Monday, April 30, 2012
Officer Jason Davis Arrested for DWI
A Conway police officer is under arrest for DWI.
Police say they got a call to the Centerstone apartments about an accident. When they arrived, they saw a silver truck with significant damage to the front end. When an officer walked to the driver's side door, he immediately recognized Conway police officer Jason Davis, 32, and called his supervisor.
The officer says Davis was slumped over and had a cut to the bridge of his nose. The officer says he could smell alcohol coming from the truck. When the officer woke Davis up, Davis didn't know where he was and he didn't remember the accident. The officer says his speech was slurred and it was difficult to understand. His eyes were also bloodshot and watery and his eyelids were droopy.
The officer was taken to a local hospital to be checked out for further injuries and to have blood drawn.
He was then taken to the Faulkner County Detention Center.
Authorities say Davis was put on administrative leave for previous unrelated issues before the incident. However, we're told that as of 5:00 p.m., Davis has been terminated from the Conway Police Department due to those issues.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Officer Rafael Mendoza arrested in Mesquite; was also arrested in 2011
Dallas Police have placed Officer Rafael Mendoza on administrative leave after his arrest in Mesquite early Sunday.
A Dallas
police officer is on administrative leave after being arrested in
Mesquite. He's also accused of firing a shot into another car.
According to a
statement from Bill Hedgpeth of the Mesquite Police
Department, off-duty Dallas Officer Rafael Mendoza was taken into
custody early Sunday Morning.
"At about
2:40am Sunday morning, Mesquite Police responded to a “person with a
gun” call in the area of IH-30 and Big Town. A caller said that a person
traveling eastbound on IH-30 was holding a gun out of the driver’s side
window."
The vehicle was located near I-30 and Northwest Highway.
"The driver
appeared to be intoxicated and after field sobriety tests were
conducted, he was arrested," the statement said." A handgun was
recovered at the scene and a small amount of marijuana was also located
in the vehicle."
Officer
Mendoza was taken into custody. He is charged with Aggravated Assault
with a Deadly Weapon, Driving While Intoxicated and Possession of
Marijuana under two ounces.
A second caller told police that the driver of vehicle matching Mendoza's fired a bullet into the trunk of his car.
The Dallas Police Department also released a statement.
"Officer
Mendoza is assigned to the Northeast Patrol Division and has been
employed by the Dallas Police Department since December of 2008. In
addition to the criminal charges, an administrative investigation will
be conducted by the Department’s Internal Affairs Division."
The City of Mesquite will investigate the incident.
In August of 2011, NBC 5 reported Mendoza's arrest for domestic assault and unlawful restraint.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Deputy Felipe Torres Arrested for Domestic Violence
Laredo Police rush to a residence after a call to 9-1-1 informed the officers about a man's violent behavior.
The suspect taken into custody is a Webb County Sheriff Deputy who was arrested after allegedly assaulting his wife.
44 year old Felipe Torres was arrested on charges of assault.
According to police a call came in around 2:45 in the morning in the three thousand block of Saint Issac Loop.
The caller advised that the subject was a Sheriff Deputy and alcohol could be the reason for his behavior.
The victim claimed to be choked by Torres.
When police arrived they arrested Felipe Torres for assaulting his wife impeding her breathing and circulation which is a felony three.
Torres was taken to Webb County Jail.
The suspect taken into custody is a Webb County Sheriff Deputy who was arrested after allegedly assaulting his wife.
44 year old Felipe Torres was arrested on charges of assault.
According to police a call came in around 2:45 in the morning in the three thousand block of Saint Issac Loop.
The caller advised that the subject was a Sheriff Deputy and alcohol could be the reason for his behavior.
The victim claimed to be choked by Torres.
When police arrived they arrested Felipe Torres for assaulting his wife impeding her breathing and circulation which is a felony three.
Torres was taken to Webb County Jail.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Protective Order Filed Against Tulsa Officer Accused Of Sexual Misconduct
An emergency protective order was filed against a Tulsa police captain accused of sexual misconduct with a minor.
The new allegations come just weeks after he was suspended for sex acts on the job that happened three years ago.04/27/2012 Related Story: Tulsa Police Chief: No Access To Suspended Officer's Personal Computer
News on 6 spoke with the officer and his attorney.
Captain Shawn King says he is not ready to get into the details of the allegations made against him. But his attorney says they're false. He says it's all part of a plan by an angry ex-girlfriend to ruin King's name.
An Osage County judge granted an emergency protective order against Captain Shawn King on behalf of Keena Roberts and her minor children. The order was filed late Friday.
"What's happened today is evidence of Ms. Robert's ongoing and continuous vendetta against Capt. King since their break up," wrote King's attorney Scott Wood.
Wood says King and Roberts ended their relationship sometime in the past six months. And says that ever since, Roberts has gone to great lengths to "attack" his client.
Wood says the protective order is another example of that. But the accusations in that order are serious.
Read More About Protective Orders in Oklahoma
Roberts' attorney alleges that King molested one of Roberts' underage children. In the protective order, the attorney confirms that King is accused of groping, kissing and forcibly raping the child with his fingers.
Roberts' attorney alleges the incidents happened many times over a period of several years. The allegations surfaced after the child spent time in therapy.
King's attorney calls the allegations false and outrageous.
"Another example of how desperate Ms. Robert's is to wreck havoc on Captain King's life," Wood said in a statement.
Earlier this month, King was suspended a week without pay after TPD Chief Chuck Jordan says King engaged in sexual activity in his patrol car. That incident happened in 2009.
An interoffice memo from Chief Jordan's classifies the activity as "Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer."
"No allegation was made to the police department regarding any criminal activity, including activity involving children," Scott Wood said.
A hearing for a permanent protective order is set for May 22, 2012, in Osage County. But King's attorney is hoping to get a quicker hearing.
He says depending on the outcome, his client make take legal action against Roberts. As of now, Captain King is still reporting to work as a shift supervisor in the Gilcrease Hills Division.
Former Ohio Officer Charged with Sex Crimes Against Minor
A former Ohio police officer has been charged with multiple sex crimes against a minor.
Media outlets report Friday's charges of rape, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and eight other counts stem from his relationship with a woman who was a minor when he allegedly began sexually abusing her.
The reports say the 43-year-old Heath man used to be an officer in Hebron and Union Township in central Ohio.
He is accused of having a decade-long sexual relationship with a girl, now 26, when she was 8 and he was an officer.
Officials handling a child support case became suspicious when they learned the oldest of the couple's three children was 10.
The Associated Press is not naming the man to avoid identifying a suspected victim of sexual assault.
Media outlets report Friday's charges of rape, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and eight other counts stem from his relationship with a woman who was a minor when he allegedly began sexually abusing her.
The reports say the 43-year-old Heath man used to be an officer in Hebron and Union Township in central Ohio.
He is accused of having a decade-long sexual relationship with a girl, now 26, when she was 8 and he was an officer.
Officials handling a child support case became suspicious when they learned the oldest of the couple's three children was 10.
The Associated Press is not naming the man to avoid identifying a suspected victim of sexual assault.
Three NY State Troopers Suspended for Prostitution
An internal investigation into alleged misconduct has led to the suspension of three State Troopers.
A State Police press release says Titus Taggart, 41, allegedly organized parties that may have involved the promotion of prostitution. The alleged incidents happened when Taggart was off duty. Taggart is assigned to Troop T in Buffalo, which patrols the Thruway.
A NYS Police spokesman in Albany confirms for 13WHAM News that Taggart's father, Arthur, was a 34-year veteran of the State Police who retired in 1997 as a Colonel who served directly under two past superintendents.
Two troopers who are assigned to the Troop T Henrietta barracks have also been suspended without pay.
Jeremy Smith, 34, and Michael Petritz, 33, are accused of misconduct. A State Police press release says they were not involved in organizing the parties.
The suspensions are the result of an internal investigation and the NY State Police spokesman added that a parallel criminal investigation is also underway. He would not comment on the status of any other investigations by outside agencies. The spokesman was unaware how many Troopers could be caught up in the ongoing investigations.
Numerous media reports have cited sources that claim the women involved were brought into Western New York from Canada.
Criminal charges have not been filed.
A State Police press release says Titus Taggart, 41, allegedly organized parties that may have involved the promotion of prostitution. The alleged incidents happened when Taggart was off duty. Taggart is assigned to Troop T in Buffalo, which patrols the Thruway.
A NYS Police spokesman in Albany confirms for 13WHAM News that Taggart's father, Arthur, was a 34-year veteran of the State Police who retired in 1997 as a Colonel who served directly under two past superintendents.
Two troopers who are assigned to the Troop T Henrietta barracks have also been suspended without pay.
Jeremy Smith, 34, and Michael Petritz, 33, are accused of misconduct. A State Police press release says they were not involved in organizing the parties.
The suspensions are the result of an internal investigation and the NY State Police spokesman added that a parallel criminal investigation is also underway. He would not comment on the status of any other investigations by outside agencies. The spokesman was unaware how many Troopers could be caught up in the ongoing investigations.
Numerous media reports have cited sources that claim the women involved were brought into Western New York from Canada.
Criminal charges have not been filed.
Nisqually Tribal Officer Arrested for Hit and Run
A Nisqually tribal police officer was arrested Friday morning, suspected of DUI and hit and run.
Police say the man was off duty and driving his own car when he apparently swerved off 183rd Avenue Southwest and ran over two mailboxes around 2 a.m.
Witnesses say he drove away from the scene. He was arrested minutes later.
“A cop should know better than that,” said Faye Hull, who was awakened by the sound of the car hitting her mailbox..
“Drinking and driving don’t mix,” said Hull, “And cops know the rules.”
Police say the man was off duty and driving his own car when he apparently swerved off 183rd Avenue Southwest and ran over two mailboxes around 2 a.m.
Witnesses say he drove away from the scene. He was arrested minutes later.
“A cop should know better than that,” said Faye Hull, who was awakened by the sound of the car hitting her mailbox..
“Drinking and driving don’t mix,” said Hull, “And cops know the rules.”
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Captain Shawn King Suspended for Engaging in Sexual Activity in His Cop Car
A sex scandal is rocking the Tulsa Police Department. A police Captain
has been suspended for engaging in sexual activity while on duty and in
his cop car.
The news broke early Thursday afternoon when a document was released by Police Chief Chuck Jordan.
It says Captain Shawn King was suspended for five days earlier this month.
The document is directly from Chief Jordan to Captain King and it's addressed April 3.
It explains that King violated a TPD rule, "Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer or Police Employee."
Below the legal speak it shows what took place back in 2009.
The document states "Specifically in 2009, during first shift hours, you engaged in sexual activity while on-duty, in your patrol unit, in an area near the Tulsa zoo."
Captain King has worked for TPD for 15 years and has done interviews with Channel Eight in the past.
As of right now we believe he is back on the streets working as a Captain at the Gilcrease division.
Just to clarify this not a crime but a violation of a TPD policy.
The news broke early Thursday afternoon when a document was released by Police Chief Chuck Jordan.
It says Captain Shawn King was suspended for five days earlier this month.
The document is directly from Chief Jordan to Captain King and it's addressed April 3.
It explains that King violated a TPD rule, "Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer or Police Employee."
Below the legal speak it shows what took place back in 2009.
The document states "Specifically in 2009, during first shift hours, you engaged in sexual activity while on-duty, in your patrol unit, in an area near the Tulsa zoo."
Captain King has worked for TPD for 15 years and has done interviews with Channel Eight in the past.
As of right now we believe he is back on the streets working as a Captain at the Gilcrease division.
Just to clarify this not a crime but a violation of a TPD policy.
Officer Victor Rodriquez Arrested for harassing 13-year-old
The Laredo Police Department has arrested one of it's own, accused of harassing a 13-year-old girl.
Police say the cop was sending inappropriate messages to the teen.
Our Annette Garcia spoke to the chief of police about the matter.
“I’m certainly disappointed. We expect our officers to act in a certain fashion and if they don't we are going to take action against that.”
Disappointed at the embarrassing arrest of one of their own.
Ten-year-veteran officer Victor Raul Rodriguez, arrested for harassing a 13-year-old girl by repeatedly calling the teen and sending her unwanted text messages.
"It was a 13 year old and even that in and of itself is troubling.”
Authorities say the messages were inappropriate in nature and were all sent on April 1st by the 35-year-old officer who is known to the victim.
“The victim wanted the person to stop and she wanted the person to stop the harassing phone calls but they continued.”
The next day a report was filed with police.
“That was reviewed by the district attorney's office who ultimately decides what charge will be filed.”
The chief of police says the case will not be taken lightly and says their investigation is far from over.
“From my perspective this person can loose his job. But it doesn’t necessarily require a conviction I’ll leave it at that.”
Officers he says, are held to the highest standards.
“I want the community to be rest assured that the organization is one they can be very, very proud of. We’ve done a lot in the community over the last few years and years before that in terms of protecting the community and we will continue to do so.”
Rodriguez was taken to jail this morning, where his bond was set at $30,000 dollars.
He will remain on administrative duty pending the outcome of the case.
Police say the cop was sending inappropriate messages to the teen.
Our Annette Garcia spoke to the chief of police about the matter.
“I’m certainly disappointed. We expect our officers to act in a certain fashion and if they don't we are going to take action against that.”
Disappointed at the embarrassing arrest of one of their own.
Ten-year-veteran officer Victor Raul Rodriguez, arrested for harassing a 13-year-old girl by repeatedly calling the teen and sending her unwanted text messages.
"It was a 13 year old and even that in and of itself is troubling.”
Authorities say the messages were inappropriate in nature and were all sent on April 1st by the 35-year-old officer who is known to the victim.
“The victim wanted the person to stop and she wanted the person to stop the harassing phone calls but they continued.”
The next day a report was filed with police.
“That was reviewed by the district attorney's office who ultimately decides what charge will be filed.”
The chief of police says the case will not be taken lightly and says their investigation is far from over.
“From my perspective this person can loose his job. But it doesn’t necessarily require a conviction I’ll leave it at that.”
Officers he says, are held to the highest standards.
“I want the community to be rest assured that the organization is one they can be very, very proud of. We’ve done a lot in the community over the last few years and years before that in terms of protecting the community and we will continue to do so.”
Rodriguez was taken to jail this morning, where his bond was set at $30,000 dollars.
He will remain on administrative duty pending the outcome of the case.
Two New York Troopers Suspended for Prostitution
Two more New York State Troopers were suspended without pay Thursday night in connection with a prostitution investigation.
Jeremy Smith, 34, and Michael Petritz, 33, both of Troop T Henrietta, are accused of engaging in misconduct.
The investigation began in December, and kicked off with Titus Taggart, 41, of Troop T Buffalo.
According to State Police, Taggart is under investigation for allegedly organizing parties that may have promoted prostitution while off-duty.
Taggart is an 18-year veteran of the force, while Smith and Petritz have 18 combined years with State Police.
Jeremy Smith, 34, and Michael Petritz, 33, both of Troop T Henrietta, are accused of engaging in misconduct.
The investigation began in December, and kicked off with Titus Taggart, 41, of Troop T Buffalo.
According to State Police, Taggart is under investigation for allegedly organizing parties that may have promoted prostitution while off-duty.
Taggart is an 18-year veteran of the force, while Smith and Petritz have 18 combined years with State Police.
Former Officer Michael McKethan Jr Arrested Again
An Oklahoma City police officer who resigned last year to avoid criminal charges after a drive-by shooting at a strip club was arrested again after his ex-girlfriend reported he broke into her house, according to a police report released Friday.
Michael Wayne McKethan Jr., 37, was arrested April 10 on a burglary complaint. According to the report, McKethan broke into the woman's home in the 2700 block of NW 164 Terrace just before 10 p.m. “It's an old girlfriend of his,” said Scott Adams, McKethan's attorney.
“He didn't do anything wrong. After all the facts come out, I'm sure he will be acquitted or charges won't even be filed. He didn't commit any crimes.”
Court records list the woman as Toni Ann Cooper. She told police she had been living with McKethan, but broke up with him and moved out of his house March 1.
What is alleged. Cooper said she was in her bathroom when McKethan walked in and surprised her. She told him to leave and refused his request to take him back. McKethan then grabbed a glass bathroom sink and broke it on the floor, and went to the living room and ripped a television from the wall and threw it to the ground, Cooper told officers.
Cooper filed a victim's protective order against McKethan earlier that day, court records show. McKethan resigned from the Oklahoma City Police department in 2011 after he and another officer were charged with a drive-by shooting two years earlier at Night Trips, an Oklahoma City strip club. In return for both officers' resignations, prosecutors dropped charges in the case. Charges in a separate insurance fraud case also were dropped after McKethan agreed to pay restitution.
Michael Wayne McKethan Jr., 37, was arrested April 10 on a burglary complaint. According to the report, McKethan broke into the woman's home in the 2700 block of NW 164 Terrace just before 10 p.m. “It's an old girlfriend of his,” said Scott Adams, McKethan's attorney.
“He didn't do anything wrong. After all the facts come out, I'm sure he will be acquitted or charges won't even be filed. He didn't commit any crimes.”
Court records list the woman as Toni Ann Cooper. She told police she had been living with McKethan, but broke up with him and moved out of his house March 1.
What is alleged. Cooper said she was in her bathroom when McKethan walked in and surprised her. She told him to leave and refused his request to take him back. McKethan then grabbed a glass bathroom sink and broke it on the floor, and went to the living room and ripped a television from the wall and threw it to the ground, Cooper told officers.
Cooper filed a victim's protective order against McKethan earlier that day, court records show. McKethan resigned from the Oklahoma City Police department in 2011 after he and another officer were charged with a drive-by shooting two years earlier at Night Trips, an Oklahoma City strip club. In return for both officers' resignations, prosecutors dropped charges in the case. Charges in a separate insurance fraud case also were dropped after McKethan agreed to pay restitution.
New Jersey Officer Steven Vigorito Jr Charged with Texting Child Explicit Photos
A New Jersey police officer has been arrested and charged after he
allegedly pursued sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl, texting her
explicit photos of himself in uniform.
According to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, Woodland Park Police Officer Steven Vigorito Jr. was charged with attempted aggravated assault, luring and enticing a child, attempted endangering of a child, attempted sex assault and official misconduct.
Investigators said, Vigorito met the girl after responding to a domestic dispute at a home in Woodland Park on April 23. While at the scene, the officer gave the girl his personal cell phone number.
The 12-year-old victim immediately alerted her mother who in turn told authorities.
In the following days, detectives posed as the girl and reached out to Vigorito which prompted several explicit text messages from the 39-year-old officer, including photos where he's in uniform and exposing himself. Officials say some of the photos are believed to have been taken at the station house.
When Vigorito attempted to lure the girl to a location for sex, undercover officers went in and arrested him, officials said.
Vigorito, a 12-year veteran with the Woodland Park Police Department, was arrested Tuesday night while on duty. He was arraigned Wednesday and remains in custody with a $250,000 bond.
"The person called to assist the family, ended up preying on the family," Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said a press conference Wednesday.
Vigorito has been suspended without pay.
PIX 11 News paid a visit to Vigorito's Woodland Park home Tuesday afternoon. Two women slammed the door at first and quickly closed the garage doors before coming back outside.
"He's not that kind of guy, he's a good guy, he's a clean guy," said a woman who wouldn't identify herself. The home had toys and children's games on the front lawn, and the woman was holding a young child.
According to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, Woodland Park Police Officer Steven Vigorito Jr. was charged with attempted aggravated assault, luring and enticing a child, attempted endangering of a child, attempted sex assault and official misconduct.
Investigators said, Vigorito met the girl after responding to a domestic dispute at a home in Woodland Park on April 23. While at the scene, the officer gave the girl his personal cell phone number.
The 12-year-old victim immediately alerted her mother who in turn told authorities.
In the following days, detectives posed as the girl and reached out to Vigorito which prompted several explicit text messages from the 39-year-old officer, including photos where he's in uniform and exposing himself. Officials say some of the photos are believed to have been taken at the station house.
When Vigorito attempted to lure the girl to a location for sex, undercover officers went in and arrested him, officials said.
Vigorito, a 12-year veteran with the Woodland Park Police Department, was arrested Tuesday night while on duty. He was arraigned Wednesday and remains in custody with a $250,000 bond.
"The person called to assist the family, ended up preying on the family," Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said a press conference Wednesday.
Vigorito has been suspended without pay.
PIX 11 News paid a visit to Vigorito's Woodland Park home Tuesday afternoon. Two women slammed the door at first and quickly closed the garage doors before coming back outside.
"He's not that kind of guy, he's a good guy, he's a clean guy," said a woman who wouldn't identify herself. The home had toys and children's games on the front lawn, and the woman was holding a young child.
LA Deputy Manuel Perallon Jr Arrested for Sex Crimes Against Teen Girl
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was arrested this week and charged
with sex crimes against a teenage girl enrolled in the department’s
program for youths interested in law enforcement.
Deputy Manuel Enrique Perallon Jr. was charged with one felony count of oral copulation of a minor and misdemeanor child molesting. The deputy’s victim, authorities said, was a 16-year-old girl enrolled in the sheriff's department’s Explorer program.
Perallon, 36, was in charge of overseeing the volunteer youth program at the Cerritos station. Sheriff’s officials received information last year that the deputy was engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” with a teenage Explorer and a probe was launched, said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.
The investigation determined that Perallon had victimized the teen, Whitmore said, over the span of several months, sometimes while the deputy was on duty.
Supervision and auditing of the youth program has been heightened as a result, Whitmore said, though sheriff’s investigators do not believe Perallon had other victims.
The deputy faces a maximum prison term of four years. Following the felony charge, he was relieved of duty without pay.
“All crimes are heinous, especially ones like this,” Whitmore said. “Not only is it illegal, but it’s categorically unacceptable.”
The sheriff’s Explorer program is an incubator for youth interested in careers in law enforcement. Teen volunteers are allowed to assist law enforcement in basic tasks and are provided guidance in how to become cops once they’re older.
Deputy Manuel Enrique Perallon Jr. was charged with one felony count of oral copulation of a minor and misdemeanor child molesting. The deputy’s victim, authorities said, was a 16-year-old girl enrolled in the sheriff's department’s Explorer program.
Perallon, 36, was in charge of overseeing the volunteer youth program at the Cerritos station. Sheriff’s officials received information last year that the deputy was engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” with a teenage Explorer and a probe was launched, said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.
The investigation determined that Perallon had victimized the teen, Whitmore said, over the span of several months, sometimes while the deputy was on duty.
Supervision and auditing of the youth program has been heightened as a result, Whitmore said, though sheriff’s investigators do not believe Perallon had other victims.
The deputy faces a maximum prison term of four years. Following the felony charge, he was relieved of duty without pay.
“All crimes are heinous, especially ones like this,” Whitmore said. “Not only is it illegal, but it’s categorically unacceptable.”
The sheriff’s Explorer program is an incubator for youth interested in careers in law enforcement. Teen volunteers are allowed to assist law enforcement in basic tasks and are provided guidance in how to become cops once they’re older.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Officer Todd Charles Harris Arrested for Domestic Violence Assault
An off-duty Seattle police officer was arrested Sunday in Snohomish
County for a misdemeanor domestic violence assault, the Seattle Police
Department confirmed Tuesday.
Details of the arrest were not released, but Seattle police said the officer had been arrested by Everett police. The officer, Todd Charles Harris, is assigned to the Special Operations Bureau.
"He has been administratively re-assigned to home pending the on-going investigation," a release by the police department said.
Details of the arrest were not released, but Seattle police said the officer had been arrested by Everett police. The officer, Todd Charles Harris, is assigned to the Special Operations Bureau.
"He has been administratively re-assigned to home pending the on-going investigation," a release by the police department said.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Officer Thomas Welsh Arrested for Stealing Baby Food
A Nassau County police officer was arrested Tuesday morning after he
allegedly stole baby food from a West Hempstead store at an earlier
date.
According to investigators, Thomas Welsh, 48, entered the Stop and Shop located at 520 Cherry Valley Lane in West Hempstead and secreted numerous pouches of baby food on his person using plastic bags and a bungee cord. The value of the merchandise was approximately $40.
The Nassau County Internal Affairs Unit arrested Welsh Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. at police headquarters in Mineola.
Welsh was charged with petit larceny and possession of burglary tools. He was released on an appearance ticket and will appear at First District Court in Hempstead on May 17.
A police spokesman told The Associated Press that Welsh, a 25-year veteran of the force assigned to the Records Bureau, has been suspended without pay for 30 days.
According to investigators, Thomas Welsh, 48, entered the Stop and Shop located at 520 Cherry Valley Lane in West Hempstead and secreted numerous pouches of baby food on his person using plastic bags and a bungee cord. The value of the merchandise was approximately $40.
The Nassau County Internal Affairs Unit arrested Welsh Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. at police headquarters in Mineola.
Welsh was charged with petit larceny and possession of burglary tools. He was released on an appearance ticket and will appear at First District Court in Hempstead on May 17.
A police spokesman told The Associated Press that Welsh, a 25-year veteran of the force assigned to the Records Bureau, has been suspended without pay for 30 days.
Seattle Officer Arrested for Domestic Violence
An off-duty Seattle police officer was arrested by
Everett Police on Sunday for investigation of misdemeanor domestic
violence, according to a statement from Seattle Police spokesman Jeff Kappel released Tuesday night.
The unidentified male officer has been “re-assigned to home” while the matter is investigated, Kappel wrote. He said Seattle police were informed of the arrest on Sunday afternoon.
Everett Police spokesman Lt. Robert Goetz confirmed the arrest but declined to offer any details about the circumstances surrounding it.
“We investigated the incident, we had probable cause to believe an incident occurred, and we were mandated to make an arrest,” Goetz said.
The Seattle Police Department has begun the complaint process with the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), which will keep abreast of developments in the Everett police investigation, he said.
When the Everett investigation has concluded, the OPA will conduct a separate administrative investigation into the matter, Kappel wrote.
Sunday’s domestic-violence arrest was the second involving a Seattle police officer in the past year.
Last fall, Ronald Lee Murray, 55, a detective sergeant with the Seattle Police Domestic Violence Unit, was arrested and charged with fourth-degree assault in Leavenworth after Chelan County sheriff’s deputies saw him drag his girlfriend by her hair across a parking lot.
The unidentified male officer has been “re-assigned to home” while the matter is investigated, Kappel wrote. He said Seattle police were informed of the arrest on Sunday afternoon.
Everett Police spokesman Lt. Robert Goetz confirmed the arrest but declined to offer any details about the circumstances surrounding it.
“We investigated the incident, we had probable cause to believe an incident occurred, and we were mandated to make an arrest,” Goetz said.
The Seattle Police Department has begun the complaint process with the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), which will keep abreast of developments in the Everett police investigation, he said.
When the Everett investigation has concluded, the OPA will conduct a separate administrative investigation into the matter, Kappel wrote.
Sunday’s domestic-violence arrest was the second involving a Seattle police officer in the past year.
Last fall, Ronald Lee Murray, 55, a detective sergeant with the Seattle Police Domestic Violence Unit, was arrested and charged with fourth-degree assault in Leavenworth after Chelan County sheriff’s deputies saw him drag his girlfriend by her hair across a parking lot.
Corrections Officer Jeffery Williams Arrested for Child Porn
An officer with
the Arizona Department of Corrections has been arrested and charged
after multiple images of child pornography were discovered on his
personal computer.
On 4/12/2012, Members of the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and the Casa Grande Police Department responded to a computer repair shop in Casa Grande after a technician reported a computer that had been brought in by a customer for repair, identified as Jeffrey Williams, 46, of Casa Grande, contained images of children being sexually abused.
Detectives with CGPD seized the computer and obtained a search warrant to have the hard drive examined. Investigators with the PCSO Computer Forensic Lab were able to pull several images including videos of children being sexually abused.
Based on the materials found, an arrest warrant for Williams was issued as well as search warrant for his residence. Agents with the US Marshall’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Team assisted in arresting Williams at the Arizona DOC prison in Florence where Williams works as a corrections officer.
Read More.
On 4/12/2012, Members of the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and the Casa Grande Police Department responded to a computer repair shop in Casa Grande after a technician reported a computer that had been brought in by a customer for repair, identified as Jeffrey Williams, 46, of Casa Grande, contained images of children being sexually abused.
Detectives with CGPD seized the computer and obtained a search warrant to have the hard drive examined. Investigators with the PCSO Computer Forensic Lab were able to pull several images including videos of children being sexually abused.
Based on the materials found, an arrest warrant for Williams was issued as well as search warrant for his residence. Agents with the US Marshall’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Team assisted in arresting Williams at the Arizona DOC prison in Florence where Williams works as a corrections officer.
Read More.
Officer Brandon Singleton Arrested for Hit and Run
Des Moines police say a police officer has been arrested in a hit-and-run involving a squad car.
Police say Officer Brandon Singleton was arrested on Tuesday after an internal investigation that began with his request for a service truck to change a tire. Police say a supervisor noticed damage that was not consistent with Singleton's account of the incident.
Police say investigators determined Singleton had been involved in a hit-and-run. Police says marijuana and methamphetamine were found in the police car.
Singleton is charged with hitting an unoccupied vehicle and three drug charges. His case is not on the online court system, and it's unclear if he has an attorney.
Police say Officer Brandon Singleton was arrested on Tuesday after an internal investigation that began with his request for a service truck to change a tire. Police say a supervisor noticed damage that was not consistent with Singleton's account of the incident.
Police say investigators determined Singleton had been involved in a hit-and-run. Police says marijuana and methamphetamine were found in the police car.
Singleton is charged with hitting an unoccupied vehicle and three drug charges. His case is not on the online court system, and it's unclear if he has an attorney.
Seattle Officer Arrested for Domestic Violence
A member of the Seattle Police Department has been reassigned following a weekend domestic violence arrest.
In a statement released Tuesday evening, the department said the male officer, who has not been named, was arrested Sunday by Everett police for misdemeanor domestic violence assault. The officer was off duty at the time.
The officer, who works in the Special Operations Bureau, has been administratively reassigned to his home pending an investigation into the incident, according to police.
Lt. Robert Goetz of the Everett Police Department said the alleged assault victim was not seriously injured and was not taken to the hospital. Goetz also said the case would be handled by the Everett Municipal Prosecutor and not the Snohomish County Prosecutor.
The department has initiated a complaint with the Office of Professional Accountability, and the OPA will keep an eye on Everett PD's criminal case for developments.
When the criminal case is wrapped up, OPA officials will begin their own investigation to the officers conduct.
In a statement released Tuesday evening, the department said the male officer, who has not been named, was arrested Sunday by Everett police for misdemeanor domestic violence assault. The officer was off duty at the time.
The officer, who works in the Special Operations Bureau, has been administratively reassigned to his home pending an investigation into the incident, according to police.
Lt. Robert Goetz of the Everett Police Department said the alleged assault victim was not seriously injured and was not taken to the hospital. Goetz also said the case would be handled by the Everett Municipal Prosecutor and not the Snohomish County Prosecutor.
The department has initiated a complaint with the Office of Professional Accountability, and the OPA will keep an eye on Everett PD's criminal case for developments.
When the criminal case is wrapped up, OPA officials will begin their own investigation to the officers conduct.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Corruption case shines light on NYPD
NYPD badges out, Kelvin Jones and the other armed men turned up out of nowhere at a New Jersey warehouse and began barking orders.
Jones told startled workers that the New York Police Department had sent the team there to inspect for counterfeit goods - even though the wholesale dealer of Prada, Versace and other fragrances was legitimate.
The men herded about a dozen employees into a tiny back office and tied them up. By then, it was obvious something was amiss.
"We were kind of shocked," one worker recalled. "We were like, why is the NYPD coming in here like this?"
Another blurted: "You're not cops."
But Jones was indeed an NYPD officer. In fact, he had held an elite undercover position. Two with him were also part of the NYPD. A third was a former officer. But these were hardly "New York's Finest."
What they'd set up to look like a police raid was instead a brazen, $1 million robbery.
Eventually, the 30-year-old Jones would face trial. And his case, though largely overlooked, isn't isolated. In the past two years, prosecutors have accused officers of planting evidence in drug investigations, of running illegal guns, of robbing drug dealers, of routinely fixing traffic tickets as favors.
Still, Jones stands out because of his background as an undercover operative for the NYPD's Intelligence Division. The department credits the unit with thwarting numerous terror and other threats against New Yorkers.
Recent stories by The Associated Press have detailed how the unit also sought to infiltrate and monitor mosques, Muslim student organizations and left-wing political organizations - even beyond city limits - using methods that critics say infringe on civil rights, though the department denies it.
How Jones became an undercover and the exact nature of his assignment weren't made public at his trial in Newark in 2010, and police officials won't discuss it. But court documents offer hints: They show the NYPD authorized the Caribbean-born Jones to use the aliases Michael Kingston and Kelvin Johns. And in a handwritten journal, he made cryptic references to assignments in cities far from New York. That was before he was demoted to ordinary patrol - a transfer that still gave him access to an internal police database he used to help hatch the warehouse holdup.
Jones "abused his authority for his own personal gain," Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Gramiccioni told jurors. "Instead of protecting and serving the citizens, he decided to rob them and hold them hostage." While not commenting directly on Jones, the NYPD insists it carefully vets candidates for undercover work, especially those assigned to Intelligence Division.
Some are chosen because they speak Arabic or other languages needed to make their undercover roles convincing, or because they've demonstrated a mental toughness needed to withstand the rigors of leading a double life. Jones' demeanor would have made him a good choice, said his attorney, Michael Orozco. "For that kind of work," Orozco said, "you'd obviously want to have someone who's cool, calm and collected - and that's him."
But a rambling journal entry addressing his girlfriend reveals that the duality was difficult for Jones. "I never told you I was cop," he wrote, "because I was in too DEEP." ___ Back in 2003, Kelvin Jones was listed in the media guide for the Southeast Missouri Redhawks as a 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker, a "hard hitter" with "a good nose for the football."
Originally from the island of Grenada, Jones had grown up in Brooklyn, the son of a contractor and a dietitian. In his last season at the school in Cape Girardeau, Mo., the Redhawks finished with a forgettable 5-7 record. But Jones stuck to his studies and graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
He played professionally in the now-defunct National Indoor Football League, leading the Fayetteville Guard in tackles and interceptions in 2006, according to a league blog, but he quit the team before a playoff game. The reason? To enter the police academy in New York City.
On his NYPD application, Jones listed his criminal justice degree and his gridiron work. And to a question about distinguishing markings on his body, he responded, "I got a tattoo on the right side of my back ... Lord's Prayer on a scroll." The application offers nothing especially remarkable, nothing to explain Jones' next move. Orozco believes Jones went to work for the Intelligence Division "right out the academy."
Jones declined to be interviewed. His family declined comment as well. NYPD supervisors have at times plucked recruits out of the police academy and given them special training to become undercover investigators. But police officials, citing privacy rules, declined to discuss his employment history.
In court documents, the NYPD confirmed only that Jones had been an Intelligence Division undercover who used aliases. His defense claimed that he also had permission to get a New Jersey driver's license using a fake name.
Two former NYPD officials familiar with Jones told The Associated Press that one of his assignments was to monitor the Nation of Islam - part of the Intelligence Division's effort to monitor groups considered to have extreme political agendas. Since the ex-officials weren't authorized to speak about the case, both spoke only on condition of anonymity. Jones' journal offered murky clues.
He described having "orders from my captain not to let anyone know I was in Las Vegas" - but no clue what for. Another time, he was on the road because "we got a lead from an informant that someone we were investigating would be in the LA area."
Still another trip took him to Miami. At a nightclub there, he wrote, he introduced his girlfriend to a "friend" - actually another undercover on assignment with him. "I didn't pay for my flight to Miami," he said. "It was paid for by the unit."
The girlfriend, he wrote knew him only as Kelvin Johns - not Jones - and the deceit was not his only regret. He worried that someday he was "going to get shot." Still, he reasoned, "This NYPD career is just a stepping stone for me." He saw it leading to future job in federal law enforcement.
Though Jones told his lawyer that his supervisors "loved him," one of the former police officials who spoke to the AP said Jones proved unreliable and difficult to supervise. And at some point, the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau began investigating allegations he gave protection to drug dealers in exchange for cash or narcotics, court records say. Internal investigators noted his lifestyle, flashy for someone on an officer's salary.
Witnesses described how he drove a BMW sedan, wore expensive clothes, owned a condo and, according to his girlfriend, Sahar Saidi, bankrolled her Spanish studies in South America. "This is the kind of person I know Kelvin to be - thoughtful, considerate and generous," she wrote in a letter of support to the court.
The NYPD revealed a different view when it reassigned him from Intelligence to regular duty. But if the idea was to neutralize him, it didn't work.
In his new assignment, Jones met officers already making a mockery of the department's "New York's Finest" moniker. He learned that two patrolmen were routinely robbing prostitutes and brothels, according to trial testimony.
Jones sought out one, Brian Checo, to get in on the action. "I told him it's not worth it because it's not a lot of money," recalled Checo, who pleaded guilty and agreed to become a government witness. "And that's when he said he is going to have something for us and he is going to let us know."
About two months later, Jones let Checo know he wanted help robbing a warehouse.
This one was in Brooklyn, and it stored counterfeit clothing. Checo and two others - patrolman Richard LeBlanca and ex-officer Orlando Garcia - signed on. Jones "had been sitting on a spot" - police slang for reconnaissance - "for a while and that if I was interested ...he would be paying us $4,000 each," Garcia testified.
The plan called for them to wear NYPD raid jackets, bulletproof vests and badges. "We were going to try to make it seem like an official NYPD raid. ... Just make it look like, you know, a sting," Garcia said. Converging on the Brooklyn warehouse, the officers used a broom to knock out a security camera. Jones shouted out the names of the employees before the men handcuffed them and trucks began showing up to haul merchandise away. He told his crew the goods would be sold to a fence.
Word later came that the same fence had made Jones an offer he couldn't refuse, this time regarding a perfume warehouse in Carlstadt, N.J.: If he and his cohorts could "get four trucks of perfumes, he will give them $500,000." Jones had learned the other side of the law from his police work. He was always careful to use prepaid cell phones. "You gotta change it up," he told Checa. Also, Jones' black BMW had South Carolina plates.
Another tactic came straight out of the surveillance playbook: He had gone to the New Jersey warehouse before that heist to photograph the cars outside. Plugging license plate numbers into NYPD computers, he called up the vehicle registrations and made printouts of names and other information on employees.
On the day of the robbery in 2010, Jones, using the name Mike Smith, went with the others to rent two 24-foot trucks. LeBlanca maxed out his debit card renting one, and Garcia had to use his card, too. Both, incredibly, used their real names - a mistake that would come back to haunt them. It was still daylight when they arrived at the In Style, USA warehouse. Jones led the fake raid wearing a hat and a hoodie that obscured his face.
A police badge hung from his thick neck. "We have papers, documentation," Jones told them, reading names from his printouts. He told employees they were suspected of selling knockoff merchandise, and accused their boss of hiring undocumented workers and not paying taxes.
The robber-cops used plastic ties to bind the employees. "We were tied up for three hours," one said later. "It was really bad for everyone." But fear did not silence everyone. The warehouse owner spoke out at one point, saying, according to police testimony: "You're not cops." The helpless hostages heard the beeping noise of trucks backing up.
Day laborers hired by the holdup crew did the loading. There were six trucks in all. Four carrying hundreds of boxes of perfume and other merchandise valued at $1 million got away, but the two 24-foot trucks rented earlier that day were left behind after someone called the police.
Afterward, panic set in. Jones advised his cohorts to report that cards used at the truck rental office had been stolen. But when it dawned on Checo that Jones had made himself a "ghost" - with the prepaid phones, the alias, the out-of-state plates - and he lashed out. "If I get arrested and lose my job, I'm going to rat you out," he recalled telling Jones.
Tension only grew when Jones paid the men $2,000 apiece, half of what they were promised. "They are coming," Checo told Jones, referring to police investigators. And he was right. Police and federal agents arrested the officers.
The owner of the truck rental agency picked Jones out of a photo array. Checo, as promised, flipped, and the other two robbers also cooperated. Jones was convicted at a federal trial in Newark in December 2010.
At sentencing, he claimed, "I was framed," but the judge was unmoved.
The former NYPD undercover is serving a 16-year sentence in an Ohio prison.
Jones told startled workers that the New York Police Department had sent the team there to inspect for counterfeit goods - even though the wholesale dealer of Prada, Versace and other fragrances was legitimate.
The men herded about a dozen employees into a tiny back office and tied them up. By then, it was obvious something was amiss.
"We were kind of shocked," one worker recalled. "We were like, why is the NYPD coming in here like this?"
Another blurted: "You're not cops."
But Jones was indeed an NYPD officer. In fact, he had held an elite undercover position. Two with him were also part of the NYPD. A third was a former officer. But these were hardly "New York's Finest."
What they'd set up to look like a police raid was instead a brazen, $1 million robbery.
Eventually, the 30-year-old Jones would face trial. And his case, though largely overlooked, isn't isolated. In the past two years, prosecutors have accused officers of planting evidence in drug investigations, of running illegal guns, of robbing drug dealers, of routinely fixing traffic tickets as favors.
Still, Jones stands out because of his background as an undercover operative for the NYPD's Intelligence Division. The department credits the unit with thwarting numerous terror and other threats against New Yorkers.
Recent stories by The Associated Press have detailed how the unit also sought to infiltrate and monitor mosques, Muslim student organizations and left-wing political organizations - even beyond city limits - using methods that critics say infringe on civil rights, though the department denies it.
How Jones became an undercover and the exact nature of his assignment weren't made public at his trial in Newark in 2010, and police officials won't discuss it. But court documents offer hints: They show the NYPD authorized the Caribbean-born Jones to use the aliases Michael Kingston and Kelvin Johns. And in a handwritten journal, he made cryptic references to assignments in cities far from New York. That was before he was demoted to ordinary patrol - a transfer that still gave him access to an internal police database he used to help hatch the warehouse holdup.
Jones "abused his authority for his own personal gain," Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Gramiccioni told jurors. "Instead of protecting and serving the citizens, he decided to rob them and hold them hostage." While not commenting directly on Jones, the NYPD insists it carefully vets candidates for undercover work, especially those assigned to Intelligence Division.
Some are chosen because they speak Arabic or other languages needed to make their undercover roles convincing, or because they've demonstrated a mental toughness needed to withstand the rigors of leading a double life. Jones' demeanor would have made him a good choice, said his attorney, Michael Orozco. "For that kind of work," Orozco said, "you'd obviously want to have someone who's cool, calm and collected - and that's him."
But a rambling journal entry addressing his girlfriend reveals that the duality was difficult for Jones. "I never told you I was cop," he wrote, "because I was in too DEEP." ___ Back in 2003, Kelvin Jones was listed in the media guide for the Southeast Missouri Redhawks as a 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker, a "hard hitter" with "a good nose for the football."
Originally from the island of Grenada, Jones had grown up in Brooklyn, the son of a contractor and a dietitian. In his last season at the school in Cape Girardeau, Mo., the Redhawks finished with a forgettable 5-7 record. But Jones stuck to his studies and graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
He played professionally in the now-defunct National Indoor Football League, leading the Fayetteville Guard in tackles and interceptions in 2006, according to a league blog, but he quit the team before a playoff game. The reason? To enter the police academy in New York City.
On his NYPD application, Jones listed his criminal justice degree and his gridiron work. And to a question about distinguishing markings on his body, he responded, "I got a tattoo on the right side of my back ... Lord's Prayer on a scroll." The application offers nothing especially remarkable, nothing to explain Jones' next move. Orozco believes Jones went to work for the Intelligence Division "right out the academy."
Jones declined to be interviewed. His family declined comment as well. NYPD supervisors have at times plucked recruits out of the police academy and given them special training to become undercover investigators. But police officials, citing privacy rules, declined to discuss his employment history.
In court documents, the NYPD confirmed only that Jones had been an Intelligence Division undercover who used aliases. His defense claimed that he also had permission to get a New Jersey driver's license using a fake name.
Two former NYPD officials familiar with Jones told The Associated Press that one of his assignments was to monitor the Nation of Islam - part of the Intelligence Division's effort to monitor groups considered to have extreme political agendas. Since the ex-officials weren't authorized to speak about the case, both spoke only on condition of anonymity. Jones' journal offered murky clues.
He described having "orders from my captain not to let anyone know I was in Las Vegas" - but no clue what for. Another time, he was on the road because "we got a lead from an informant that someone we were investigating would be in the LA area."
Still another trip took him to Miami. At a nightclub there, he wrote, he introduced his girlfriend to a "friend" - actually another undercover on assignment with him. "I didn't pay for my flight to Miami," he said. "It was paid for by the unit."
The girlfriend, he wrote knew him only as Kelvin Johns - not Jones - and the deceit was not his only regret. He worried that someday he was "going to get shot." Still, he reasoned, "This NYPD career is just a stepping stone for me." He saw it leading to future job in federal law enforcement.
Though Jones told his lawyer that his supervisors "loved him," one of the former police officials who spoke to the AP said Jones proved unreliable and difficult to supervise. And at some point, the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau began investigating allegations he gave protection to drug dealers in exchange for cash or narcotics, court records say. Internal investigators noted his lifestyle, flashy for someone on an officer's salary.
Witnesses described how he drove a BMW sedan, wore expensive clothes, owned a condo and, according to his girlfriend, Sahar Saidi, bankrolled her Spanish studies in South America. "This is the kind of person I know Kelvin to be - thoughtful, considerate and generous," she wrote in a letter of support to the court.
The NYPD revealed a different view when it reassigned him from Intelligence to regular duty. But if the idea was to neutralize him, it didn't work.
In his new assignment, Jones met officers already making a mockery of the department's "New York's Finest" moniker. He learned that two patrolmen were routinely robbing prostitutes and brothels, according to trial testimony.
Jones sought out one, Brian Checo, to get in on the action. "I told him it's not worth it because it's not a lot of money," recalled Checo, who pleaded guilty and agreed to become a government witness. "And that's when he said he is going to have something for us and he is going to let us know."
About two months later, Jones let Checo know he wanted help robbing a warehouse.
This one was in Brooklyn, and it stored counterfeit clothing. Checo and two others - patrolman Richard LeBlanca and ex-officer Orlando Garcia - signed on. Jones "had been sitting on a spot" - police slang for reconnaissance - "for a while and that if I was interested ...he would be paying us $4,000 each," Garcia testified.
The plan called for them to wear NYPD raid jackets, bulletproof vests and badges. "We were going to try to make it seem like an official NYPD raid. ... Just make it look like, you know, a sting," Garcia said. Converging on the Brooklyn warehouse, the officers used a broom to knock out a security camera. Jones shouted out the names of the employees before the men handcuffed them and trucks began showing up to haul merchandise away. He told his crew the goods would be sold to a fence.
Word later came that the same fence had made Jones an offer he couldn't refuse, this time regarding a perfume warehouse in Carlstadt, N.J.: If he and his cohorts could "get four trucks of perfumes, he will give them $500,000." Jones had learned the other side of the law from his police work. He was always careful to use prepaid cell phones. "You gotta change it up," he told Checa. Also, Jones' black BMW had South Carolina plates.
Another tactic came straight out of the surveillance playbook: He had gone to the New Jersey warehouse before that heist to photograph the cars outside. Plugging license plate numbers into NYPD computers, he called up the vehicle registrations and made printouts of names and other information on employees.
On the day of the robbery in 2010, Jones, using the name Mike Smith, went with the others to rent two 24-foot trucks. LeBlanca maxed out his debit card renting one, and Garcia had to use his card, too. Both, incredibly, used their real names - a mistake that would come back to haunt them. It was still daylight when they arrived at the In Style, USA warehouse. Jones led the fake raid wearing a hat and a hoodie that obscured his face.
A police badge hung from his thick neck. "We have papers, documentation," Jones told them, reading names from his printouts. He told employees they were suspected of selling knockoff merchandise, and accused their boss of hiring undocumented workers and not paying taxes.
The robber-cops used plastic ties to bind the employees. "We were tied up for three hours," one said later. "It was really bad for everyone." But fear did not silence everyone. The warehouse owner spoke out at one point, saying, according to police testimony: "You're not cops." The helpless hostages heard the beeping noise of trucks backing up.
Day laborers hired by the holdup crew did the loading. There were six trucks in all. Four carrying hundreds of boxes of perfume and other merchandise valued at $1 million got away, but the two 24-foot trucks rented earlier that day were left behind after someone called the police.
Afterward, panic set in. Jones advised his cohorts to report that cards used at the truck rental office had been stolen. But when it dawned on Checo that Jones had made himself a "ghost" - with the prepaid phones, the alias, the out-of-state plates - and he lashed out. "If I get arrested and lose my job, I'm going to rat you out," he recalled telling Jones.
Tension only grew when Jones paid the men $2,000 apiece, half of what they were promised. "They are coming," Checo told Jones, referring to police investigators. And he was right. Police and federal agents arrested the officers.
The owner of the truck rental agency picked Jones out of a photo array. Checo, as promised, flipped, and the other two robbers also cooperated. Jones was convicted at a federal trial in Newark in December 2010.
At sentencing, he claimed, "I was framed," but the judge was unmoved.
The former NYPD undercover is serving a 16-year sentence in an Ohio prison.
Sgt. Phil Williams Under Investigation
A veteran Oklahoma City police inspector has come under investigation because of accusations he leaked information about the Julie Mitchell homicide case and other cases to defense attorneys, The Oklahoman learned.
Sgt. Phil A. Williams, 51, was placed on administrative leave, with pay, on Jan. 30. He denies wrongdoing. He has been an Oklahoma City police officer 18 years.
Williams acknowledged he is frustrated, that he has not been told why he is being investigated and that he has not even been interviewed yet. “All I know is the rumors,” he said.
He makes $37.60 per hour, records show.
Police Chief Bill Citty confirmed that internal affairs officers are investigating allegations a police officer provided information to outside sources that could have jeopardized investigations.
“We are looking at information that could rise to the level of criminal misconduct,” Citty said.
The chief did not identify the officer by name, but he was responding to questions from The Oklahoman about Williams.
Williams is being represented by and is a longtime friend of prominent Oklahoma City defense attorney Scott Adams.
Adams told The Oklahoman that internal affairs investigators went to the jail to interview one of his clients. He said the investigators wanted to know whether that client had any advance warning of a search.
He said the client told the investigators “that I've never given him any inside information, ever.”
Adams angrily complained in a profanity-laced interview about the gossip surrounding the investigation of Williams.
“I can tell you right now, Phil has never given me anything on any case — ever,” Adams told The Oklahoman. “I've known him for 20 ... years. I'm sick of it because I've spent the last 23 years guarding my reputation with the utmost integrity. And, then, simply because I win cases and am successful, somehow they think we have to cheat to do it that way and it offends me.”
He also said, “You've got to understand as a lawyer all I have is my reputation — my reputation with judges, with prosecutors, and police officers, with people in the general public.”
The attorney called Williams ethical and honorable.
The attorney also said he would not want inside police information about clients before they're arrested.
“I mean how ludicrous is that to think that I'm going to go keep them from being arrested so they don't have to pay me anything. It's retarded. I don't make money if they don't charge them,” he said.
Adams said he is ready for the internal affairs investigators to come question him because “I have absolutely ... nothing to hide.”
“They can come and grind on me all they want,” he said.
Adams suggested Williams is being investigated because he discovered wrongdoing by an Oklahoma City police captain.
The police chief said, “There's no retaliation. The investigation is based on specific allegations.”
In a court affidavit last year, Williams wrote he has worked for more than 10 years in a Special Projects Group for the police. He wrote he has helped stop drug traffickers and busted up large-scale theft rings that “resulted in recovery of millions of dollars worth of stolen property and the arrests and convictions of numerous defendants.”
Police refused to release to The Oklahoman an employment photograph of Williams.
Williams was not involved in the investigation of the 2010 beating death of Julie Mitchell at her husband's Oklahoma City home. The case is still unsolved.
Adams is one of the attorneys representing the victim's husband, prominent gambler Teddy Mitchell.
Adams said Williams did intervene in the case on the night of the killing on behalf of Teddy Mitchell's then-1-year-old daughter. The girl was found with her dead mother. Teddy Mitchell was traveling out of state at the time.
“My father knows Teddy Mitchell,” Adams said. “The night of the murder, my father calls Phil and says there's a kid there and we've got relatives that would pick up the kid because they were concerned about the child going into like DHS custody or something. So I think Phil calls the watch commander ... and said we have someone who can take the child.”
Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said the investigation of Williams has not affected any prosecutions because other witnesses were available.
A federal prosecutor in a chop-shop case has notified a judge Williams is on administrative leave and will not be called as a witness at an upcoming sentencing. The prosecutor reported Friday other police officers reviewed the truck-theft case and uncovered no improper actions by Williams.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Correctional Officer David Ekwejunor Charged with Evading Arrest
A 25-year-old Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer
was charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle Friday afternoon
when he allegedly fled authorities after failing to stop for a school
bus dropping off school children.
David Ekwejunor, 25, who listed a Dallas address, was arrested by Anderson County Precinct 2 Constable Doug Lightfoot around 3:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. 287, north of Palestine.
Ekwejunor, a correctional officer at the TDCJ’s Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, was charged with evading arrest/detention with a motor vehicle and a handful of other violations, including failing to stop for a school bus with lights flashing, according to Lightfoot.
Lightfoot was patrolling on U.S. 287 between FM 645 and FM 321 around 3:30 p.m. Friday when he observed a Saturn SUV traveling southbound on U.S. 287 fail to stop for a school bus which had its red lights flashing and was letting school children out in the northbound lane of traffic.
“I observed the violation and attempted to stop the driver,” Lightfoot told the Herald-Press.
The constable said he had his overhead lights activated and also utilized his vehicle’s siren, but the SUV’s driver ignored his attempts to get him to stop.
Lightfoot then notified the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office of the situation.
“They got three sheriff’s office units and two DPS (Texas Department of Public Safety) units to meet the vehicle,” Lightfoot said.
DPS Trooper Chad Sparkman placed “spike strips” across U.S. 287 in the immediate area of Lone Pine Baptist Church, the constable added.
“The driver did not stop at that time and proceeded through the spike strips,” Lightfoot said. “After he hit the spikes, his tires deflated almost immediately and he stopped.”
Ekwejunor, who was the vehicle’s lone occupant, was then arrested by Lightfoot and transported to the Anderson County Jail where he was booked into the facility.
No contraband was found in the suspect’s vehicle, according to the constable.
David Ekwejunor, 25, who listed a Dallas address, was arrested by Anderson County Precinct 2 Constable Doug Lightfoot around 3:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. 287, north of Palestine.
Ekwejunor, a correctional officer at the TDCJ’s Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, was charged with evading arrest/detention with a motor vehicle and a handful of other violations, including failing to stop for a school bus with lights flashing, according to Lightfoot.
Lightfoot was patrolling on U.S. 287 between FM 645 and FM 321 around 3:30 p.m. Friday when he observed a Saturn SUV traveling southbound on U.S. 287 fail to stop for a school bus which had its red lights flashing and was letting school children out in the northbound lane of traffic.
“I observed the violation and attempted to stop the driver,” Lightfoot told the Herald-Press.
The constable said he had his overhead lights activated and also utilized his vehicle’s siren, but the SUV’s driver ignored his attempts to get him to stop.
Lightfoot then notified the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office of the situation.
“They got three sheriff’s office units and two DPS (Texas Department of Public Safety) units to meet the vehicle,” Lightfoot said.
DPS Trooper Chad Sparkman placed “spike strips” across U.S. 287 in the immediate area of Lone Pine Baptist Church, the constable added.
“The driver did not stop at that time and proceeded through the spike strips,” Lightfoot said. “After he hit the spikes, his tires deflated almost immediately and he stopped.”
Ekwejunor, who was the vehicle’s lone occupant, was then arrested by Lightfoot and transported to the Anderson County Jail where he was booked into the facility.
No contraband was found in the suspect’s vehicle, according to the constable.
Officer Noe Yanez Arrested for Possession of Child Porn
A nine-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department has been
arrested on suspicion of felony possession of child pornography after
reportedly meeting a teenager while on patrol and soliciting explicit
photographs of the youth through electronic messages, police said.
Noe Yanez, 40, was taken into custody Thursday evening by Long Beach police after an investigation that began earlier this month. The alleged victim had told a school resources officer about the messages and authorities were alerted. Detectives served several search warrants in the investigation of Yanez's home and other establishments for records of the communications.
Noe Yanez, 40, was taken into custody Thursday evening by Long Beach police after an investigation that began earlier this month. The alleged victim had told a school resources officer about the messages and authorities were alerted. Detectives served several search warrants in the investigation of Yanez's home and other establishments for records of the communications.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Former Officer Sonya Worthington Charged with Assault Files Lawsuit
This suit, filed in United States District Court on Tuesday, is the fifth lawsuit filed against the city by police officers in the space of a year.
In the lawsuit, Sonya Jean Worthington, 44, alleges that the city, through its police chief and her supervisors, ignored its own policies and procedures "particularly to the detriment of the plaintiff and to the benefit of white male officers" to create a hostile work environment."
Among other claims set forth in the document, Worthington spoke of discrimination, saying she was required to take a qualifying test allowing her to become an officer multiple times over as the results were "lost."
Additionally, she claimed the police chief once in the squad room pointed out a newly hired female officer and said "'this one is a sharp one' implying that other female officers currently working at the Bartlesville Police Department, including the plaintiff, were not intelligent."
She also said she was the first to be terminated by the police chief for disagreement with department policies and was immediately reinstated when she brought up that male officers written up for similar action received little to no punishment.
Worthington alleged further discrimination concerning her termination, saying that where she had been promoted and then — following the September incident and a probe by Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation — fired, a male officer who on a prior occasion had reportedly choked a 12-year-old was punished internally and not fired.
She stated in the suit she has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and has since received a right to sue letter.
Worthington seeks more than $75,000 in actual damages and $75,000 in punitive damages from the city.
She is one of two officers placed on leave in September due to allegations of official misconduct.
She and Stacey Neafus were charged following the conclusion of an investigation by the OSBI of an incident alleged to have occurred on Sept. 18 at Jane Phillips Medical Center.
According to court documents, Neafus and Worthington that day "willfully and unlawfully committed assault and battery" on the alleged victim, a mental patient at the hospital.
Neafus reportedly pushed the alleged victim's upper torso over a metal chair arm with "with the weight of the defendant pressing" the man "who was handcuffed behind his back at the time of the defendant's actions, with force and violence.
Worthington allegedly struck the same alleged victim and placed him in a headlock, pulled and twisted his head while he was handcuffed, "with force and violence," said the information sheet.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Officer Frederick Sayles Arrested for Marijuana
A California police officer and his retired co-worker were arrested
last week in Tysons Corner for allegedly bringing more than 27 pounds of
marijuana from California to Virginia, police said.
The men, along with a third accomplice, were charged with conspiracy to import and distribute more than five pounds of marijuana. The estimated street value of the marijuana is $635,000, police said.
Police have charged Selma police officer Frederick Michael Sayles, 34, who lives in Selma; former Selma police officer Gabriel Hernandez Sepeda II, 38, of Fresno; and David Ray Flowers, 38, of Fresno.
The investigation was run by Alexandria police and prosecutors along with the DEA, authorities said. All three men are being held in the Alexandria Detention Center without bond.
Read more: The Post’s crime coverage
The men, along with a third accomplice, were charged with conspiracy to import and distribute more than five pounds of marijuana. The estimated street value of the marijuana is $635,000, police said.
Police have charged Selma police officer Frederick Michael Sayles, 34, who lives in Selma; former Selma police officer Gabriel Hernandez Sepeda II, 38, of Fresno; and David Ray Flowers, 38, of Fresno.
The investigation was run by Alexandria police and prosecutors along with the DEA, authorities said. All three men are being held in the Alexandria Detention Center without bond.
Read more: The Post’s crime coverage
Monday, April 16, 2012
Officer Christopher Mattila Arrested for Hit and Run
An Alton police officer was arrested early Monday morning on
suspicion that he was involved in two hit-and-run accidents just outside
of the city, Madison County Sheriff's Department officials said Monday.
Officer Christopher Mattila, 39, of the 3500 block of Hoover Drive in Alton, was charged with one count each of driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was released late Monday morning from the Madison County Jail after posting $300 bail.
Madison County Sheriff's Department Capt. Mike Dixon said calls began coming in around 8:30 p.m. Sunday about an accident involving a Hummer and a dark colored sport utility vehicle at Godfrey Road and Tolle Lane where the driver of the dark SUV had fled the scene.
While at that scene, calls started coming in about another hit-and-run accident at North Humbert Road and Richland Woods Drive where the driver of a dark colored SUV had fled the scene after hitting a Pontiac Grand Am. No one was hurt in either accident, Dixon said.
Authorities later found a green Ford Explorer with extensive front-end damage abandoned on Seminary Road, about a mile from the second accident. The SUV was registered to Mattila.
Mattila was taken into custody at his home just before 1 a.m. Monday morning. Deputies had been at the home since 10 p.m., Dixon said, but Mattila didn't respond to knocks at the door.
Officer Christopher Mattila, 39, of the 3500 block of Hoover Drive in Alton, was charged with one count each of driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He was released late Monday morning from the Madison County Jail after posting $300 bail.
Madison County Sheriff's Department Capt. Mike Dixon said calls began coming in around 8:30 p.m. Sunday about an accident involving a Hummer and a dark colored sport utility vehicle at Godfrey Road and Tolle Lane where the driver of the dark SUV had fled the scene.
While at that scene, calls started coming in about another hit-and-run accident at North Humbert Road and Richland Woods Drive where the driver of a dark colored SUV had fled the scene after hitting a Pontiac Grand Am. No one was hurt in either accident, Dixon said.
Authorities later found a green Ford Explorer with extensive front-end damage abandoned on Seminary Road, about a mile from the second accident. The SUV was registered to Mattila.
Mattila was taken into custody at his home just before 1 a.m. Monday morning. Deputies had been at the home since 10 p.m., Dixon said, but Mattila didn't respond to knocks at the door.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Rookie Officer Alexandru Baiasu Arrested for Assaulting Fiancee
A rookie NYPD cop was arrested in Queens Saturday for assaulting his fiancée, officials said.
Off-duty Officer Alexandru Baiasu, 27, was arrested about 10:50 p.m. at his Rego Park home after attacking his 31-year-old fiancée during an argument, cops said.
Baiasu, who was newly assigned to the Police Academy, was charged with assault and harassment, officials said.
Off-duty Officer Alexandru Baiasu, 27, was arrested about 10:50 p.m. at his Rego Park home after attacking his 31-year-old fiancée during an argument, cops said.
Baiasu, who was newly assigned to the Police Academy, was charged with assault and harassment, officials said.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Probation Officer Todd Tronzo Charged with Trafficking
A probation officer has
been charged with selling opium and hydrocodone pills to an undercover
Durham police officer last month, and having illegal drugs in his
possession when he was arrested early Thursday.
Todd Nicholas Tronzo, 35, of 3210 Hayling Drive, Raleigh, is charged with six counts of trafficking opium or heroin, two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia, two counts of maintaining a vehicle for the sale of a controlled substance, and two counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver hydrocodone, which is on the state’s list of controlled substances. He is charged also with one count each of selling and delivering the hydrocodone.
Tronzo is accused of selling 4 to 13 grams of opium – a range set in state law – and 15 hydrocodone pills to a Durham police detective March 21, according to arrest warrants. He kept the drugs in a pretzel snack bag in his 2005 Mercury Mountaineer, police said.
Todd Nicholas Tronzo, 35, of 3210 Hayling Drive, Raleigh, is charged with six counts of trafficking opium or heroin, two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia, two counts of maintaining a vehicle for the sale of a controlled substance, and two counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver hydrocodone, which is on the state’s list of controlled substances. He is charged also with one count each of selling and delivering the hydrocodone.
Tronzo is accused of selling 4 to 13 grams of opium – a range set in state law – and 15 hydrocodone pills to a Durham police detective March 21, according to arrest warrants. He kept the drugs in a pretzel snack bag in his 2005 Mercury Mountaineer, police said.
When arrested, police wrote, Tronzo had the same quantity of opium
– 4 to 13 grams – and more hydrocodone pills in a medicine bottle
bearing the name of Bonnie Tronzo, a woman with whom he owns his Raleigh
home.
Tronzo has worked as a probation officer in North Carolina for five years, according to Pamela Walker, spokeswoman for the State Department of Public Safety. He is now on unapproved leave, she said.
Tronzo is being held in the Durham County jail, his bail set at $1 million. He is scheduled to appear in court April 26.
Tronzo has worked as a probation officer in North Carolina for five years, according to Pamela Walker, spokeswoman for the State Department of Public Safety. He is now on unapproved leave, she said.
Tronzo is being held in the Durham County jail, his bail set at $1 million. He is scheduled to appear in court April 26.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Officer Robert McChester Arrested for Enticing Minor
Robert McChester Jr., 27, has been arrested
on charges of using a facility and means of interstate and foreign
commerce - a telephone and a computer connected to the Internet - to
coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, United States
Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.
The complaint alleges that between May 1, 2011, and April 1, 2012, McChester began communicating with a child he knew to be 15 years old. Shortly thereafter, the victim allegedly made an outcry to medical professionals regarding the inappropriate relationship she had been engaged in with a Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) officer.
McChester was discovered to be an active duty patrol officer with the CCPD and that he had been communicating with the victim via the Internet for approximately one year beginning in May of 2011 and continuing up to the date of the victim's outcry, according to the complaint. The victim further alleged they had met on several occasions and engaged inappropriate activities.
Online communications between McChester and the victim were recovered and determined to contain content of an inappropriate sexual nature.
McChester was arrested shortly following the filing of the federal complaint Tuesday afternoon and is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Janice Ellington Wednesday.
The investigation was conducted by the Corpus Christi Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations.
The complaint alleges that between May 1, 2011, and April 1, 2012, McChester began communicating with a child he knew to be 15 years old. Shortly thereafter, the victim allegedly made an outcry to medical professionals regarding the inappropriate relationship she had been engaged in with a Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) officer.
McChester was discovered to be an active duty patrol officer with the CCPD and that he had been communicating with the victim via the Internet for approximately one year beginning in May of 2011 and continuing up to the date of the victim's outcry, according to the complaint. The victim further alleged they had met on several occasions and engaged inappropriate activities.
Online communications between McChester and the victim were recovered and determined to contain content of an inappropriate sexual nature.
McChester was arrested shortly following the filing of the federal complaint Tuesday afternoon and is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Janice Ellington Wednesday.
The investigation was conducted by the Corpus Christi Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations.
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Officer Ryan Robinson Arrested for theft
A Shreveport police officer was arrested for misdemeanor theft and malfeasance in office Friday for allegedly stealing property during the execution of a search warrant.
Ryan Robinson, 28, is accused of stealing a ceremonial American flag during a search warrant executed by the joint Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Task Force at a Vivian, Louisiana home back in August of 2010.
Caddo Parish Sheriff, Steve Prator said the flag was not an object of the search, nor was it listed as seized property on the warrant.
It was recently recovered by the Shreveport Police Department and turned over to sheriff's investigators.
Robinson has been placed on administrative leave by Shreveport Police Chief, Willie Shaw.
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