Gangsters in Blue

It never ends, does it? Another week, another set of crooked cops. At least this week, the jail and prison guards managed to stay out of the news. Let’s get to it:

In New York City, an NYPD narcotics detective was arrested on June 9 on charges he lied about witnessing drug transactions that resulted in the arrest of one man for selling crack and three others who were his customers. Detective Francisco Payano’s fictive report began to fall apart last year when a defense attorney brought forward surveillance video footage of the location in question that showed no drug dealing going on at the time in question and that Payano wasn’t even present. The case against the alleged dealer has been dropped, but one customer already pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. The cases against the other two have been sealed. Payano faces 64 counts of perjury and other charges. He has been released pending trial.

In Nashville, a Metropolitan Nashville police officer was indicted Friday on federal bribery and drug trafficking charges. Officer Richard Wilson, 31, went down in a sting after accepting $24,500 to transport what he thought was cocaine for who he thought were drug traffickers. He is charged with soliciting a bribe, attempted cocaine distribution, and money laundering.

In Philadelphia, two former Philadelphia police officers were sentenced June 15 to 10 to 20 years in prison each after being caught in an undercover sting helping drug dealers rob a man they thought was a drug courier. Christopher Luciano, 23, and Sean Alivera, 31, were arrested last October and pleaded guilty in April to charges of robbery, conspiracy, kidnapping, official oppression and possession of a drug with intent to deliver.

In Jacksonville, Florida, a former Jacksonville Sheriff’s officer was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for agreeing to transport cocaine from Daytona to Jacksonville in return for payment. Former officer Carl Kohn went down after he starting plotting a deal with a “cooperating individual” to transport five kilos of cocaine in return for $2,500. He pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute five or more kilos of cocaine.

In Mesquite, Texas, the former head of the Mesquite Police narcotics unit was sentenced Monday to 15 months in federal prison for stealing cash during an undercover drug operation. John David McAllister, 42, went down after authorities received a tip that an officer was stealing drug money and FBI agents set up an undercover sting in March. FBI agents left $100,000 in cash in 52 bundles in a car they directed McAllister to search. They videotaped him removing one of the bundles and stuffing it in his pants before returning to the Mesquite Police Department. Still under surveillance, McAllister then drove to a nearby shopping mall and bought a $480 watch. FBI agents matched the cash used in that transaction to photocopies of the cash they used in the sting. McAllister was charged with theft of government property.

This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

by Ajai Dittmar

I was born in Cedar Rapids, but my little brother was born in Fort Hood Texas where my father was stationed when he served in the United States Army.

My godparents still reside in Texas where my godfather has served as a police officer for more than twenty five years. My mother has also worked as a police dispatcher sometimes I went to work with her.

One of the most important things I took away from my experiences from living in Texas is an exclusive understanding about what life was like behind the ‘blue curtain’.

For those of you who don’t know what the ‘blue curtain’ is- it is best explained as the unique subculture of Law Enforcement Officers and their families. They have each other’s backs and some will cover for others simply because of this unique bond and to protect the department’s reputation.

Issue:

A formal written request for an outside investigation is being formulated as I speak by a group that was created in December 2010, called copwatchers, this group has 61 members from all walks of life who are concerned about the conduct of the CRPD. Several members have contacted the State Ombudsman requesting that an outside investigation be conducted.

Even though we have the second largest city in the state members of the copwatcher group were told by the Ombudsman’s office that they do not have the resources to conduct such an investigation. The Ombudsman office suggested we talk about these issues at a public City Council meeting.

Our copwatcher forum conducted a survey asking what issues people thought needed to be addressed. The top three concerns pertain to public relations, internal affairs, and policy on high speed pursuits.

While we like the idea of a citizen review board we would like to know who would pick the members what kind of people would be sought to serve and how would we know that chosen members are not related to people who serve in law enforcement.

The majority of our group feels that it is unethical for the police to investigate themselves.

For example when the ‘sleepy’ officer was identified Sgt. Hamblin said

“Whatever results from any internal investigation, the results are not likely to be made public”. She continued to say that “if an employee of any private company gets disciplined, those details aren’t usually shared with co-workers. The same rule applies to police officers.”

Since when have the police had the privacy of a private company? Do we not pay their salary?

Who holds the police accountable when the police don’t hold themselves or each other responsible for their actions?

When the unidentified CRPD k-9 Officer was caught at the bar in Marion he was not charged with an OWI even though he was clearly intoxicated. The Cedar Rapids police was notified about this incident the same day it happened yet it took 20-days for it to become public.

Hamblin declined to say if the officer had already been interviewed, saying it was a confidential personnel matter. She said investigators would be talking to any witnesses they can.

Hamblin was quoted as saying “Any time there’s an incident with an officer, we investigate it just like a criminal matter, not because it was, but because there are things that are against our policies,” Hamblin said. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard.” Aren’t criminals listed in the newspaper within days after they break the law? Why is it that they are not held to the same standard as the public? Do they not live by the same rules the rest of us are obligated to abide by?

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

I have a great deal of respect for people who chose the path of a public servant and do my best to respect people who have sworn to uphold the United States Constitution. I have my degree in criminal justice. I have taken both law enforcement and corrections courses and I graduated with honors and have to say that it is my opinion the public’s opinion of the police will not change nor will our city will become a safer place until these critical internal issues are resolved

Cops Investigating Cops = Fail is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

We’ve got it all this week: jail guards, police dispatchers, parole officers, big city narcs, small town deputies… Let’s get to it:

In Edgard, Louisiana, a St. John the Baptist Parish jail guard was arrested June 8 after a sheriff’s office investigation found he was smuggling drugs to inmates in the parish jail. Allen Meadows, 41, went down after the sheriff’s office got tipped off he was smuggling dope, and that’s all the sheriff will say so far. He was charged with malfeasance in office and four counts of trafficking contraband to a correctional institution. A search of his home in neighboring St. Charles Parish resulted in additional charges of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of cocaine. He was jailed on a $20,000 bond. And he’s now a former jail guard — he was fired after being arrested.

In Virginia Beach, Virginia, a Norfolk police officer was arrested June 9 on charges he was peddling steroids and marijuana. Officer Kristen Wayne Harris is charged with 10 counts of manufacturing or selling steroids and one count of selling pot. He also faces misdemeanor charges of selling or intending to sell drug paraphernalia and assisting an individual in unlawfully procuring a prescription drug. The offenses allegedly occurred on various dates in the last three months.

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a former state parole officer was arrested June 9 for allegedly asking for bribes from parolees to overlook positive drug tests or not administer the tests and for not incarcerating them when they violated parole. Kenneth Dupree, 46, is also accused of using threats of incarceration to extort and intimidate parolees into giving him money. It’s not clear what the formal charges are.

In Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, a Lawrence County jail guard was arrested last Friday after being accused of getting paid $25 to smuggle packages of pills, pot and tobacco to inmates at the jail. Adam Cozart, 24, went down after deputies were tipped by at least three inmates that he was bringing contraband into the jail. They waited for him and confronted him when he came to work, and Cozart admitted having a package for two inmates. It contained four Percocet tablets, a small amount of weed, and tobacco. He is charged with two counts of introduction of contraband into a penal facility, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked into a neighboring county jail.

In Krotz Springs, Louisiana, a Krotz Springs Police dispatcher was arrested Monday after she allegedly released two jail inmates from their cells, helped them break into the department evidence room, and then shared stolen drugs with them. Dispatcher Amanda Nall, 23, went down after the department reported a burglary to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s investigators say Nall released the two inmates, then shut off the lights near the evidence room in a bid to thwart security cameras while one of the inmates broke into the evidence room and stole the drugs, which he and the other inmate shared with Nall before returning to their cells. Nall is charged with malfeasance in office and simple burglary, while the inmates are charged with simple burglary.

In McAllen, Texas, a former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty June 9 to trying to sell confiscated marijuana to informants in other cases. Omar Salazar copped to federal counts of marijuana possession and conspiracy to possess marijuana. He also faces state charges in the scheme that surfaced during a raid at a stash house in Mission in 2009. He’s looking at up to 40 years on the federal charges. No sentencing date has been set.

In Jacksonville, Georgia, a former Appling County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty June 9 to tipping off a suspected marijuana trafficker to an impending raid by a joint narcotics task force in January. Richard Crosby, 36, was present during a planning meeting for the raid, which was the culmination of a months-long undercover operation, and he admitted that he passed word to the target through a second person to stay away from home the following day because a raid was coming. He pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the distribution of controlled substances, marijuana. He faces up to 2 1/2 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. He is out on bail pending sentencing.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, two Tulsa police officers were cleared and one former office was found guilty Monday in a complex federal case involving accusations of drug distribution, stealing money during an FBI sting, and planting drugs on people. Officer Bruce Bonham, 53, and Officer Nick DeBruin, 38, were acquitted on all the counts against them. Retired Cpl. Harold R. Wells, 60, was found guilty of drug conspiracy, carrying a firearm during drug trafficking and stealing US funds during the FBI sting. He’s looking at a mandatory minimum 15-year prison sentence, and he was ordered taken into custody upon the reading of the verdict. Bonham and DeBruin walked despite video surveillance footage of them and Wells splitting up and pocketing cash during the sting.

This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

Drug-related police corruption comes in many varieties. We’ve got several this week. Let’s get to it:

In Piscataway, New Jersey, a Piscataway police officer was arrested April 25 on charges he stole cocaine while working as the department’s evidence officer. Albert Annuzzi, 47, is charged with one count each of official misconduct-theft by unlawful taking and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors said he took the cocaine for personal use. They did not announce his arrest until last week.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, one Wake County sheriff’s deputy has been arrested and another is under investigation for the theft of drugs and cash from the department. Deputy Balinda Manley, 34, was fired after her arrest last month when she was charged with two counts of embezzlement and one count of possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana. She went down after a routine audit showed that she signed out drugs and $6,435 in cash last June, but didn’t return it. When prosecuted requested the evidence for trial, she returned drugs, and then, five days later, what she said was the cash. But when investigators opened the package, they found a pile of blank paper sandwiched between two $100 bills. Investigators found a deposit slip for $1,800 in Manley’s care and one for $940 in the car of a second deputy, Chad Hines. He is now under investigation.

In Duanesburg, New York, a University at Albany police investigator was arrested May 16 along with her husband after a search of their property turned up 100 marijuana plants growing in a pole barn. Wendy Knoebel, 48, and her husband face a federal charge of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. The pair has been released on bail.

In San Leandro, California, a San Leandro Police narcotics officer was arrested last Friday on charges he furnished marijuana to a confidential informant for sale. Detective Jason Fredriksson, 38, allegedly provided more than a pound of pot to the snitch, who planned to sell it, police said. He is also the subject of an internal investigation for having an “improper relationship” with the snitch. He has been on the San Leandro force for nine years, and most recently has been a detective in the vice/narcotics unit and a member of the 14-person SWAT team.

In Phoenix, a Maricopa County sheriff’s deputy and two detention officers were arrested Tuesday on drug and human trafficking charges. Deputy Ruben Navarette and detention officers Marcella Hernandez and Sylvia Najera face felony charges. Seven other sheriff’s employees were being investigated for their possible involvement. The three arrested are accused of being part of a Phoenix-based international drug smuggling ring. Hernandez told authorities she is eight months pregnant with the child of the ring’s leader, a member of the Sinaloa Cartel. Navarette admitted to passing information about the sheriff’s crime-prevention operations to the group. The deputy also was accused of being part of a separate human trafficking ring that smuggled illegal immigrants from Arizona to California. Deputies found two illegal immigrants when they searched his home. He is also alleged to be an active member of the drug smuggling ring that brought loads of heroin from Mexico to Phoenix. Ten pounds of heroin and nearly $200,000 in cash, weapons, vehicles and stolen property were seized during searches. Hernandez, 28, was found with $16,000 cash when she was arrested Tuesday after arriving for work. She is being held on charges that include transporting drugs and money laundering. Najera is charged with money laundering and controlling a criminal enterprise.

In San Antonio, a former Bexar County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced May 19 to six years in prison for trying to smuggle heroin to inmates using barbacoa tacos. Robert Falcon, 48, went down after another deputy found a note in a jail cell with Falcon’s address on it that spelled out a smuggling strategy. A sting was set up in which $50 in marked bills, the taco ingredients and 4 grams of fake heroin were left on his doorstep. The fake drugs were recovered from his lunch bag when he arrived at work, according to court documents. He pleaded guilty in November to bringing drugs into a correctional facility, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Falcon is on suicide watch after he vowed to kill himself if not granted probation.

This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

A Texas DA is on the wrong side of the bars, and so is a Kentucky jail guard. Meanwhile, crooked cops in Philly and California’s East Bay have their own problems. Let’s get to it:

In San Ramon, California, a former Central Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team member was arrested May 4 in an expanding Contra Costa County drug corruption case. San Ramon Police Officer Louis Lombardi is believed to be involved in a corruption case involving the task force commander, a Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputy, and a private investigator, all of whom were arrested in March. They are accused, among other things, of stealing and reselling drugs and ginning up false DUI arrests. Lombardi’s specific charges include possession of stolen property, including guns, IDs, and drugs; grand theft of weapons, possession of an illegal assault rifle, and conspiracy. At last report, he was in jail with a $760,000 bond.

In Shively, Kentucky, a Bullitt County jail guard was arrested May 5 after being caught with 28 hydrocodone pills, 28 1/2 oxymorphone pills, six doses of anabolic steroids, three syringes, three needles, a gun and ammunition during a traffic stop. Eric Risen, 26, is charged with four counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and disregarding a traffic signal, Shively police said. He was released on his own recognizance and will be arraigned in court early next week.

In Alice, Texas, the former Jim Wells and Brooks County district attorney was sentenced Friday to 180 days in jail for the criminal misuse of asset forfeiture funds. Former DA Joe Frank Garza, 64, must also serve 10 years probation and repay $2 million in funds misappropriated for his personal use. Under Texas law, prosecutors must have the okay of the county commission before spending seized cash on salary increases or the personal benefit of employees, but Garza never bothered to do that with funds seized between 2002 and 2008.

In Philadelphia, two former Philadelphia police officers were sentenced this week in a plot to rip-off drug dealers and resell their heroin. Robert Snyder, 30, got 13 years in prison, while a day earlier, James Venziale got 42 months for his role. They were two of three officers arrested last year in the scheme that also involved Snyder’s wife, Cristal, and her sister’s drug dealing boyfriend. Venziale got less time because he became a cooperating witness. He testified that he and Snyder got $3,000 each for robbing one dealer. The criminal cops went down in an FBI sting after word of their activities percolated up from the street.

This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

A Texas DA is on the wrong side of the bars, and so is a Kentucky jail guard. Meanwhile, crooked cops in Philly and California’s East Bay have their own problems. Let’s get to it:

In San Ramon, California, a former Central Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team member was arrested May 4 in an expanding Contra Costa County drug corruption case. San Ramon Police Officer Louis Lombardi is believed to be involved in a corruption case involving the task force commander, a Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputy, and a private investigator, all of whom were arrested in March. They are accused, among other things, of stealing and reselling drugs and ginning up false DUI arrests. Lombardi’s specific charges include possession of stolen property, including guns, IDs, and drugs; grand theft of weapons, possession of an illegal assault rifle, and conspiracy. At last report, he was in jail with a $760,000 bond.

In Shively, Kentucky, a Bullitt County jail guard was arrested May 5 after being caught with 28 hydrocodone pills, 28 1/2 oxymorphone pills, six doses of anabolic steroids, three syringes, three needles, a gun and ammunition during a traffic stop. Eric Risen, 26, is charged with four counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and disregarding a traffic signal, Shively police said. He was released on his own recognizance and will be arraigned in court early next week.

In Alice, Texas, the former Jim Wells and Brooks County district attorney was sentenced Friday to 180 days in jail for the criminal misuse of asset forfeiture funds. Former DA Joe Frank Garza, 64, must also serve 10 years probation and repay $2 million in funds misappropriated for his personal use. Under Texas law, prosecutors must have the okay of the county commission before spending seized cash on salary increases or the personal benefit of employees, but Garza never bothered to do that with funds seized between 2002 and 2008.

In Philadelphia, two former Philadelphia police officers were sentenced this week in a plot to rip-off drug dealers and resell their heroin. Robert Snyder, 30, got 13 years in prison, while a day earlier, James Venziale got 42 months for his role. They were two of three officers arrested last year in the scheme that also involved Snyder’s wife, Cristal, and her sister’s drug dealing boyfriend. Venziale got less time because he became a cooperating witness. He testified that he and Snyder got $3,000 each for robbing one dealer. The criminal cops went down in an FBI sting after word of their activities percolated up from the street.

This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

Gene, a CopBlock.org supporter for sometime now and blogger at practicallystateless.com, sent me this video about Houston Police in his area.

By Gene Basler

I want law and order. I’d like to see a lot more of it, in fact. But law and order are just services, and I happen to believe in this crazy notion that goods and services should not be provided at gunpoint. I further believe that crimes for which there is no actual victim, harm or damage to person or property, aren’t really crimes. Not really a difficult concept from a strictly common law perspective.

Anyway, neighborhood security and road safety are just services, and I reject the notion that safety and security are best achieved by coercion. Every day I drive past someone being pulled over on the side of the road, or a patrol car looking for someone to pull over, and I often just want to stop and ask: “Why are you doing this? Aren’t you just another person? There’s a reason why it’s not OK for me to strap a big gun to my belt, step out in traffic and stop motorists and shake them down for money. So why is it OK for you to do it? Aren’t you just another person, after all?

Well today, I decided to stop and ask what was going on. I mean, when was the last time anyone challenged a cop’s authority? Especially in Houston? These cops are simply unaccustomed to being called out.

As you see from the video the first cop was just a jerk. All he said was, “What’s it LOOK like we’re doing?” I don’t think they had ever heard their actions described in those terms before, terms like “guy” and “flailing arms”.

The second cop started out a little more willing to talk, but he was clearly totally taken aback, like I’M THE JERK (OK, that’s debatable). A few moments in, he said do you mind if I film you? Yeah, whatever you want to do.

It would have gone a lot better if they hadn’t refused to talk to me. What would they have said that they weren’t willing to say on camera?

So, in the middle of this, a truck pulls up to the Stop sign, and Office Friendly stops him–without probable cause, I might add–and says something like: “Excuse me, sir? Just wanna ask you: Do you think it’s right for someone to film and harass us cops who are just trying to do our jobs like anyone else?”

So this guy with a gun stops you and conducts a poll by asking a leading question. My junior-high level knowledge of statistics tells me that this poll has a margin of error of plus or minus one. I think that little scene the office put on was indicative of just how much I’d thrown them off balance. He, at this point, was winging it, too.

I had so many questions, but when he refused to speak to me, I had to wing it. I wanted to ask him if he believes goods and services should be provided at gunpoint. Are these the “bad guys” you envisioned “taking down” when you joined the force? I have to go about my day trying to convince people to do business with me, and I have to do it WITHOUT a gun! Can you imagine how hard that must be? Oh, no. I guess you can’t. How do you sleep at night knowing that you are participating at the bottom rung of a revenue-generating racket? Have you ever refused an order you thought was unjust? Have you ever asked your superiors if perhaps there isn’t a better way to ensure the streets are safe without this ticketing system that you and I both know is more about revenue than about safety? You know, questions that simply don’t get asked enough.

Anyway, the cops’ reaction to me was indicative of one major thing: people are totally complacent. Folks are all too willing to step aside and make way for the king’s retinue. So much so that the cops feel entitled to do whatever they want, and in this case, they felt that it was totally inappropriate for someone to walk up with a camera and question what they were doing. Remember, that was my only question: what are you doing. I never got to ask the follow-up: do you think this is really smart? Do you think that if people weren’t so conditioned to be afraid of your gun and your badge and your costume, that this would work at all?

It tells me it’s high time people began asking cops what they’re doing. It’s best not to talk to cops at all, but if you’ve got your camera–best if it’s streaming live–and you pose questions in a non-threatening manner, then get out there and get them to question the legitimacy of their actions.

After all, they’re just doing their job, like everyone else. I guess they didn’t learn about Nuremberg at the police academy…

Thanks for taking the time to hold these officers accountable. If you have a story for CopBlock.org please, contact us. Also, if you like our work, consider donating to keep us operational. You even get some cool gear and goodies for doing so.

Join the forum discussion on this post

“Houston Police Endanger Motorist – Caught on Video” by Gene Basler is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

Cops ripping off drug dealers, cops offering information to drug defendants, sheriffs escorting cartel dope loads, and, oh, yes, prison guards gone bad. Here’s this week’s rogues’ gallery:

Prohibition's filthy lucre is hard for some to resist

In New York City, a former NYPD officer pleaded guilty Monday to ripping off at least 100 drug dealers with a gang that scored a million dollars in cash and more than 500 pounds of cocaine during its decade-long spree. Emmanuel Tavarez, 31, an eight-year veteran of the force, used his badge, service weapon, and stolen NYPD raid jackets to stage fake searches of drug dealers and seizure of their stashes along with his co-conspirators. Tavarez went down after a lengthy investigation into the robberies. He now faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to robbery conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, and using a firearm in the commission of a crime. A dozen of his co-conspirators have charges pending, including four of his in-laws.

In McAllen, Texas, the former Sullivan City police chief was sentenced April 20 to 10 years in federal prison for his role in protecting Mexican drug traffickers moving two tons of pot through his town. Hernan Guerra, 45, had been arrested at his office last June by FBI agents after they wiretapped his office as part of Operation Deliverance, a massive, nationwide, 430-person bust targeting the cartels. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs. He faced a minimum of seven years and four months in prison, but his sentencing judge gave him some bonus time for being a crooked cop. He’s also got four years of probation to do.

In Tallahassee, Florida, a Florida prison guard was arrested April 20 on charges he was scheming to sell drugs to prisoners. Guard Janus Isaiah Edwards went down after an inmate snitched him out and corrections and Leon County Sheriff’s investigators set him up with undercover officers. Edwards agreed to smuggle in 100 hydrocodone tablets and 11 grams of cocaine in return for $1,000. He is now charged with introduction of drugs to a prison, unlawful compensation, trafficking in hydrocodone, possession of cocaine, and possession with intent to deliver.

In Lebanon, Tennessee, a Wilson County sheriff’s deputy was arrested April 20 for trying to sell information about a federal drug investigation to a target of that investigation in return for $100,000 and a Range Rover. Deputy John Patrick Edwards, 38, had been a member of the FBI’s regional drug task force, but lost that gig after being arrested in March on an unrelated theft charge involving his wife and another woman. He was also suspended without pay, leaving him in need of some quick cash. Edwards approached a business partner who knew someone who was a target of the investigation and offered to sell information that could help the target “lessen the blow” and end up with less prison time. But now, Edwards looks to be the one doing prison time; he’s looking at 20 years in prison for attempting to obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding.

This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

Cops stealing drug money, jail guards smuggling dope, deputies helping traffickers… and narcs gone wild in Peoria. Just another week in the drug war. Let’s get to it.

Prohibition's filthy lucre is too much for some to resist

In Edmond, Oklahoma, a former Edmond police officer was arrested earlier this month for allegedly stealing $8,000 in drug bust money from the department evidence room. Benjamin Northcutt, 35, is charged with grand larceny. The cash was seized during a drug raid last August, and Northcutt was in the room when they money was counted and packaged before being placed in an evidence locker. Police videos show that Northcutt entered and exited the evidence room alone 14 times between then and the time the money was discovered missing the next morning. He has denied taking it and is out on $2,000 bail.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a Baton Rouge police officer was arrested April 12 for allegedly stealing about $15,000 in seized drug money. Officer Michael Thompson, 27, admitted that he was strung out on prescription pain pills and took the money to fund his addiction, Baton Rouge police said. Thompson was a five-year veteran of the department and was assigned to the Narcotics Division at the time of his arrest. He resigned from the force shortly after being arrested. He faces seven counts of felony theft and one count of malfeasance in office.

In Peoria, Illinois, three Chicago-area undercover narcs were arrested April 13 after they started fighting with bouncers at a local strip club. The three are members of the Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad who were attending a law enforcement conference when one of them was denied entry to the club because he had no ID. That angered the other officers, and bouncers invited them to leave, prompting one to respond, “Why don’t you try and make me?” while another assaulted a bouncer. The club called Peoria police, who arrested them as the brawl spread into the club’s parking lot. One narc got two counts of battery, one got one count of battery, and one got one count of battery and one count of criminal trespass. All the offenses are misdemeanors. The suspects remain unnamed because naming them could jeopardize the safety of “ongoing undercover operations,” Peoria police said.

In Boston, a Massachusetts corrections officer was arrested Monday for allegedly trying to smuggle heroin to sell to inmates at a medium-security prison in Norfolk. Guard Ronald McGinn Jr., 40, went down after plotting with and sending text messages to an undercover FBI agent about the amounts of drugs he would smuggle into the prison and what he would be paid for his efforts. He was carrying 28 grams of heroin when arrested. He is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute at a prison. He’s looking at up to 20 years in prison.

In Houston, a former Harris County deputy pleaded guilty April 14 to using his position to protect someone in a drug case in return for cash. George Ellington, 38, admitted accessing confidential information from a law enforcement database to protect a person he believed was transporting Ecstasy. He was to receive $500. Instead, he has now pleaded guilty to one count of extortion and is looking at a five-year prison sentence.

In Newark, New Jersey, a former state corrections officer pleaded guilty Monday to charges he fronted a complex contraband-smuggling ring that included heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and cell phones. Luis Roman admitted making thousands of dollars in a scheme involving 35 other people. He pleaded guilty to racketeering and official misconduct charges for running smuggling rings at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel and then at Northern State Prison in Newark. He’s looking at 14 years in prison. Sixteen prisoners and 18 others have also been indicted in the scheme, and five have so far pleaded guilty.

This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"

I can think of only two reasons that a police officer would feel it was necessary to use violence against a child.  Either they are bullies who enjoy preying on those that are weaker than them, or they are incompetent cowards.  I am not sure which of these reasons were at play when a Lakewood Colorado police officer pepper sprayed an eight year old boy, but neither should be acceptable to the public.

The police were called (instead of his mother) when eight year old Aidan Elliot began a violent temper tantrum in his Lakewood elementary school.  Aidan had knocked over some chairs and a T.V. cart before pulling a piece of wooden trim from the wall and threatening his teachers with it.  When the police arrived they ordered him to put the trim down and then pepper sprayed him in the face, not once, but twice.  There were no other children in the classroom and the teachers had already secured themselves in an adjourning office, but this grown police officer who supporters will no doubt tell you is so brave that he “puts his life on the line” every day, felt so threatened by this 82 lb child that he could not “disarm” him without spraying an irritating chemical into his eyes and face.

As if the story itself is not nauseating enough, Aidan’s statement on the Today show, that he “kind of deserved it”, literally makes me want to throw up.  What if it was his mother who had pepper sprayed him instead of a bully in blue?  Would people still be as supportive?  Would they still nod in agreement when an eight year old victim of abuse said he “deserved it”, or would they be outraged by a mother’s use of pepper spray on a young child?  Would a police spokesman call the mother’s use of pepper spray on a child a “great choice” or does he reserve that kind of praise only for abuse perpetrated by uniformed thugs?

Unfortunately, Aidan is not the first child to be abused at the hand of the police.  Bloomington, Illinois police officer, Scott Oglesby, choked a seven year old boy who was having a seizure while at school. The young boy’s seizures cause him to scream and act like a child having a temper tantrum.  Oglesby who was at the school after being called for an unrelated incident, “darted” into the room, told the boy that he was giving him a headache and then lifted him off the floor by his throat.  He then carried the boy to the Principle’s office and threw him into a chair.  After Oglesby returned to the classroom where the assault occurred, he asked the staff “You got any more?”  Not surprising, the State’s Attorney decided not to press any charges against Oglesby and at this time he remains employed as a police officer.

Children are not the only young victims of the police.  Teenagers are also being abused by police officers.  Clifford Griffing has filed suit against McKinney, Texas police officers for breaking his arm while he was a student at McKinney Boyd High School.  Griffing was attempting to leave prison school because he was ill.

Shortly after lunch time, Griffing felt that he could not physically attend the rest of his classes for the day.

He left the nurses office and was walking toward an exit door when he states an officer yelled “You got to get back in the school!”

After asking several questions, the officer wrote Griffing a truancy ticket. When he received the ticket, he turned and continued to walk through the exit doors.

According to the lawsuit, the officer yelled at Griffing and grabbed one of his arms and Officer McGrew grabbed the other. The suit states the officers twisted his arms and pushed him to the ground.

Griffing alleges he fell on his left arm and yelled to the officers that his arm was broken. The officers allegedly ignored Griffing and twisted his arms behind his back, causing a compound fracture with the bone protruding through the skin.

The high school student underwent surgery and physical therapy for the injury.

The embedding of police officers in all government schools is just another symptom of the police state.  What better way to desensitize the masses to the polices’ bad behavior than have them routinely yield to the demands of an armed agent of the government on a daily basis.  What does it say about government schools that they are so desperate to keep inmates students from escaping leaving that a “resource officers” reaction to someone who dares to walk out the door is violence?

As we have seen and read over and over in videos and news articles, the go-to reaction of many of today’s police officers is violence.  It seems as it is the only tool they have in their arsenal regardless of the circumstances.  Parents need to remember this when in moments of desperation they seek the help of what at some time in the past may have been a “peace officer”, but today is nothing more than an armed thug.  Unfortunately for her son, Stacey Brown learned this lesson the hard way.  Calhoun County Alabama Sheriff, Larry Amerson, was caught on surveillance camera choking Ms. Brown’s 14 year old son.  Ms. Brown had enrolled him into the county’s “scared straight” program after he got into some trouble at school.  According to the lawsuit filed by the boys mother “the sheriff assaulted and choked her handcuffed son in the county jail, after a deputy had threatened to ‘slit your throat, cut your balls off, shove them down your throat, and stomp you until you bleed.’”

All of these children and young people deserve their perpetrators to be held personally responsible for their crimes, but more importantly they deserve adults in their lives that will stop calling upon armed agents of the government to deal with their misbehavior.

Police Abusing Children is a post from Cop Block - "Something must be done about vengeance, a badge, and a gun"