A former San Antonio police sergeant, who was fired last October for
indecency with a child, hid a previous out-of-state arrest from the
department, according to internal affairs paperwork.
Edward Wise, 45, was arrested last week and charged with indecency with a
child by contact, connected to an April 2013 incident at a San Antonio
apartment complex.
Wise is accused of groping a 12-year-old, after taking the young girl and her mother home from a west-side restaurant.
Chief William McManus fired Wise in October 2013, following a month-long investigation into the allegations.
The personnel move appeared on a city Civil Service Commission agenda as a 'double indefinite suspension.'
The internal affairs paperwork indicates Wise
received the second indefinite suspension for failing to disclose a May
2008 arrest in Las Vegas, Nevada, for solicitation of prostitution.
San Antonio Police Department investigators said Wise took steps to have
the misdemeanor charge dismissed and then even paid to have the record
sealed by the Clark County District Attorney.
SAPD rules require officers to disclose any arrests, including the name
of the arresting agency, the nature of the charges and court information
related to the charge or the indictment.
Two attorneys listed in Wise's internal affairs paperwork told KENS 5 they are no longer representing Wise.
SAPD spokesman Sgt. Javier Salazar released the following statement Thursday afternoon:
Edward Wise is no longer an SAPD employee. We conducted a thorough
Internal Affairs investigation which was concluded. Our criminal
investigation remains active and we continue to work with the
prosecutors with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office to assist
in their processing of the case.
Wise is the second SAPD officer to be criminally charged and fired for allegations of sexual assault since November 2013.
Officer Jackie Neal was fired February 2014, after he was indicted on
three felony charges connected to a traffic stop in southeast San
Antonio. Neal is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in
the back of his patrol cruiser while in full uniform.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Officer James Ferguson Arrested for DWI
Officer James Ferguson was reportedly arrested by San Marcos police on Wednesday night.
A spokesman for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office said Ferguson was released from jail Thursday on a $3,000 bond.
Ferguson has been with the San Antonio Police Department since 2007, according to state records.
Former Officer Daniel Lanious Charged with Corruption of Minor
A former Carroll Valley Police officer has been accused of sending "flirtatious and sexual" text messages to a 13-year-old girl, police state in charging documents.
Daniel Lanious, 50, of South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, was charged with corruption of a minor, according to a police criminal complaint filed at District Justice Susan Day's office in Mount Holly Springs.
The teenager's mother told police that Lanious met her daughter in July 2013, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The girl received a text message from Lanious out of nowhere, the affidavit states. The messages quickly became "flirtatious and sexual," the affidavit continues.
The girl said she believed Lanious obtained her cellphone number from her Facebook page, the affidavit states.
The girl told police Lanious often mentioned wanting to have sex with her, according to the affidavit. She said she played along to an extent, but was not as graphic as he was, the affidavit continues.
The messages reportedly stopped on Aug. 13, when the girl's mother caught the last text, which read, "I wish you were home. I wish you were on birth control. I have a condom," according to the affidavit.
The mother replied to the message and told Lanious she hoped he was not over 18 because her daughter is only 13, according to the affidavit.
A day or two later the mother was visited by Lanious' son, who asked the mother if she would be contacting police, the affidavit states.
During an interview with state police Trooper Matthew Johnston from the Carlisle barracks, Lanious admitted to sending sexual text messages to the 13-year-old girl, the affidavit states.
Lanious apologized repeatedly for his actions and admitted what he did was "very stupid," according to the affidavit.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Lanious on April 2 in front of Day. He is being represented by Gettysburg attorney Steve Rice. Rice declined to comment on the case until he has spoken further with his client.
"As a well respected law enforcement officer, it would be nice if people could give him the benefit of the doubt," Rice said.
Daniel Lanious, 50, of South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, was charged with corruption of a minor, according to a police criminal complaint filed at District Justice Susan Day's office in Mount Holly Springs.
The teenager's mother told police that Lanious met her daughter in July 2013, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The girl received a text message from Lanious out of nowhere, the affidavit states. The messages quickly became "flirtatious and sexual," the affidavit continues.
The girl said she believed Lanious obtained her cellphone number from her Facebook page, the affidavit states.
The girl told police Lanious often mentioned wanting to have sex with her, according to the affidavit. She said she played along to an extent, but was not as graphic as he was, the affidavit continues.
The messages reportedly stopped on Aug. 13, when the girl's mother caught the last text, which read, "I wish you were home. I wish you were on birth control. I have a condom," according to the affidavit.
The mother replied to the message and told Lanious she hoped he was not over 18 because her daughter is only 13, according to the affidavit.
A day or two later the mother was visited by Lanious' son, who asked the mother if she would be contacting police, the affidavit states.
During an interview with state police Trooper Matthew Johnston from the Carlisle barracks, Lanious admitted to sending sexual text messages to the 13-year-old girl, the affidavit states.
Lanious apologized repeatedly for his actions and admitted what he did was "very stupid," according to the affidavit.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Lanious on April 2 in front of Day. He is being represented by Gettysburg attorney Steve Rice. Rice declined to comment on the case until he has spoken further with his client.
"As a well respected law enforcement officer, it would be nice if people could give him the benefit of the doubt," Rice said.
Six Officers in California Arrested in Scheme to Impound Vehicles
More than a third of the police officers in this Northern California town of 13,000 have been arrested, variously accused of bribery, embezzlement and threats charges.
Four are accused of developing a scheme to impound vehicles belonging to poor families, said Dean Flippo, Monterey County district attorney. After 30 days, those cars were turned over to King City police officers when the owners were unable to pay the impound fees.
The probe revealed that the scheme focused on poor Hispanic residents — including many who don't speak English. Census numbers show nearly 2 in 5 residents here are Hispanic.
"These people said, 'They are taking our property, they're taking our cars, they're taking our money and we can do nothing about that,' " Flippo said Tuesday. More than 200 vehicles were impounded, and 87% had been taken in by the same towing company.
Arrested were the following officials:
• Former police Chief Nick Baldiviez, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.
• Current acting Chief Bruce Miller, charged with accepting a bribe.
• Sgt. Bobby Carrillo, charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, accepting a bribe and bribing an executive officer.
• Sgt. Mark Baker, charged with criminal threats against a resident.
• Officer Mario Mottu, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.
• And Officer Jaime Andrade, charged with possession of an assault weapon and illegal storage of a firearm at his stepson's residence unrelated to the car scheme.
Also arrested was Brian Albert Miller, owner of a towing company and the acting police chief's brother. He was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and bribing an executive officer.
All of those arrested were out of jail within hours. Bail amounts ranged from $10,000 to $60,000.
"There has been a significant breakdown in the internal leadership of the King City Police Department," Flippo said. "It also appears to me that some officers have dishonored their badge."
Carrillo was accused of receiving a free vehicle for every 10 to 15 vehicles he had impounded. Ultimately, Carrillo allegedly got five vehicles to keep or sell and gave one to Bruce Miller, then a police captain.
In 2011, prosecutors believe Baldiviez gave Mottu a free 2001 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car belonging to either King City or the King City Police Explorers, a nonprofit group that is part of the Boy Scouts of America. Baldiviez remains on the city's payroll in spite of his September retirement, Flippo said.
"I'm not sure we know all the cars that were taken," the district attorney said. He couldn't put a value on the vehicles handed out in the scheme.
None of Tuesday's arrests, part of a six-month investigation of complaints going back 3½ years, are related to accusations posted on the Internet that King City police officers skimmed money from recovered bank robbery funds, Flippo said. He wouldn't specify whether any of the officers arrested were implicated in that accusation.
"As we began to talk to individuals over the years, we were beginning to hear this constant theme that had been there for years prior, and that was a lack of trust and faith in the King City Police Department," he said.
King City criminal cases in which any one of the six accused was the arresting officer are under scrutiny, the prosecutor said.
So far three cases that cannot proceed without the arresting officer's testimony have been dismissed, said Terry Spitz, chief assistant district attorney. Other cases also may be dismissed.
"My reputation is soiled," Bruce Miller said. "There's no coming back from this even if I'm found innocent. People are always going to look poorly upon me."
He said he knew his department was being investigated but had no idea he was a suspect. He denied that he had accepted any bribes.
Almost all of the police force's upper management has been arrested, Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller said. His office is offering help in the interim as King City officials figure out how to continue policing the town about 135 miles southeast of San Francisco and 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles along U.S. 101.
"We have no plans to just go into the city and take over services, but our offer to the city is we're available from this point on to provide whatever level of law enforcement services the city requires," he said.
The King City Police Department has come under fire in recent years. In 2010, Baldiviez was placed on administrative leave after officers claimed he arrived intoxicated at crime scenes. The next year, Baldiviez came under scrutiny for allegedly placing overweight officers on a weight-loss program, claiming they were unfit to work.
Baldiviez officially retired in September after a four-month vacation. Bruce Miller has filled the chief's position on an interim basis since May 2013.
At the time, Bruce Miller said he would be interested in applying for the chief's position when it became officially available.
Baldiviez is also listed as one of several defendants in a November lawsuit clai
Four are accused of developing a scheme to impound vehicles belonging to poor families, said Dean Flippo, Monterey County district attorney. After 30 days, those cars were turned over to King City police officers when the owners were unable to pay the impound fees.
The probe revealed that the scheme focused on poor Hispanic residents — including many who don't speak English. Census numbers show nearly 2 in 5 residents here are Hispanic.
"These people said, 'They are taking our property, they're taking our cars, they're taking our money and we can do nothing about that,' " Flippo said Tuesday. More than 200 vehicles were impounded, and 87% had been taken in by the same towing company.
Arrested were the following officials:
• Former police Chief Nick Baldiviez, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.
• Current acting Chief Bruce Miller, charged with accepting a bribe.
• Sgt. Bobby Carrillo, charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, accepting a bribe and bribing an executive officer.
• Sgt. Mark Baker, charged with criminal threats against a resident.
• Officer Mario Mottu, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.
• And Officer Jaime Andrade, charged with possession of an assault weapon and illegal storage of a firearm at his stepson's residence unrelated to the car scheme.
Also arrested was Brian Albert Miller, owner of a towing company and the acting police chief's brother. He was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and bribing an executive officer.
All of those arrested were out of jail within hours. Bail amounts ranged from $10,000 to $60,000.
"There has been a significant breakdown in the internal leadership of the King City Police Department," Flippo said. "It also appears to me that some officers have dishonored their badge."
Carrillo was accused of receiving a free vehicle for every 10 to 15 vehicles he had impounded. Ultimately, Carrillo allegedly got five vehicles to keep or sell and gave one to Bruce Miller, then a police captain.
In 2011, prosecutors believe Baldiviez gave Mottu a free 2001 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car belonging to either King City or the King City Police Explorers, a nonprofit group that is part of the Boy Scouts of America. Baldiviez remains on the city's payroll in spite of his September retirement, Flippo said.
"I'm not sure we know all the cars that were taken," the district attorney said. He couldn't put a value on the vehicles handed out in the scheme.
None of Tuesday's arrests, part of a six-month investigation of complaints going back 3½ years, are related to accusations posted on the Internet that King City police officers skimmed money from recovered bank robbery funds, Flippo said. He wouldn't specify whether any of the officers arrested were implicated in that accusation.
"As we began to talk to individuals over the years, we were beginning to hear this constant theme that had been there for years prior, and that was a lack of trust and faith in the King City Police Department," he said.
King City criminal cases in which any one of the six accused was the arresting officer are under scrutiny, the prosecutor said.
So far three cases that cannot proceed without the arresting officer's testimony have been dismissed, said Terry Spitz, chief assistant district attorney. Other cases also may be dismissed.
"My reputation is soiled," Bruce Miller said. "There's no coming back from this even if I'm found innocent. People are always going to look poorly upon me."
He said he knew his department was being investigated but had no idea he was a suspect. He denied that he had accepted any bribes.
Almost all of the police force's upper management has been arrested, Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller said. His office is offering help in the interim as King City officials figure out how to continue policing the town about 135 miles southeast of San Francisco and 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles along U.S. 101.
"We have no plans to just go into the city and take over services, but our offer to the city is we're available from this point on to provide whatever level of law enforcement services the city requires," he said.
The King City Police Department has come under fire in recent years. In 2010, Baldiviez was placed on administrative leave after officers claimed he arrived intoxicated at crime scenes. The next year, Baldiviez came under scrutiny for allegedly placing overweight officers on a weight-loss program, claiming they were unfit to work.
Baldiviez officially retired in September after a four-month vacation. Bruce Miller has filled the chief's position on an interim basis since May 2013.
At the time, Bruce Miller said he would be interested in applying for the chief's position when it became officially available.
Baldiviez is also listed as one of several defendants in a November lawsuit clai
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