Former Officer Edmond Burke Accused of Selling Cocaine

The former Prichard police officer accused of selling cocaine and using his badge as a shield job has been indicted by a grand jury on drug charges.

Edmond Kennies Burke, 34, was arrested late Wednesday after being indicted on charges of trafficking and possessing cocaine, as well as possession of marijuana, stemming from an Aug. 2 sting operation.

According to an affidavit filed last year by a Homeland Security Investigations agent, Burke obtained 5 kilograms of cocaine and had marijuana and drug paraphernalia during a subsequent search of his house. It was alleged he made regular drug runs, carrying cocaine in his squad car.

He and another man, Raymond “Roc” Williams, were planning on selling the cocaine, obtained from a drug dealer cooperating with authorities.

The dealer told Williams he would receive $15,000 once the cocaine had been delivered, according to previous reports. Williams and Burke had done similar deals in the past, they said.

Court records alleged the pair had previously received $3,000 per kilogram and would only deliver larger amounts because they needed to split the payment.

The sting operation was a joint effort by federal agents and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Last year, Burke was subsequently charged in federal court, but was not indicted.

Burke will be arraigned before Mobile County Presiding Judge Charles Graddick on May 20. His bail was set at $20,000 on the trafficking charge, $7,500 for possession of cocaine and $500 for possession of marijuana.

Detention Officer Keenon Daniels Arrested For Delivering Contraband to Inmates

A Smith County detention officer has been arrested for delivering contraband to inmates at the Smith County Low Risk Facility.

Sheriff Larry Smith said on Friday morning around 11, 24-year-old Keenon Daniels Olison, Jr. was arrested by the Smith County Sheriff's Office. The investigation into Olison has been going on for the past six weeks when they received a tip that he was smuggling controlled substances into the low risk facility.

Sheriff Smith placed Olison under surveillance after information was received by the Special Services Unit showing that the officer was responsible for smuggling illegal contraband and controlled substances into the facility.

"We will not move a problem, we will not transfer a problem. We will not just simply terminate somebody's employment who has done something unlawful. We will conduct a criminal investigation, we will for the district attorney's office or the U.S. Attorney's Office or whichever one is applicable to prosecute that individual to whatever the statutes allow," said Sheriff Smith.

After his arrest on Friday, Olison was charged with multiple counts related to possessing a controlled substance in a detention facility with intent to deliver the controlled substance to an inmate. He was charged with delivery of contraband to inmates.

Olison's arrest affidavit says he took marijuana into the Smith County Jail on Friday. Surveillance video also showed him providing a tobacco product to an inmate. He then gave a cell phone to that same inmate.

“When I ran for this office, I said that the Smith County Sheriff's Office would clean its own house and that each employee will be held to a higher standard than the general public, and that’s exactly what we continue to do as we have exhibited today,” said Sheriff Smith.
Olison has worked at both the low risk facility and the Smith County Jail. He was originally hired on May 20, 2012. Sheriff Smith said that Olison had disciplinary actions in his personnel file related to not following protocol and direction, but nothing criminal until now.

"One of the promises was that we were going to be held, not only law enforcement officers and the detention officers of the Smith County Sheriff's Office to a higher standard than the general public, and this is just a continuation of that," added Smith.

The Sheriff’s Office has been conducting this investigation in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office.

Officer Demetrius Kendrick Arrested for Planting Drugs

A DeKalb County police officer turned himself in Friday on accusations he illegally charged a man with having marijuana during a 2012 arrest.

Officer Demetrius A. Kendrick was indicted Thursday by a DeKalb grand jury on the charge of violation of oath by public officer, authorities said.

The man Kendrick arrested, Alphonso Eleby, says video footage showed Kendrick planting drugs before the arrest.

A DeKalb Superior Court judge set a $10,000 bond for Kendrick, who was given 24 hours to turn himself in to the DeKalb County Jail, authorities said.

Kendrick, 33, was booked into the jail Friday around 9:30 a.m., and released on bond just after 10:15 a.m., according to jail records.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, prosecutors say.

In March 2013, Kendrick was placed on restrictive duty, which means he was off the streets, police said. He is now on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, police said.

Prosecutors say Kendrick, a five-year DeKalb cop, wrongfully arrested Eleby on July 6, 2012, and charged him with marijuana possession even though the officer knew Eleby didn’t have drugs on him.

Eleby’s attorney says Kendrick was caught on videotape planting drugs on Eleby.

On July 6, 2012, Eleby stopped to talk to someone inside a black SUV parked at the Chevron gas station on North Hairston Road.

Police officers claimed they smelled marijuana and arrested the person in the vehicle, according to police reports obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Eleby’s attorney Mark Bullman said his client was detained and strip-searched, but no drugs were found.

Video of the incident shows a female officer stand over Eleby and watch him while other officers search the SUV.

The video shows a male officer Bullman identified as Kendrick call the female officer over to the SUV. While she searches the vehicle, the video shows the male officer circle back to Eleby and toss marijuana next to him.

The video shows Eleby protesting what he sees the officer do and the officer puts him in a choke-hold while other officers look on.

In his report, Kendrick said that while arresting the driver of the SUV, “I observed Mr. Eleby throw a small piece of a green leafy substance behind him.”

Bullman argued that Eleby had no way to throw anything.

“My client had his hands on his knees as he was instructed and all of his pockets were rabbit-eared,” Bullman said. “They’d searched in his crotch and reached inside his underwear and found nothing. Where was he going to hide drugs?”

The DeKalb County Solicitor-General’s office dropped the charges against Eleby in March 2013, but not because of anything on the video.

According to court records, police couldn’t find the marijuana Eleby was accused of having in time to be tested and used at trial.

Police said an internal investigation into Kendrick’s conduct was started early this month.

Bullman lamented what he sees as a delay.

“It is disturbing, at best, that it took almost two years after the clearly unconstitutional and illegal actions of Officer Kendrick for the DeKalb County Police Department to initiate an internal investigation into this matter,” he said. “They have had clear, independent evidence of Kendrick’s crimes for the balance of this time, during which Mr. Eleby was under threat of criminal charges the county knew to be false.

“Nevertheless, we were pleased to learn (DeKalb County Public Safety Director Cedric) Alexander directed that an investigation be initiated.”

Corrections Officer Jessie Tyree Arrested on Drug Charges

A federal corrections officer and a woman were arrested at an apartment complex by Ocala police and drug agents Friday and were charged with possession of illegal narcotics.

Ocala Police Department officers Brandon Sirolli and J.P. Hall were patrolling at Spring Manor Apartments at 2833 NE Seventh St., Ocala, when they smelled burnt marijuana coming from an open window.

The officers saw Jessie Tyree and a woman walking from a hallway and smelled a strong odor of marijuana on them. The two said they had just left the apartment from which the officers had smelled burnt marijuana, reports state.

The woman told the officers she had smoked marijuana in the apartment. Other officers arrived and Tyree and the woman were searched. The woman did not have anything illegal in her possession but Tyree had MDMA, commonly called Ecstasy, cocaine and drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

Tyree, 28, is a corrections officer at Marion Correctional Institution. He told the officers he has been using drugs for “just a little while,” the report notes.

Charlotte James, the tenant in the apartment, came outside and asked officers what was going on. She said she had smoked marijuana before Tyree and the woman arrived, but that there was not any more inside. The officers asked to search the residence and she told them no, the report states.

The officers contacted the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, which obtained a search warrant. Inside James’ apartment agents found a small amount of marijuana.
James, 26, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.

Tyree was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, MDMA and drug paraphernalia.

Deputy Darrell Mathis Arrested for Selling Marijuana Out of His Police Car

An undercover sting operation nabbed an Atlanta-area sheriff's deputy who was selling marijuana out of his patrol car and in uniform, federal authorities say.

Newton County Deputy Darrell Mathis told an informant that he could sell pot without fear because "he drives safely and flashes police credentials to get out of tickets if stopped," according to court papers. Mathis, a five-year veteran deputy, was freed on bond after his arrest last week, the FBI said.

"This defendant used his position as a police officer to openly violate the very laws that he was sworn to uphold," U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a written statement.

"Selling marijuana out of his police car while wearing a badge and uniform is outrageous. This case is a reminder that no one is above the law."

Mathis has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and with carrying a firearm during a drug offense -- a charge that could bring a possible life sentence if convicted. He did not immediately return messages seeking comment Sunday.

Newton County is about 30 miles east of Atlanta. Sheriff Ezell Brown said Mathis has been placed on administrative leave, and his office is cooperating with the investigation.

"This is an embarrassment to the Newton County Sheriff's Office, as well as law enforcement in general," Brown said in a joint statement with Yates.

According to the charges against him, Mathis attracted the attention of the FBI in April after what officials called a "social visit" by a person who went on to become a confidential informant. The informant visited Mathis at his apartment and saw large bags of what was "believed to be marijuana" on the living room table.

The complaint states that Mathis told the informant that he wasn't concerned about getting caught, because of his safe driving and police credentials.

Apparently unnerved by the exchange, the informant went to the authorities and offered to help with an investigation. The FBI then set up a half dozen meetings among Mathis, the informant and eventually two undercover agents, court papers recount.

Mathis and the informant discussed a drug sale during their next meeting, the charges state. Mathis sold the informant an ounce of marijuana later that day, showing up for the deal in his cruiser, in uniform and carrying his service pistol.

After that, an undercover agent got involved -- and the amounts of marijuana increased.
In June, as the agent bought a pound of pot, Mathis boasted, "I do my little 10 to 15 a week" -- a phrase the agent "understood to mean selling 10 to 15 pounds a week," the arrest affidavit states.

Then in early August, according to the complaint, Mathis met with another undercover agent, a supposed cocaine dealer. The two agents and Mathis sat down at a restaurant to discuss buying and transporting marijuana and cocaine, according to the complaint.

While the three spoke, Mathis allegedly pulled out his badge and told the undercover agent, "Don't worry, I'm on your side." By the end of the meeting, the complaint alleges, Mathis had agreed to run marijuana and cocaine from Alabama to North Carolina at the behest of the undercover agent.

Federal agents found a pound of pot on Mathis when he was arrested last week, the FBI said.

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.

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.

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

Former ATF Agent Brandon McFadden Indicted on Drug Charges

A former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent was taken into custody by Tulsa Police on Thursday.

Brandon J. McFadden was indicted by a grand jury for the Northern District of Oklahoma on four counts including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana; possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute; possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and money laundering.

According to the indictment, McFadden was employed as an ATF agent from July, 2002, through September, 2009. He regularly investigated potential firearms and drug trafficking offenses, and the indictment alleges that he was guilty of selling drugs, falsifying evidence and lying on the witness stand.

In one case, a man and his daughter were sent to federal prison and have since been released.  The woman's only son was killed by a drunk driver while she was in prison, and she was not allowed to attend the funeral.

Related Story 3/31/2010: Tulsa Police Officer, Former ATF Agent Accused Of Corruption

If convicted, McFadden faces a possible sentence of not less than 10 years imprisonment to life. The McFadden investigation is related to an investigation of corruption in the Tulsa Police Department.
Tulsa Police Officer Jeff Henderson has been placed on administrative leave in connection to this investigation which is ongoing.

Former Officer Ryan Moore Pleads Guilty to Possession of Marijuana

A former Huntsville Police Officer was sentenced after pleading guilty to possessing marijuana.

Court records showed a small amount of marijuana was found in an equipment bag inside the trunk of Ryan Moore's patrol car.

Moore resigned from the police department and pleaded guilty to charges on September 14th.

Moore, his attorney, prosecution and Moore's friends and family were given a chance to speak before sentencing.

Moore spoke on his own behalf telling the court, "I made a mistake. I didn't turn in the marijuana. I'm sorry to the Huntsville Police Department, my friends and family for dragging them into this. This was truly a misunderstanding."

Moore also explained it's been difficult to find a job with a pending felony charge.

Moore said he has applied to many places but was turned down when the employer found out about his criminal record.

Moore said he is now employed at Publix and found out Friday he passed his managers test.

Moore's friends and family testified Moore knew by 7th grade he wanted to become a police officer.

He graduated from Grissom High School, went on to graduate from Auburn, and then from the police academy.

His father, Douglas Moore told the judge, "I ask for mercy. Ryan has been punished enough. It's been 21 months since he was charged. He was forced to quit the police department."

Prosecutor Don Rizzardi said this has been a hard case.

"I feel Ryan fell under bad influence. He confessed, pled guilty. It takes a man to admit he was wrong. It doesn't make sense to me that he doesn't remember turning in 4 bags of marijuana in his car," he said.

Huntsville Police Internal Affairs Officer also stood before the court.

"It gave us cause for concern but I don't think Ryan Moore belongs in prison," he said.

During sentencing, Judge Karen Hall told Little, "This is not an easy case. I know from what I've read that you must be an upstanding person that made poor decisions. And it seems you were under the influence of a fellow officer whose record wasn't as clear."

Moore was sentenced to a five year split sentence.

He will serve six months at the Madison County jail in active work release.

He has until January 19th to turn himself in.

The balance of his sentence will be suspended. Then he will be placed on a 2 year probation.

The defense has 42 days to appeal.

Resource Officer Domonique Robinson Charged with Possession of Marijuana

Darlington County Intervention School’s school resource officer has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, according to a Darlington County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Domonique Robinson, a Darlington police officer, is in custody at the Darlington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing, according to the release. His age and address weren’t available.

Robinson has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation, Darlington Police Capt. Danny Watson said.

Darlington County School District officials also have been notified about his arrest, the release said.

A tip from the Hartsville Police Department prompted an investigation by the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office that led to the arrest. Darlington County Drug Enforcement Unit investigators found drugs in the suspect’s Hartsville residence late Tuesday afternoon, according to the release.

Robinson has been with the Darlington Police Department for about four years, Watson said.

“We never had any problems with him, no discipline,“ Watson said. “All we can do is wait and let the investigation take its course and proceed from there.“

Toledo Officers Test Positive for Marijuana

The professional fate of four Toledo police officers who have been charged internally for misconduct related to drugs and alcohol will be decided at departmental hearings Monday, Chief Mike Navarre said Monday.

Officers Curtis Jewell and Karon Gallup, both uniformed patrol officers, face charges related to their failure of a random drug test, which indicated marijuana in their systems.

Officers Donald Mitchell and James W. Breier face criminal and departmental charges related to operating patrol vehicles while intoxicated.

The officers have been placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of the hearing, Chief Navarre said.

"I think the public will look very closely at what we do with these cases," the chief said, adding that members of the department should also pay close attention to the cases. He would not comment on possible outcomes, only stating termination is a possibility.

Officer Jewell, 52, a 26-year veteran, and Officer Gallup, 42, who has worked for the department for the past 14 years, were internally charged Friday with illegal use or abuse of marijuana, willful violation, and conduct unbecoming an officer.

The officers were among 48 who were selected randomly Nov. 19 to submit to drug screens.

The testing marks the first time that rank-and-file officers have been subjected to random drug screening. Before the practice was allowed in the latest union contract with the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association in July, patrol officers only could be tested when there was "reasonable suspicion," Chief Navarre said.

He added that random drug testing will continue.

"We'll do it again," he said. "I'm not going to say when or what frequency."

Dan Wagner, president of the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association, said the union agreed to the random drug testing as part of contract negotiations but questioned whether the department had the right to release the names of officers who failed the test. He said the officers signed medical release forms so results could be given to the department, but he believed the results were not public per laws protecting medical records.

"I believe the officers involved are poised to take action civilly against the city for releasing that information," he said, adding that the union may file a grievance.

Because the recent test was the first time the department randomly screened its officers for drugs, there is no precedent on disciplinary measures. Chief Navarre said that before the recent agreement, only command officers and officers assigned to the property room and vice narcotics could be randomly screened.

The chief added that he knew of no command officers who failed the test and of only one member of vice who failed nearly two decades ago.

That officer was terminated but was reinstated, after arbitration, without back pay and with certain conditions, he said. The officer, whom he declined to name, has since retired.

Officers Gallup and Jewell do not face criminal charges because the test was a condition of their employment and so it cannot be used in a criminal case, the chief said.

"We can't mandate someone give us evidence and then use it against them," he said.

Also facing internal charges are two officers who were arrested after it was determined they were drinking while on patrol duty.

Officer Mitchell, 45, is accused of showing up intoxicated for work Oct. 31. He was arrested after being called back from patrolling the streets after command was notified that something appeared to be wrong.

The month before, Officer Breier, 54, was arrested and accused of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol when he responded to a traffic crash and appeared to be intoxicated.

Both men face internal charges of use of intoxicants, willful violation, and conduct unbecoming a police officer. They also face misdemeanor criminal charges in Toledo Municipal Court, where both have pretrials on Thursday.

A third officer, Shawn Parra, 35, was off-duty and in his personal vehicle when he was involved in what reports allege was a drunken-driving crash in which he fled the scene. Officer Parra has been on vacation since the Thanksgiving-morning crash and likely will face departmental charges, the chief said.

Mr. Wagner said there is concern about the unusual number of incidents lately. He said the union is asking counselors with the Employee Assistance Program to speak to officers during training sessions.

"There may be some underlying factor. Is it because of the low manpower that our guys are experiencing stress and instead of going to a counselor, they are turning to other means?" he said.

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Even the cops are doing marijuana! Time to legalize the shit and let it help the country recover from these bad times.

Two Deputies Accused of Extorting Hush Money

A Broward County judge granted bail this afternoon to one of two deputies accused of extorting hush money from a Fort Lauderdale marijuana grower.

Fausto "TJ" Tejero, 34, was arrested Oct. 9 on charges of extortion, attempted bribery, armed burglary and unlawful compensation.

Armed burglary is a no-bail offense, but prosecutor Tim Donnelly advised the judge today that the state would not be filing that charge, said Tejero's defense attorney, Mike Dutko.

Judge John Hurley granted Tejero $75,000 bail and ordered that he wear an electronic ankle monitor, Dutko said.

Also charged in the cash-for-silence scheme is Deputy Manuel Silva, 40. He has been held without bail since his Oct. 2 arrest.

According to a search warrant, the deputies promised to protect the pot grower in exchange for $15,000.

Silva proposed the arrangement after seeing five marijuana plants at Orlando Gutierrez's home in Fort Lauderdale, the warrant states. Tejero is accused of acting as Silva's accomplice.

Gutierrez reported the deputies to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, which provided the cash and set up a sting operation to record the transaction.

"I've spoken at length with my client and in the end I think he'll be vindicated of all these charges, but we're not there yet," Dutko said. "Although the bond is high, it is justifiable and appropriate under the circumstances."

Tejero's family is working with a bondsman to try to post the bail, Dutko said.

Officer Shayne Souza Pleads Not Guilty to Possessing Marijuana

A Honolulu police officer arrested in Las Vegas for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana and obstructing a public officer is pleading not guilty.

Shayne Souza's lawyer entered his plea Thursday in a Las Vegas court. Souza wasn't present and wasn't required to be.

The 47-year-old Souza allegedly ran from a Las Vegas Parks Police officer on Aug. 15.

Also arrested were a fellow officer, 37-year-old Kevin Fujioka, and a Honolulu social worker, 38-year-old Scott Wilson.

A not guilty plea also was entered for Wilson on Thursday. Fujioka is to enter a plea on Nov. 16. Non-jury trials are scheduled for Souza on Nov. 18 and for Wilson on Feb. 9.

Souza and Fujioka have been suspended and placed on administrative leave without pay.
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Information from: The Honolulu Advertiser, http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com
Other Information: http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/15/hawaiian-cop-pleads-not-guilty-misdemeanor-pot-cha/

Deputy Fausto Tejero Charged with Extorting Money

A Florida sheriff's deputy accused of extorting money from marijuana growers had an accomplice on the force, the Broward County sheriff says.

Deputy Fausto "T.J." Tejero has joined Deputy Manuel Silva in being charged with demanding money from the residents of an alleged drug-growing house near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to ignore the operation, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Tuesday.

Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said last week when Silva was arrested and charged with extortion, attempted bribery, burglary and unlawful compensation that investigators weren't done.

"I repeat that we will leave no stone unturned when there's evidence that a BSO employee has committed a crime," Lamberti said in a release. "Unethical or unlawful conduct will not be tolerated on my watch."

The newspaper said Tejero is the fifth deputy to be arrested this year. He was twice honored as the Sheriff's Department employee of the month, in May 2006 and February 2007. The Sun-Sentinel also said Tejero was also a minor league baseball player from 1990 to 2000.
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http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/2009/10/bso_deputy_extortion_tejero.php

Officer Francis Brevetti Arrested on Drug Charges

On Sunday, September 20, Watertown police executed an arrest warrant for Francis Brevetti, 29, of 11 Rustic Acres Drive, Wolcott on drug possession charges. Mr. Brevetti is a member of the Waterbury Police Department.

Mr. Brevetti was allegedly discovered to be in possession of marijuana and less than three grams of cocaine when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Watertown in the early morning on Sunday, September 20.

Mr. Brevetti has been charged with possession of narcotics, possession with intent to sell cocaine, possession with intent to sell cocaine within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell marijuana, possession with intent to sell marijuana within 1,500 of a school and possession of paraphernalia. He was released on $100,000 bond.

Watertown Police spokesman Lt. Mark Raimo reported that Mr. Brevetti "was not arrested at the accident scene," as Mr. Brevetti was taken to a hospital.

"We completed an investigation and arrested Mr. Brevetti on warrant," said Lt. Raimo.

Lt. Raimo declined any comment regarding what the investigation had revealed, but Mr. Brevetti's lawyer has stated that he seized the drugs while on duty, but forgot to turn them over at the police station.

According to police, the drugs were found in Mr. Brevetti's Ford F-150 after he was involved in a head-on accident with a tree at about 2 a.m. Mr. Brevetti was taken from the scene by ambulance for treatment of injuries to his face and head, after he had exited the vehicle and was found stumbling in the roadway, police said.

However, as officers were having the vehicle towed, they discovered a large amount of drugs in the rear of the vehicle.

Officers seized several small plastic baggies stuffed with marijuana, a small baggie containing a small quantity of cocaine, and a digital scale used for weighing small items.

The arrest warrant stated that there were more than 51 grams of marijuana in the baggies. Police seized the drugs and launched a criminal investigation. In a press release issued by the Watertown Police Department, Police Chief John Gavallas stated, "the arrest of a police officer on charges such as these saddens the entire law enforcement community."

Mr. Brevetti was due to appear in court on September 29.

Officer Francis Brevetti Faces Drug Charges

A Waterbury police officer has been charged possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to sell, but insists he seized the drugs during an investigation and just forgot to turn them in at the police department.

Twenty-nine-year-old Francis Brevetti of Wolcott was arrested by Watertown police Thursday. Officers say Brevetti crashed his pickup into a tree Sunday and police found the drugs in his truck.

Police say they found nearly 2 ounces of marijuana, less than 3 grams of powder cocaine and a digital scale.

Brevetti has been suspended with pay pending an investigation. He posted $100,000 bail and is to be arraigned in state court Tuesday.

Brevetti's lawyer says his client seized the drugs while on duty and put them in a bag that he forgot to turn in at the police station.
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http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local-beat/Search-for-Missing-Boater-61393407.html

Trial for Former Officer Wesley Little Begins

The trial of a former Huntsville police officer accused of allegedly planting drugs in a suspect's car begins today in Madison County Circuit Court.

Wesley Little's trial began this morning with jury selection and opening statements.

Little and fellow former officer Ryan Moore were indicted in May 2008 for attempting to possess a controlled substance, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, tampering with physical evidence and false reporting to law enforcement authorities. Little and Moore both resigned from the police force.

According to a civil lawsuit filed against Little by Quincy Turner, Little attempted to plant marijuana in Turner's car during an arrest in September 2007.

According to the lawsuit: Turner was diving a rental car in Huntsville when Little stopped him about a problem with the vehicle's license plate. Little searched the car and allegedly found marijuana.

Turner was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana, taken to jail and prosecuted in Huntsville Municipal Court. But the city dropped the marijuana charge against Turner on June 16, 2007.

Little resigned from the police department in June 2008 after he was indicted.

According to the indictment, Little allegedly told a fellow officer during another vehicle search on Oct. 29, 2007, "there could be some marijuana inside the vehicle if it needed to be." Officers searched the car a second time and found marijuana, according to the indictment.

Little also was indicted on charges of possession of a pistol with altered or missing serial numbers, tampering with physical evidence and false reporting to a law enforcement agency.

Little, 30, had been with the department since December 2006.

Officers Kevin Fujioka & Shayne Souza Arrested

Two Honolulu law enforcers in Las Vegas to play in a softball tournament for police and firefighters were arrested on marijuana charges after leading authorities on a short chase.

Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling said officers Kevin Fujioka, 37, and Shayne Souza, 47, were arrested Saturday night near Desert Breeze Park, about six miles west of the Las Vegas Strip.

Scott Wilson, a 38-year-old social worker from Honolulu, also was arrested, Welling said Monday.

Park police approached the men in a white van because it was parked sideways across two spots in the parking lot, Welling said. As officers approached, the van drove off.

After a short pursuit, Souza and Fujioka got out of the van and ran from police, authorities said. Welling said officers pepper-sprayed Souza when he resisted arrest.

All three men were charged with marijuana possession, Welling said. Fujioka also was charged with driving under the influence of a narcotic, and Souza was charged with drug paraphernalia possession, resisting a police officer and obstruction of justice. Wilson was charged with having an open alcohol container in a vehicle, Welling said.

Michelle Yu, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department, confirmed that the agency has two officers with the same names as Fujioka and Souza, but she said the department had not heard about the arrests and could not immediately comment.

Yu said Fujioka is a patrol officer who has worked at the department 13 years, while Souza is a SWAT officer who has been with the department 20 years.

Welling said the men identified themselves as police officers from the Hawaii city.

Tom Wagner, president of the Nevada Police Athletic Federation, said the arrests happened during a men's softball tournament that was part of the 2009 Nevada Police & Fire Games. The five-day event of various sports and games involves about 2,000 police and firefighters from across the country, Wagner said.

He called the arrests "shocking" and said it's possible that the players and their team would not be invited to return to the games.

"It's unfortunate but we definitely are going to be speaking to that coach and that police department and getting the story and deciding what our action will be as a federation," Wagner said.

Officer Kevin Osborne Arrested for Cocaine & Marijuana

A Denver police officer has resigned from the force after he was investigated on suspicion of using cocaine and marijuana.

Kevin Osborne, who was assigned to the police information desk, became a target of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which believed Osborne was getting drugs while frequenting a house in Lakewood. Osborne learned the FBI was at the house one night last month and visited to find out what was going on, driving an unmarked Denver police car there, a person familiar with the investigation said.

Federal authorities confronted him at the house, and Osborne fled in the vehicle, prompting authorities to chase him.

He resigned from the Denver police force June 24 after federal authorities told him that if he did not do so, they would pursue criminal charges, people close to the investigation confirm.

Kathy Wright, a spokeswoman with the FBI, and Jeff Dorschner, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Denver, declined comment. Osborne's lawyer, Michael Lowe, also declined comment.

Denver Safety Manager Al LaCabe said he was not aware of the details that led to a decision not to criminally charge Osborne. He said that the Police Department brought an end to an internal affairs investigation into Osborne's activities after Osborne resigned.

It was not the first time Osborne had been in trouble at the Police Department. In 2004, LaCabe suspended Osborne for 18 days and ordered him to work four days without pay for false reporting, failing to obey an order and "departing from the truth" in connection with an affair with an intern.