Officer Jovon Tierell Bonneau Arrested for DUI

A weekend traffic crash led to the drunken-driving arrest of a Charleston police officer and a felony drug charge for a man in the car his pickup crashed into, authorities said Monday.

Jovon Tierell Bonneau, 28, who has been a Charleston police officer since June 2010, was arrested early Sunday after he stumbled and swayed during a field-sobriety test in North Charleston, an incident report stated.

A breath test later indicated that his blood-alcohol content was 0.19 percent, according to the document. That's more than twice the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent.

When North Charleston police officers searched the car that Bonneau's truck hit, they found 20 small bags of methamphetamine, they said. Lashaun Q. White, 32, of Valcour Road on Johns Island, was arrested on a charge of possession with intent to distribute meth.

It was the first arrest in South Carolina for both men, according to the State Law Enforcement Division.

Bonneau was placed on unpaid leave, Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis said. He was off duty and in his own vehicle at the time of the wreck, Francis said.

His driver's license was suspended.

The events leading to the arrests started about 2:42 a.m. Sunday, as a North Charleston police officer worked an off-duty job at an IHOP restaurant. The officer reported seeing Bonneau's Dodge Ram rear-end a Toyota Corolla at a traffic light at Ashley Phosphate and Mazyck roads.

The Toyota's driver, 35-year-old Shanta Nelson of Betsy Kerrison Parkway on Johns Island, and the passenger, White, were hurt. Paramedics took them to Roper Hospital Diagnostics & ER Northwoods.

Bonneau was uninjured and steered his truck into the IHOP parking lot, police said. As he completed a crash report, the officer reported that he smelled alcohol on Bonneau's breath. Bonneau's eyes were red, and he often lost his balance while performing tasks during the sobriety test, according to the report.

Bonneau told the officer that he had two drinks at a bar "up the road," the paperwork stated.

Before he took the breath test at police headquarters, according to the report, Bonneau fell asleep. An officer said he awakened Bonneau so he could answer questions for a jail booking report.

Bonneau, a resident of Marinella Drive in Goose Creek, spent seven hours at the Charleston County jail before he was freed on bail.

Meanwhile, officers said they searched the Toyota while preparing to have it towed.

They found the small bags of meth in the glove compartment, police said. They weighed 6.7 grams, or about a quarter of an ounce.

At the hospital, White acknowledged that drugs were his, an incident report stated, and said that his girlfriend had nothing to do with it.

Former Officer Mitchel Wright Arrested for Selling Meth

Authorities say a former Washington police officer who spent time working for the DEA was arrested for the second time in less than a year last month after his life took a dark turn and he planned to become a drug kingpin.

Mitchel J. Wright, who joined the King County Sheriff's Department in 2002, was fired last year after being accused of stealing drug evidence while working undercover for the DEA. He was arrested on Feb. 11 after selling drugs to undercover officers on separate occasions. He reportedly bragged that he'd never be caught because knew every police tactic. His hubris was his downfall.

Wright, 33, resigned last July after a cop discovered a woman injecting herself with heroin inside of a vehicle registered to Wright. She told police that she lived with Wright and worked for him as an informant, and a subsequent search of the vehicle produced drugs and drug paraphernalia.

An internal investigation revealed that Wright was giving strippers heroin and methamphetamine to persuade them to work as drug dealers for him. His ultimate goal was to dominate the area drug trade using his authority, knowledge of the underworld and access to evidence.

After being placed on administrative leave, Wright resigned. Later that month, King County deputies discovered three baggies bearing DEA case numbers inside of his old police car. Each tested positive for heroin. It's estimated that Wright seized between $36,450 and $52,490 worth of drugs during his stint with the DEA and never turned them in as evidence.

For his most recent arrest, Wright was charged with distribution of over five grams of meth and conspiracy to distribute meth. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.

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 Robert Bakert Arrested for Using Meth

A Carrollton, Mo., police officer has been charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Marshall police said they received a tip that Robert W. Bakert, 34, of Marshall, had been suspected of using methamphetamine while working for the Carollton Police Department.

"(It was) inconceivable at first," said Carrollton Police Chief Donny King, on how he reacted to news of Bakert's arrest. "You have a hard time imagining anybody that picks this for a career getting involved in that, and then there's the shock."

According to court documents, an officer pulled Bakert over for a traffic violation early Tuesday and searched his vehicle. The officer said Bakert was wearing his police uniform and had his service firearm on a belt in the passenger's side floorboard.

The documents said a K-9 officer was brought to sniff Bakert's vehicle and led officers to a glass smoking pipe that was under a floor mat. Police also said they found a plastic bag with white residue, two near-empty containers of "Pump-It" stimulant in the car.

In the trunk, police said they found an evidence bag containing three spoons covered in a white powdery residue. The evidence bag had been cut open.

Investigators later said the stimulant containers tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine and the spoons tested positive for cocaine.

According to court documents, Bakert said he had not used methamphetamine since December 2010, but said he would not provide a urine sample for drug testing. He initially said the spoons had been intended for use in a display at the Carrollton Police Department, but later said he had planned to dispose of them, but they must have fallen out of a bag and into his trunk.

If convicted, the charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison or up to $5,000 in fines.Bakert graduated from the police academy six months ago and has been working for Carrollton ever since. A hearing is scheduled next Monday to determine whether Bakert should be fired.

"He was a friendly guy and did good work," King said. "(There was) no indication anything like this was going on."

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 Timothy Radogna Sentenced for Grand Theft

A former Glendora police officer pleaded no contest today to grand theft and possessing methamphetamine.

Timothy Radogna, 34, was sentenced to 180 days in county jail and three years of probation and ordered to complete a 24-month drug rehabilitation program, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

He could have received a maximum term of nine years and eight months in state prison.

Radogna was arrested in May after he was accused of stealing hundreds of dollars from the Glendora Police Department and possessing drugs.

Radgona was also ordered to repay $500 to the department, authorities said.

Former Deputy Donna Sheain Charged with Sale of Meth

A former, long-time deputy at the Coweta County Sheriff's Office was arrested Dec. 31, 2009, and charged with selling methamphetamine.

Donna Rachelle Sheain, 37, is charged with two counts sale of meth, possession of meth, conspiracy to sell meth and possession of marijuana.

Sheain was a supervisor for the sheriff's office, where she was employed for over a decade. She was a certified CPR instructor, a general instructor and a field training officer.

She left her job, at the rank of corporal, in 2004 for a year-long tour as a defense contractor in Iraq, according to The Times-Herald news files.

She volunteered to be part of the effort to train the Iraqi police force.

Deputy Albert Surratt III Charged with Manufacturing Meth

A Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested in the Pageland area and taken into custody Thursday on drug related charges.

Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker said Deputy Albert Eugene Surratt, III (Brent), 28, of 1469 Hillian Edward Road, Cheraw, was charged and taken into custody for alleged conspiracy to manufacturing meth and for possession of a firearm during a drug crime.

Surratt is a 1999 graduate from West-Oak High School in Westminster, S.C. He was also a former employee of the Cheraw Police Department before being hired with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office on June 8.

“This is a shock to all of us and it is a sad situation because he always seemed to be a good guy,” said Cheraw Police Chief Jay Brooks.

Parker echoed some of the same comments.

“It is hard to believe that this happened with Brent. It is a terrible shock and very disappointing because Brent is a good person. However, we are going to try to help him get the help he needs in order to get his life back on track. It goes to show you that bad things happen to good people.”

Parker added that the case is an ongoing investigation and other arrests would result and surface as the investigation progresses.

“The Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, State and Federal Agencies as well as the DEA, are all involved in this investigation,” Parker said.

Former Officer Michael Burch Arrested for Making Meth

A former Bennington police officer is behind bars following an arrest for methamphetamine manufacture, authorities said this morning.

Michael Shane Burch, 34, Bennington, was booked into jail late Wednesday afternoon for suspicion of methamphetamine manufacture and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Deputies said he was arrested at a residence east of Bennington and that he had items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine inside a diaper bag.

Another person, Jessica Kay Saddler, 21, Bennington, was arrested for endeavoring to manufacture methamphetamine, according to jail records.

Burch had been a Bennington police officer in the late 1990s, according to court records.

No one answered the telephone at the Bennington Police Department this morning.

The Bryan County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force was preparing an affidavit at press time on the arrests and additional details were not available.

In other crime news, a man stole a 30-pack of beer this morning after the store clerk told him he could not purchase it because it was after legal hours.

According to a report by Durant Police Patrolman Drew Hale, the man placed the beer on the front counter at EZ Mart on Washington Avenue. He grabbed the beer and ran after the clerk told him it was after 2 a.m.

The store has video surveillance that the clerk said would be available from the store’s manager.

Patrolman Scott Phelps arrested a man at Walmart Wednesday morning who was walking around the store eating a package of meat he had picked up at the deli. Police were dispatched to the store called about an intoxicated person. When Phelps arrived, he found a 33-year-old man and saw a half-empty bottle of vodka in a pants pocket.

Phelps also found a camera that the man had concealed, plus two mosquito repellent devices attached to his belt, according to the report.

A manager told Phelps that the man also took a package of sandwich meat and was eating it while walking around the store. He was booked into jail.

Also at Walmart on Wednesday, Patrolman Damon Lewis arrested a woman store personnel had seen put drill bits in her purse and drink a soda pop without paying for it.