Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa police are investigating the use of alcohol at an event at the police training center and whether alcohol was involved in the crash of a patrol car.
Police Chief Ron Palmer says Internal Affairs is looking into the incident at his request.
Police records show that a patrol car driven by Officer Danny Bean hit a power pole and a security gate about 10:40 p.m. on Oct. 16.
The 2007 Dodge Charger patrol car was totaled.
Palmer says members of the police department's Special Operations Team held a barbecue after a day of training at the center and alcohol apparently was involved.
Palmer says alcohol should not be allowed at the center.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Former Officer Kris Ledford Pleads Guilty
MUSKOGEE
A former Muskogee police detective charged with possessing stolen firearms and falsely claiming to be a Purple Heart recipient pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday.
In a plea deal with the United States, 30-year-old Kris Ledford of Broken Arrow will spend about three to five years in prison, based on federal sentencing guidelines.
The punishment will run concurrently with sentencing resulting from state charges in connection with the case.
He is required to plead guilty to state charges as part of the plea deal.
In Muskogee County District Court, he's charged with embezzlement, grand larceny and false declaration of ownership.
He also faces a misdemeanor charge in Tulsa County of impersonating a Tulsa police officer.
Before Magistrate Judge Kimberly E. West, Ledford said he used his position as a police officer to steal 8 to 24 firearms, which he said he sold, pawned or gave away.
In addition, he said he falsely told a police captain that he had been awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star — a misdemeanor.
Under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, the punishment was increased from six months to up to one year in prison. The punishment was previously reserved for those falsely claiming to be Medal of Honor recipients.
Ledford told West that he has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and severe depression and has been treated for the past five months including an in-patient stay at the VA Hospital in Muskogee.
Ledford's attorney Donn Baker said he thinks his client was mentally competent when the crimes occurred.
Following the hearing, assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Horn said that Ledford claimed to be a traumatized war hero to gain sympathy after he had been accused of the firearms charges.
"A lot of people had sympathy for him," Horn said.
Baker said after the hearing that his client received several medals and ribbons but not the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, which requires a soldier to have been injured.
Ledford served with the Army and the Oklahoma National Guard and saw combat in Bosnia as an automatic rifleman, Baker said, reading from his client's paperwork.
With a college degree, a military career that included an honorable discharge, and a five-year career with the police department under his belt, Ledford seemed to have had a lot going for him.
"I can't answer what causes something like that," Baker said. "Everyone I talked to in the police department said he was an excellent police officer."
Baker said Ledford was recognized for having had no accidents as a Humvee driver in Germany and Bosnia and being one of the most reliable soldiers in his platoon.
Stolen valor is not a frequently applied charge.
U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling issued a press release saying that the troops have "weathered withering criticism and overwhelming odds to tenuous victory in Iraq and in other conflicts. The accomplishments of the truly brave should not be disparaged by those who would steal fame, absent personal sacrifice and personal loss."
Ledford was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond pending the results of a pre-sentencing investigation.MUSKOGEE — A former Muskogee police detective charged with possessing stolen firearms and falsely claiming to be a Purple Heart recipient pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday.
In a plea deal with the United States, 30-year-old Kris Ledford of Broken Arrow will spend about three to five years in prison, based on federal sentencing guidelines.
The punishment will run concurrently with sentencing resulting from state charges in connection with the case.
He is required to plead guilty to state charges as part of the plea deal.
In Muskogee County District Court, he's charged with embezzlement, grand larceny and false declaration of ownership.
He also faces a misdemeanor charge in Tulsa County of impersonating a Tulsa police officer.
Before Magistrate Judge Kimberly E. West, Ledford said he used his position as a police officer to steal 8 to 24 firearms, which he said he sold, pawned or gave away.
In addition, he said he falsely told a police captain that he had been awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star — a misdemeanor.
Under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, the punishment was increased from six months to up to one year in prison.
Ledford told West that he has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and severe depression and has been treated for the past five months including an in- patient stay at the VA Hospital in Muskogee.
Ledford's attorney Donn Baker said he thinks his client was mentally competent when the crimes occurred.
Following the hearing, assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Horn said that Ledford claimed to be a traumatized war hero to gain sympathy after he had been accused of the firearms charges.
"A lot of people had sympathy for him," Horn said.
Baker said after the hearing that his client received several medals and ribbons but not the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, which requires a soldier to have been injured.
Ledford served with the Army and the Oklahoma National Guard and saw combat in Bosnia as an automatic rifleman, Baker said, reading from his client's paperwork.
With a college degree, a military career that included an honorable discharge, and a five-year career with the police department under his belt, Ledford seemed to have had a lot going for him.
"I can't answer what causes something like that," Baker said. "Everyone I talked to in the police department said he was an excellent police officer."
Baker said Ledford was recognized for having had no accidents as a Humvee driver in Germany and Bosnia and being one of the most reliable soldiers in his platoon.
Ledford was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond pending the results of a pre-sentencing investigation.
Drug Trafficking Warrant Served Against Officer Carl Wright
TABOR CITY
Drug trafficking warrants were served on a former law enforcement officer Wednesday, and Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said more federal charges are anticipated.
Carl David Wright, 53, of 655 Vinegar Loop Road, according to Batten, was arrested late Wednesday afternoon on family owned property off Walter Todd Road.
The former Tabor City policeman, Batten said, was held at the Columbus County Jail in Whiteville under $1 million bail, with a federal detainer.
Wright was charged with six counts each of trafficking cocaine by possession, transportation and manufacture, Batten said.
Drug enforcement agents from the Sheriff’s Office, Batten said, were joined by the FBI in a four-month investigation prompted by citizen complaints.
“There were community complaints, a lot of activity going on,” Batten said.
Undercover agents made drug buys from Wright on six occasions, Batten said. The buys did not occur at Wright’s home.
Batten said, for now, he will not identify the locations of the drug buys.
Some property was seized by the N.C. Department of Revenue, Batten said, in an effort to help satisfy more than $40,000 in back taxes owed by Wright.
The sheriff said FBI agents seized two vehicles. Wright also owes money to the federal government for back taxes.
“They haven’t said how much the federal taxes are,” Batten said.
No one else was charged Wednesday, but the sheriff said others may be arrested and charged as the investigation continues.
http://www.fayobserver.com
Drug trafficking warrants were served on a former law enforcement officer Wednesday, and Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said more federal charges are anticipated.
Carl David Wright, 53, of 655 Vinegar Loop Road, according to Batten, was arrested late Wednesday afternoon on family owned property off Walter Todd Road.
The former Tabor City policeman, Batten said, was held at the Columbus County Jail in Whiteville under $1 million bail, with a federal detainer.
Wright was charged with six counts each of trafficking cocaine by possession, transportation and manufacture, Batten said.
Drug enforcement agents from the Sheriff’s Office, Batten said, were joined by the FBI in a four-month investigation prompted by citizen complaints.
“There were community complaints, a lot of activity going on,” Batten said.
Undercover agents made drug buys from Wright on six occasions, Batten said. The buys did not occur at Wright’s home.
Batten said, for now, he will not identify the locations of the drug buys.
Some property was seized by the N.C. Department of Revenue, Batten said, in an effort to help satisfy more than $40,000 in back taxes owed by Wright.
The sheriff said FBI agents seized two vehicles. Wright also owes money to the federal government for back taxes.
“They haven’t said how much the federal taxes are,” Batten said.
No one else was charged Wednesday, but the sheriff said others may be arrested and charged as the investigation continues.
http://www.fayobserver.com
Officer Bridges McRae Indicted for Beating Transgender
WASHINGTON
Bridges McRae, former officer of the Memphis Police Department, was indicted today on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, related to the alleged assault of an individual in early 2008.
The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that on Feb. 12, 2008, McRae exercised unreasonable force, used a dangerous weapon, and caused bodily injury to a person in his custody. According to the indictment, McRae was on duty in the intake area of the Shelby County Jail when he repeatedly struck the victim with his fist and handcuffs.
If convicted, McRae faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Memphis Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Jonathan Skrmetti, Trial Attorney for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and Steve Parker, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
Officer Adam Willis Arrested for Armed Burglary and Grand Theft
AVON PARK
"It's been a long day, but a day that has come to an end. It ended in the arrest of one of our police officers today."
That was the opening statement from Avon Park Police Chief Matt Doughney at a press conference Wednesday night, where he announced that Officer Adam Wayne Willis, 30, was taken into custody following a lengthy investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for misconduct.
Willis was charged with first-degree armed burglary and grand theft of more than $300 but less than $5,000. He remained in jail Thursday in lieu of a $125,000 bond.
The charges stem from an undercover operation administered Sunday by special agents with the FDLE and the Avon Park Police Department, according to the arrest report. A vehicle equipped with electronic surveillance devices, as well as a wallet containing an undisclosed amount of money, was parked on the east shoulder of North Central Avenue. All the doors were unlocked and the driver's side door was left slightly open.
Willis reportedly arrived to its location after receiving an anonymous complaint of a suspicious vehicle in the area. He was on duty, wearing an APPD patrol uniform and armed with a semi-automatic handgun.
Footage from the electronic surveillance equipment reportedly showed Willis, with gloved hands, get into the vehicle and remove the wallet from the console. He then looked through it, took off the right glove, covered the wallet with it, got out of the vehicle and put the wallet in his right pants pocket.
Willis eventually went back to the driver's side a second time and, with the right glove back on, removed a pack of cigarette rolling papers, the report stated.
At one point, Willis found inside the console a temporary registration, which was placed there by FDLE agents and contained a fictitious owner's name and address.
"The registration's purpose was to see if the officer would make an effort to attempt to locate the owner of the vehicle, which Willis did not do," the report stated.
The APPD's temporary evidence hold was also checked on Nov. 17, following Willis' shift, to see if the items taken from the vehicle had been placed into evidence for safe keeping, which they allegedly were not.
At Wednesday's press conference, Doughney said the undercover operation stemmed from complaints of police misconduct they had received from community residents.
The first such report came about six months ago, around the time of Doughney's instatement as chief.
"These types of allegations rip the moral fiber of what we as law enforcement officers swear to uphold," Doughney said. "They will be investigated and I hope that the people out there understand that when you come forward with an allegation like this, it will be investigated to its fullest."
Yolanda Carbia, resident agent in charge with the FDLE's Sebring field office, said the complaints weren't specific to Willis. Some of them referenced thefts occurring during traffic stops, with people of Mexican descent being the targets.
"We identified Adam Willis as being one of those officers," Carbia said.
Willis has been a member of the APPD since September 2006 and was in the army prior to becoming a police officer. Doughney said he was put on unpaid administrative leave.
Another officer, Alberto Perez, who has been with the APPD since July 2007, was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. No charges have been filed against him. Doughney said the two officers worked together on the same shift.
Willis is set to appear in court on Dec. 15.
Family In Shock
Joshua Willis, 20, was in disbelief Wednesday night after receiving the news that his older brother had been arrested.
"That doesn't even sound like him," said the Alabama resident.
Willis said Adam has served in both Iraq and Kuwait and was never the "type of person to even take anything."
He added that he has been on about 10 ride-a-longs with his older brother and never saw anything out of the ordinary occur.
"Everybody (in my family) pretty much is in shock," Willis said. "Nobody knew anything about this. That makes no sense."
More Oakland Officers under Investigation
OAKLAND
At least three more Oakland police officers were placed on paid administrative leave this week pending an internal affairs investigation into "misstatements" they made on sworn affidavits used to secure search warrants.
Among the three officers, officials said, was Karla Rush, who is accused of writing faulty affidavits and who was named in two federal civil rights lawsuits filed against the city and the department last month.
The officers were placed on leave as the department's internal affairs investigation enters its third month and cases related to the search warrants continue to be thrown from court. Police would not release the names of the other two officers.
The imbroglio has also begun to affect unrelated cases, as officers are refusing to testify in court for fear of being questioned about search warrants.
Issues revolving around search warrants first surfaced in September when the police department admitted almost two dozen officers had made "misstatements" in sworn affidavits about testing substances purchased on the street during undercover operations or through informants.
While the substances bought on the street had not been tested, officers swore under oath to judges issuing search warrants that tests had been conducted, and those tests proved the substances were drugs.
Based on that information, Alameda County Superior Court judges issued search warrants for suspects' homes, mostly reputed small-time drug dealers in East Oakland. But, with the admission those warrants were based on erroneous facts, much of the evidence collected during the searches is not allowed to be presented in court.
Since the department's public admission, cases against 10 defendants previously charged with felonies have been dropped or thrown from court. In addition, two defendants had probation violations cleared from their criminal records.
Meanwhile, at least eight officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Top department officials have continued to defend their officers, saying the issue had more to do with a lack of training and miscommunication than outright fabrications.
But others, including the public defender's office, have said it appeared officers purposely lied on affidavits to win search warrants.
In fact, the public defender's office demanded Thursday that officers bring their confidential informants to court for a closed-door hearing with a judge.
In motions filed in the case of Henry Williams, who was arrested and charged in March with possession of a controlled substance, public defender Andrew Steckler asked for the police to prove an informant exists.
Williams was the victim of a questionable search March 28 after Officer Francisco Martinez swore in an affidavit an informant purchased methamphetamine from Williams' home four days before the search. Martinez stated in the sworn affidavit the substance the informant purchased was tested, and the test concluded it was methamphetamine.
Based on his sworn statement, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Carol Brosnahan issued a search warrant.
In motions filed Thursday, Steckler questioned if an informant even existed.
"We submit that the only way to determine whether Officer Martinez's misstatement was a simple 'error' or part of (a) wholesale fabrication is for the court to conduct the "... investigation," Steckler wrote in the motion. "If Officer Martinez made an 'error' or committed perjury regarding drug testing, then he may have made similar errors or committed perjury regarding other elements of probable cause."
The motion also demands the judge question Martinez about the search warrant and internal affairs investigators about what has been learned about "misstatements" made in sworn affidavits.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Dec. 4.
Questioning police officers about their roles in giving "misstatements" has also begun to affect other, unrelated, criminal cases.
Officers who wrote faulty affidavits are refusing to testify in other cases in which they made arrests for fear that it would allow defense attorneys to question them about the warrants.
As a result, cases in which the officers are involved are being delayed. Eventually, some of those cases could also be thrown from court.
"In each instance that it has come up, the district attorney has requested a continuance because they were told by attorneys for the officers that the officers would not testify," said Ray Plumhoff, a public defender. "It appears they want the administrative proceedings to conclude before they testify."
About 10 such cases exist, Plumhoff said.
"It's delaying cases, but it hasn't caused a problem yet," one prosecutor said.
At least three more Oakland police officers were placed on paid administrative leave this week pending an internal affairs investigation into "misstatements" they made on sworn affidavits used to secure search warrants.
Among the three officers, officials said, was Karla Rush, who is accused of writing faulty affidavits and who was named in two federal civil rights lawsuits filed against the city and the department last month.
The officers were placed on leave as the department's internal affairs investigation enters its third month and cases related to the search warrants continue to be thrown from court. Police would not release the names of the other two officers.
The imbroglio has also begun to affect unrelated cases, as officers are refusing to testify in court for fear of being questioned about search warrants.
Issues revolving around search warrants first surfaced in September when the police department admitted almost two dozen officers had made "misstatements" in sworn affidavits about testing substances purchased on the street during undercover operations or through informants.
While the substances bought on the street had not been tested, officers swore under oath to judges issuing search warrants that tests had been conducted, and those tests proved the substances were drugs.
Based on that information, Alameda County Superior Court judges issued search warrants for suspects' homes, mostly reputed small-time drug dealers in East Oakland. But, with the admission those warrants were based on erroneous facts, much of the evidence collected during the searches is not allowed to be presented in court.
Since the department's public admission, cases against 10 defendants previously charged with felonies have been dropped or thrown from court. In addition, two defendants had probation violations cleared from their criminal records.
Meanwhile, at least eight officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Top department officials have continued to defend their officers, saying the issue had more to do with a lack of training and miscommunication than outright fabrications.
But others, including the public defender's office, have said it appeared officers purposely lied on affidavits to win search warrants.
In fact, the public defender's office demanded Thursday that officers bring their confidential informants to court for a closed-door hearing with a judge.
In motions filed in the case of Henry Williams, who was arrested and charged in March with possession of a controlled substance, public defender Andrew Steckler asked for the police to prove an informant exists.
Williams was the victim of a questionable search March 28 after Officer Francisco Martinez swore in an affidavit an informant purchased methamphetamine from Williams' home four days before the search. Martinez stated in the sworn affidavit the substance the informant purchased was tested, and the test concluded it was methamphetamine.
Based on his sworn statement, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Carol Brosnahan issued a search warrant.
In motions filed Thursday, Steckler questioned if an informant even existed.
"We submit that the only way to determine whether Officer Martinez's misstatement was a simple 'error' or part of (a) wholesale fabrication is for the court to conduct the "... investigation," Steckler wrote in the motion. "If Officer Martinez made an 'error' or committed perjury regarding drug testing, then he may have made similar errors or committed perjury regarding other elements of probable cause."
The motion also demands the judge question Martinez about the search warrant and internal affairs investigators about what has been learned about "misstatements" made in sworn affidavits.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Dec. 4.
Questioning police officers about their roles in giving "misstatements" has also begun to affect other, unrelated, criminal cases.
Officers who wrote faulty affidavits are refusing to testify in other cases in which they made arrests for fear that it would allow defense attorneys to question them about the warrants.
As a result, cases in which the officers are involved are being delayed. Eventually, some of those cases could also be thrown from court.
"In each instance that it has come up, the district attorney has requested a continuance because they were told by attorneys for the officers that the officers would not testify," said Ray Plumhoff, a public defender. "It appears they want the administrative proceedings to conclude before they testify."
About 10 such cases exist, Plumhoff said.
"It's delaying cases, but it hasn't caused a problem yet," one prosecutor said.
Police Chief Greg Kroeplin on Leave after Allegations of Misconduct
The city of Canby has placed Police Chief Greg Kroeplin on paid administrative leave after allegations of misconduct surfaced in an FBI public corruption case involving a former Canby Police officer’s alleged use of steroids.
A story in The Oregonian Sunday referred to search warrant affidavits filed in U.S. District Court by the FBI which allege that the police department either failed to address the problem or concealed it.
The FBI documents acquired by the Canby Herald Monday further allege that Canby police had known for several years about the suspected steroid use by former officer Jason Duncan Deason, 38, and either failed to address the problem or concealed its existence because of Deason’s friendship with Kroeplin.
The situation within the Canby Police Department allowed Deason to buy drugs while on duty and in uniform and tip off his suppliers when there were investigations, according to the affidavits.
The FBI began investigating allegations in February that Deason had acquired steroids from William Jake Traverso of Canby Landscape Supply, a suspected methamphetamine user and dealer, and that Deason tipped Traverso off whenever he was the target of drug investigations, said Portland Special Agent Christopher Frazier in an affidavit.
City Administrator Mark Adock had no comment on the situation. Nor did the FBI. “We simply can’t comment because its’ an ongoing investigation,” said Portland FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele.
Mayor Melody Thompson said, “Chief Kroeplin did bring to our attention there were earlier complaints (against Deason) that were unfounded, but we were not aware of the FBI investigation until fairly recently.”
In a statement released Monday by the city of Canby, city officals stated:
“The city of Canby takes seriously any allegation of employee misconduct. As a result of allegations printed in the November 16 edition of The Oregonian, the city administrator has placed Chief Greg Kroeplin on paid administrative leave, effective this date, pending the outcome of a personnel investigation.
“The city understands the importance that the community maintains the trust in the integrity of the Canby Police Department that it has worked so long and hard to earn over the years. To this end, the city administrator has ordered that the personnel investigation be carried out by an independent third-party entity as soon as possible.
“As with all personnel investigations, the city will withhold comment until such time as the investigation is completed.”
Canby Police Lt. Jorge Tro, who joined the force in January 1996, has been named acting chief, said Amanda Klock, the city’s human resource director.
Kroeplin started with the Canby Police department in 1979 as a part-time dispatcher and became a full-time officer in 1983.
He was promoted to patrol sergeant in 1997 and to lieutenant in 2001. He became chief in February 2006, succeeding Ken Pagano who retired.
After Deason and his wife were divorced in 2005, he moved in with Kroeplin and they were housemates for some time.
The Portland FBI investigation uncovered a steroid distribution network operating in Oregon, Washington and Arizona.
That investigation uncovered the involvement of Deason, Traverso and Brian Jackson, former strength and conditioning coach for the Oregon City High School girls basketball team. The three men knew each other from working out at Nelson’s Nautilus Gym in Oregon City.
Deason joined the Canby Police Department in 1999 and resigned in July during the federal investigation.
Traverso, a former competitive bodybuilder, has admitted selling steroids to Deason and turned over to federal agents an April 30, 2002, order for steroids handwritten and signed by Deason on Canby police stationery.
Jackson, who was terminated from the basketball program because of inappropriate behavior among some of the team members, was identified as a principal source of steroids for Deason and Traverso. He identified Rainbow “Bo’ Wild Keepers, a competitive bodybuilder and photographer in Vancouver, Wash., as his source for the steroids.
Complaints about Deason’s steroid use date back to 2001, according to FBI documents.
According to the Oregonian report, federal authorities said that in 2001 Deason was tipped off about a departmental investigation by his then sergeant - Kroeplin, and that Deason in turn alerted Traverso, and later coached him on what to say.
Anabolic steroids, which can be used to rapidly build muscle mass and strength, carry adverse side affects that can damage the heart and liver. They are a controlled substance in the U.S. and banned by all major sports groups.
In recent years, the problem has invaded police ranks spurring departments in several major cities, such as New York Boston, Phoenix and Dallas to institute or consider steroid testing of officers.
http://www.canbyherald.com/
A story in The Oregonian Sunday referred to search warrant affidavits filed in U.S. District Court by the FBI which allege that the police department either failed to address the problem or concealed it.
The FBI documents acquired by the Canby Herald Monday further allege that Canby police had known for several years about the suspected steroid use by former officer Jason Duncan Deason, 38, and either failed to address the problem or concealed its existence because of Deason’s friendship with Kroeplin.
The situation within the Canby Police Department allowed Deason to buy drugs while on duty and in uniform and tip off his suppliers when there were investigations, according to the affidavits.
The FBI began investigating allegations in February that Deason had acquired steroids from William Jake Traverso of Canby Landscape Supply, a suspected methamphetamine user and dealer, and that Deason tipped Traverso off whenever he was the target of drug investigations, said Portland Special Agent Christopher Frazier in an affidavit.
City Administrator Mark Adock had no comment on the situation. Nor did the FBI. “We simply can’t comment because its’ an ongoing investigation,” said Portland FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele.
Mayor Melody Thompson said, “Chief Kroeplin did bring to our attention there were earlier complaints (against Deason) that were unfounded, but we were not aware of the FBI investigation until fairly recently.”
In a statement released Monday by the city of Canby, city officals stated:
“The city of Canby takes seriously any allegation of employee misconduct. As a result of allegations printed in the November 16 edition of The Oregonian, the city administrator has placed Chief Greg Kroeplin on paid administrative leave, effective this date, pending the outcome of a personnel investigation.
“The city understands the importance that the community maintains the trust in the integrity of the Canby Police Department that it has worked so long and hard to earn over the years. To this end, the city administrator has ordered that the personnel investigation be carried out by an independent third-party entity as soon as possible.
“As with all personnel investigations, the city will withhold comment until such time as the investigation is completed.”
Canby Police Lt. Jorge Tro, who joined the force in January 1996, has been named acting chief, said Amanda Klock, the city’s human resource director.
Kroeplin started with the Canby Police department in 1979 as a part-time dispatcher and became a full-time officer in 1983.
He was promoted to patrol sergeant in 1997 and to lieutenant in 2001. He became chief in February 2006, succeeding Ken Pagano who retired.
After Deason and his wife were divorced in 2005, he moved in with Kroeplin and they were housemates for some time.
The Portland FBI investigation uncovered a steroid distribution network operating in Oregon, Washington and Arizona.
That investigation uncovered the involvement of Deason, Traverso and Brian Jackson, former strength and conditioning coach for the Oregon City High School girls basketball team. The three men knew each other from working out at Nelson’s Nautilus Gym in Oregon City.
Deason joined the Canby Police Department in 1999 and resigned in July during the federal investigation.
Traverso, a former competitive bodybuilder, has admitted selling steroids to Deason and turned over to federal agents an April 30, 2002, order for steroids handwritten and signed by Deason on Canby police stationery.
Jackson, who was terminated from the basketball program because of inappropriate behavior among some of the team members, was identified as a principal source of steroids for Deason and Traverso. He identified Rainbow “Bo’ Wild Keepers, a competitive bodybuilder and photographer in Vancouver, Wash., as his source for the steroids.
Complaints about Deason’s steroid use date back to 2001, according to FBI documents.
According to the Oregonian report, federal authorities said that in 2001 Deason was tipped off about a departmental investigation by his then sergeant - Kroeplin, and that Deason in turn alerted Traverso, and later coached him on what to say.
Anabolic steroids, which can be used to rapidly build muscle mass and strength, carry adverse side affects that can damage the heart and liver. They are a controlled substance in the U.S. and banned by all major sports groups.
In recent years, the problem has invaded police ranks spurring departments in several major cities, such as New York Boston, Phoenix and Dallas to institute or consider steroid testing of officers.
http://www.canbyherald.com/
Corrections Officer Ricardo Walters Found Guilty of Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual Assult
NASSAU COUNTY
A jury has found Ricardo Walters, 43, of Hempstead, guilty of rape, kidnapping, sexual assault, and robbery charges in connection with a series of early morning attacks, including one on a pregnant woman.
It took a jury less than five hours to convict Walters of first degree rape, four counts of first degree robbery, two counts of first degree criminal sexual act, four counts of first degree sexual abuse, kidnapping and second degree attempted kidnapping.
Walters will be sentenced Dec. 19. He faces up to 243 years in prison.
Nassau district attorney Kathleen Rice said that Walters, a New York City corrections officer who worked at Rikers Island, would approach women on the street in the early morning hours, display his corrections department-registered handgun and demand money. Once he had robbed them, he would then try to force them into a secluded area where he would sexually assault them.
In addition to robbing and sodomizing a woman in April 2005, Rice said Walters also robbed and sexually abused a pregnant woman in November 2005, and robbed two sisters in November 2006. In that case, Walters entered the car the two women were sitting in, robbed them at gunpoint, and then fled the scene when they refused his order to drive to a secluded area.
Walters was caught on Sept. 9, 2007 when a passing Hempstead police officer saw him try to force a woman into a construction site after robbing her. Walters fled on foot but was eventually caught and identified himself as a law enforcement officer. A police search revealed the money he stole from the victim, which contained a handwritten note with the name of the victim’s sister. A DNA sample taken by police matched a sample taken from the then-unsolved April 2005 sodomy and robbery.
“Mr. Walters is a one-man crime wave,” Rice said. “He preyed on the women of our community and for that he should spend the rest of his life behind bars.Hopefully by refusing to plea bargain with this defendant and convicting him at trial, we have ensured that he will never again see the light of day.”
A jury has found Ricardo Walters, 43, of Hempstead, guilty of rape, kidnapping, sexual assault, and robbery charges in connection with a series of early morning attacks, including one on a pregnant woman.
It took a jury less than five hours to convict Walters of first degree rape, four counts of first degree robbery, two counts of first degree criminal sexual act, four counts of first degree sexual abuse, kidnapping and second degree attempted kidnapping.
Walters will be sentenced Dec. 19. He faces up to 243 years in prison.
Nassau district attorney Kathleen Rice said that Walters, a New York City corrections officer who worked at Rikers Island, would approach women on the street in the early morning hours, display his corrections department-registered handgun and demand money. Once he had robbed them, he would then try to force them into a secluded area where he would sexually assault them.
In addition to robbing and sodomizing a woman in April 2005, Rice said Walters also robbed and sexually abused a pregnant woman in November 2005, and robbed two sisters in November 2006. In that case, Walters entered the car the two women were sitting in, robbed them at gunpoint, and then fled the scene when they refused his order to drive to a secluded area.
Walters was caught on Sept. 9, 2007 when a passing Hempstead police officer saw him try to force a woman into a construction site after robbing her. Walters fled on foot but was eventually caught and identified himself as a law enforcement officer. A police search revealed the money he stole from the victim, which contained a handwritten note with the name of the victim’s sister. A DNA sample taken by police matched a sample taken from the then-unsolved April 2005 sodomy and robbery.
“Mr. Walters is a one-man crime wave,” Rice said. “He preyed on the women of our community and for that he should spend the rest of his life behind bars.Hopefully by refusing to plea bargain with this defendant and convicting him at trial, we have ensured that he will never again see the light of day.”
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