.
Read MoreCameron County Texas Constable Saul Ochoa Arrested In Port Isabel On Federal Dealing Drug Charges - Cousin Is Port Isabel Police Chief Joel Ochoa, Brother Benny Ochoa III Is Justice Of The Peace
May 29th, 2008
PORT ISABEL, TEXAS - Cameron County Constable Pct. 1 Saul Ochoa was arrested Wednesday morning by the FBI on charges stemming from possession and distribution of marijuana, according to federal court documents.
FBI spokesman Jorge Cisneros confirmed to The Herald that Ochoa had been arrested and referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas, who could not be immediately reached for comment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office unsealed the indictment after Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI agents arrested Ochoa at the Port Isabel Police Department on Wednesday.
The grand jury charged Ochoa with possessing five to 10 pounds of marijuana on four different days in May with the intent to distribute. Each of the four counts carries a maximum five years in prison and $250,000 fine.
Ochoa is expected to have his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio in Brownsville on Thursday.
Read MoreMonroe City Louisiana Chief Deputy Marshall Robert Cherry Jr Arrested, Suspended, Facing Drug Charges
May 20th, 2008
MONROE CITY, LOUISIANA - The chief deputy of the Monroe City Marshal’s Office has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest on misdemeanor drug charges over the weekend.
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Robert Cherry Jr., 51, 6208 Cypress Point, Monroe, was booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center on Sunday on possession of marijuana, not using a turn signal and resisting an officer.
He also was accused of illegal possession of a firearm, but a state district judge found no probable cause for that charge.
Marshal Wince Highshaw described Cherry as a valued employee with 26 years of experience. He said Cherry is a “great guy” and has never presented problems at work.
“The whole office is devastated over this,” Highshaw said.
Highshaw said he is waiting for the outcome of an investigation by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office before taking further action.
Veteran Norwich Connecticut Police Officer Lt. Michael Blanchette Arrested, Charged With Possession Of Heroin In New York City While Collecting Worker’s Compensation
May 18th, 2008
Norwich Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro has ordered an internal investigation seeking details of the arrest.
“I’m disappointed,” Fusaro said. “I certainly hope this does not reflect on the hard work being performed by the men and women at the department.”
Blanchette, 43, has been on medical leave and collecting worker’s compensation for about 16 months because of a knee injury.
As per department policy, Blanchette was stripped of police powers and placed on administrative suspension after 30 days of absence from the department.
He is one of four lieutenants on the force.
Blanchette was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance at 11:30 a.m. Friday in the Bronx, said New York City police Det. Brian Sessa. The charge is a misdemeanor, Sessa said.
Former Swampscott Massachusetts Polie Officer Thomas Wrenn’s Hummer Seized By Feds - Purchased With Drug Money
May 15th, 2008
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said it seized a 2003 Hummer H2 from Thomas Wrenn, the former patrolman who is facing charges of dealing prescription drugs — at times while on duty and in uniform. He resigned from the force last month citing “personal reasons.”
In a legal notice published Monday, the DEA said it seized the Hummer “because the property was used or acquired as a result of a violation of the Controlled Substances Act.”
It was seized on March 13 — the same day federal agents arrested Wrenn in Lynn, where authorities say he bought 50 Percocet pills outside the front door of the Green Tea Chinese Restaurant from an associate, who, unknown to Wrenn, was cooperating with law enforcement.
Huntsville Alabama Police Officers Wesley Little And Ryan Moore Arrested, Suspended, Facing Drug And Weapons Charges
May 15th, 2008
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA - Two Huntsville Police officers are out of jail on bond tonight after being arrested on multiple felony charges and two misdemeanors.
Huntsville Police officials say officers Wesley Little and Ryan Moore will remain on administrative leave pending a city personnel hearing.
Little has been with the department since December 2006.
He’s charged with attempt to possess a controlled substance, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, evidence tampering and making a false report to authorities.
Moore has been with the department since May 2006 and was charged with first degree possession of marijuana and two counts of attempted possession.
Huntsville PD Deputy Chief Andy Jackson said the circumstances are unfortunate, but commended the officers who reported the violations.
Pineville Louisiana DARE Police Officer Raymond Smith’s Arrest On Drug Charges Leaves Teachers Having To Explain Why He’s Such A Dumbass
April 28th, 2008
ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA - A Rapides Parish DARE officer is arrested on drug charges, but it is Rapides Parish school principals and teachers left dealing with the aftermath.
How do you explain to children that the person teaching them not to use drugs was arrested on drug charges?
“It isn’t easy,” Alma Redwine Elementary School Principal Deidra Anderson said. “We had to explain that everyone is human and makes mistakes.”
Principals at some elementary schools were left Friday and today picking up the pieces following the arrest Thursday of Pineville Police Officer Raymond Smith.
Smith served as an officer in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program for a number of schools, including Alma Redwine, Julius Patrick Elementary, W.O. Hall Magnet Elementary and Lessie Moore Elementary.
Smith was arrested following an undercover drug operation on the campus of Lessie Moore in Pineville.
Read MoreFormer Nahant Massachusetts Police Officer Paul English Sentenced To Federal Prison On Drug Charges
March 18th, 2008
NAHANT, MASSACHUSETTS - A former Nahant Police officer connected to the recent drug arrest of Swampscott Police Officer Thomas C. Wrenn is serving time in federal prison on drug charges including use of and trafficking steroids.
A criminal complaint was filed against former Nahant Police Officer Paul English Jr., on Feb. 7, 2006. At the time the complaint was filed, English, formerly of Nahant, listed an address in Boca Raton, Fla.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Spokesman Christina D’Orio Sterling said English pleaded guilty in October 2007 to federal drug charges and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release.
According to statements made by DEA task force agent Shaun Santos in an affidavit, an investigation into English’s “apparent drug trafficking activities” got underway in 2003.
Read MoreFormer Collier County Florida Deputy Sheriff Inv. Kyle Beiner’s Criminal Record Erased After Drug Conviction
July 18th, 2007
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA - A former Collier County sheriff’s investigator who quit his job two years ago after he was caught altering painkiller prescriptions has been granted an expungement after successfully completing a drug counseling program.
Collier Circuit Judge Fred Hardt on Wednesday granted the expungement requested by attorney Donald Day, who represented Kyle Beiner, 33, after Assistant State Attorney Lisa Mead said the state didn’t object. Day was out of town and Beiner, who was not in court, was represented by another attorney in Day’s firm, Kristen Rodger.
Day said later that he will now move toward getting Beiner’s record sealed. Day said Beiner, of Cape Coral, got hooked on painkillers after being prescribed the drugs for an injury on the job.
Beiner, who had worked for the Collier Sheriff’s Office since 1996 before quitting in August 2005, completed conditions of a pre-trial release program, which included urine and Breathalyzer tests, staying away from drugs and alcohol, and reporting monthly to a probation officer.
Read MoreFormer Collier County Deputy Sheriff Lt. Scott Anderson’s Wife Receives A Slap On The Wrist For Prescription Fraud - Arrested The Same Day As Her Husband
October 24th, 2006
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA - The wife of a former Collier County sheriff’s lieutenant arrested on the same day as her husband agreed to a probation sentence Monday.
Roxanne Anderson, 41, pleaded no contest in Collier County Circuit Court to three counts of fraudulently obtaining prescription drugs. Under the terms of the plea agreement for two years of probation, Judge Fred Hardt withheld a formal conviction of any of those charges.
Anderson is the wife of former Lt. Scott Anderson, also 41. Both were arrested within hours of each other Feb. 15 and accused of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance. Scott Anderson was later fired by the Sheriff’s Office and convicted.
Roxanne Anderson now lives in Georgia and has completed a residential drug treatment program, her attorney, Donald Day, said. She had already pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and received probation.
Read MoreFormer Collier County Florida Deputy Sheriff Lt. Scott K. Anderson Wants New Trial After Receiving A Tiny Slap On The Wrist For Driving While High On Drugs At Time Of Wreck
October 18th, 2006
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA - A Collier County judge is considering overturning the conviction of a former Sheriff’s Office lieutenant found guilty of driving under the influence of prescription drugs during a rear-end crash that occurred while he was on duty and in uniform.
The attorney representing former Lt. Scott K. Anderson argued Tuesday that Judge Vince Murphy should grant a new trial.
Anderson was convicted in June and sentenced to probation. In a daylong bench trial, Murphy found him guilty of driving under the influence of hydrocodene, a painkiller taken in syrup form, when he crashed into the back of a car driven by a 42-year-old woman at 11 a.m. Feb. 15 at Davis and Lakewood boulevards. He was on duty and driving his Agricultural Unit patrol truck.
Day’s complicated argument in favor of a new trial centers on the testimony of the drug expert who testified for the prosecu