Authorities are searching for a D.C. police lieutenant’s service weapon that went missing after a carjacking in Prince George’s County, multiple police sources said.
Veteran police officer Lt. Ronald Netter told investigators that his weapon was stolen while his vehicle was stopped late Wednesday near Temple Hills, law enforcement sources told The Examiner.
Police used K-9 units Wednesday night and Thursday to try sniff out the missing gun.
A teenage boy has been taken into custody in the case, police said. The teenager denied stealing the gun and said he knew Netter personally, said police sources familiar with the ongoing investigation.
The loss of his gun could be a problem for Netter because this is the third time he has lost his service weapon, according to two sources within the Metropolitan Police Department.
Around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Netter called Prince George’s County police from a 7-Eleven convenience store on the 5400 block of Silver Hill Road in Temple Hills to say that he had been carjacked by a black male, according to Prince George’s police Officer Henry Tippett. Netter said the suspect took off with his 1995 gold Lexus and was armed with a handgun. Police sent out a K-9 unit and found the suspect but had not found the car as of late Thursday, Tippett said.
Police officers are responsible for their service weapons and can be terminated for losing them through improper safekeeping or making poor personal choices.
The teenager was going to be charged in the carjacking, police said.
Netter had recently been transferred from a top manager in the 6th District in Southeast Washington, where he was lauded by Hillcrest residents . He now heads up the central cellblock, the jail in the basement at downtown police headquarters.
Before working on the other side of the Anacostia, he had been a sergeant in the 5th District in Northeast Washington.
Showing posts with label Stolen Weapons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stolen Weapons. Show all posts
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Former Officer Jamie Buford Receives 6-Year Sentence
A former South Bend Police officer will spend six years behind bars for selling stolen guns and drugs.
Back in February, former St. Joseph County Officers Andrew Taghon and Ryan Huston and former South Bend Officer Jamie Buford all pleaded guilty to wire fraud, drug, and weapons charges.
They took drugs, guns, and electronics from two trailers and sold them with the help of a convicted felon.
On Thursday, Buford was sentenced to six years behind bars.
Taghon was sentenced on Wednesday and will spend six and a half years behind bars.
Huston will learn his punishment for the crime in July.
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http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/44921282.html
Back in February, former St. Joseph County Officers Andrew Taghon and Ryan Huston and former South Bend Officer Jamie Buford all pleaded guilty to wire fraud, drug, and weapons charges.
They took drugs, guns, and electronics from two trailers and sold them with the help of a convicted felon.
On Thursday, Buford was sentenced to six years behind bars.
Taghon was sentenced on Wednesday and will spend six and a half years behind bars.
Huston will learn his punishment for the crime in July.
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http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/44921282.html
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
More Weapons Missing from the Tulsa Police Department
Lax security policies at the Tulsa Police Department led to the disappearance of 44 guns and an unknown amount of ammunition, a recent audit concluded.
The inquiry stemmed from the theft of 19 firearms and ammunition in 2007, Police Chief Ron Palmer told city councilors Tuesday. Former range instructor Buddy Visser was sent to federal prison for stealing the weapons and selling them online during an 11-month period.
"No one ever counted on the police stealing from the police," Palmer said. "But at the same time, we could have done a lot better job along the way."
The 19 stolen guns were eventually recovered. Twenty-five others, including two AR-15 assault rifles and several snub-nosed revolvers, are unaccounted for, Palmer said.
Although it's continuing to search for those weapons, the department has invested in a computer system to track ammunition by bar codes. Security is also tighter at the range, Palmer said.
The audit, which cataloged roughly 5,300 firearms that passed through the department in the last 30 years, was the first large-scale examination of the department's arsenal, Palmer said.
"A whole host of things happened during that period of time and, as we admit in our response to the range audit, we didn't do a very good job in some of that inventory control," he said.
Among the missing weapons are nine Remington 12-gauge shotguns and two Smith & Wesson .357-caliber Magnum revolvers.
All told, the guns are worth $11,864, records show.
Palmer said the audit uncovered several ways to improve security.
The new computer program will help track the department's inventory, but technical problems have delayed the project. Officials are working with the city's information technology staff to bring the system online, Palmer said.
Visser, a 17-year department veteran, sold the stolen guns and ammunition on his Web site, authorities said. None of the buyers knew that the weapons were stolen, police said.
Visser resigned from the police force before he pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2008. He is in a low-security prison in Texas, records show.
Documents: View a list of the 25 firearms that are still missing from the Tulsa Police Department
The inquiry stemmed from the theft of 19 firearms and ammunition in 2007, Police Chief Ron Palmer told city councilors Tuesday. Former range instructor Buddy Visser was sent to federal prison for stealing the weapons and selling them online during an 11-month period.
"No one ever counted on the police stealing from the police," Palmer said. "But at the same time, we could have done a lot better job along the way."
The 19 stolen guns were eventually recovered. Twenty-five others, including two AR-15 assault rifles and several snub-nosed revolvers, are unaccounted for, Palmer said.
Although it's continuing to search for those weapons, the department has invested in a computer system to track ammunition by bar codes. Security is also tighter at the range, Palmer said.
The audit, which cataloged roughly 5,300 firearms that passed through the department in the last 30 years, was the first large-scale examination of the department's arsenal, Palmer said.
"A whole host of things happened during that period of time and, as we admit in our response to the range audit, we didn't do a very good job in some of that inventory control," he said.
Among the missing weapons are nine Remington 12-gauge shotguns and two Smith & Wesson .357-caliber Magnum revolvers.
All told, the guns are worth $11,864, records show.
Palmer said the audit uncovered several ways to improve security.
The new computer program will help track the department's inventory, but technical problems have delayed the project. Officials are working with the city's information technology staff to bring the system online, Palmer said.
Visser, a 17-year department veteran, sold the stolen guns and ammunition on his Web site, authorities said. None of the buyers knew that the weapons were stolen, police said.
Visser resigned from the police force before he pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2008. He is in a low-security prison in Texas, records show.
Documents: View a list of the 25 firearms that are still missing from the Tulsa Police Department
Friday, March 06, 2009
Officer James Arthur Jr Arrested for Possession of Stolen Firearm
A Vivian police officer was arrested today on charges he bought a stolen gun on the street and then sold it back to a drug dealer when he found out it was hot.
James Arthur Jr., 34, of Peach Street in Shreveport was arrested by Caddo Parish sheriff's deputies on charges of possession of a stolen firearm.
The charges involve a stolen Bushmaster XM15 assault rifle valued at $1,250.
The rifle and three others were reported stolen in Shreveport in March 2008. In November, one of the guns was recovered by local narcotics agents during a drug case.
Sheriff's Department detectives began an investigation into the stolen weapon and found that Arthur bought the gun on the street for $300, Prator said.
Afterward, Arthur got on a national crime information computer to check the weapon's history and found out it was stolen, Prator said. Instead of turning the gun in, he sold it on the street for $600 to a known drug dealer, Prator said.
James Arthur Jr., 34, of Peach Street in Shreveport was arrested by Caddo Parish sheriff's deputies on charges of possession of a stolen firearm.
The charges involve a stolen Bushmaster XM15 assault rifle valued at $1,250.
The rifle and three others were reported stolen in Shreveport in March 2008. In November, one of the guns was recovered by local narcotics agents during a drug case.
Sheriff's Department detectives began an investigation into the stolen weapon and found that Arthur bought the gun on the street for $300, Prator said.
Afterward, Arthur got on a national crime information computer to check the weapon's history and found out it was stolen, Prator said. Instead of turning the gun in, he sold it on the street for $600 to a known drug dealer, Prator said.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Officer Arrested for Possession of Unlicensed Guns
The PSNI has confirmed that a serving police officer has been arrested in Northern Ireland and questioned about the illegal possession of guns.
Police say that a number of firearms were recovered following a search of premises in Aghadooey, outside Coleraine in Co Derry.
They said the serving policeman, in his late 20s, was arrested in connection with the possession of a number of unlicensed guns.
It is understood the officer graduated from the PSNI training college and joined the force last year.
In a follow up search, an inspection was carried out at a gun shop in the village of Portgelnown in Co Antrim, and a number of firearms taken away for examination.
The police officer who was arrested was released on bail pending further inquiries.
The PSNI do not believe this incident is terrorism-related.
More Information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7781620.stm
Police say that a number of firearms were recovered following a search of premises in Aghadooey, outside Coleraine in Co Derry.
They said the serving policeman, in his late 20s, was arrested in connection with the possession of a number of unlicensed guns.
It is understood the officer graduated from the PSNI training college and joined the force last year.
In a follow up search, an inspection was carried out at a gun shop in the village of Portgelnown in Co Antrim, and a number of firearms taken away for examination.
The police officer who was arrested was released on bail pending further inquiries.
The PSNI do not believe this incident is terrorism-related.
More Information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7781620.stm
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.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Officer and 5 others Arrested by FBI
EL PASO
A Juárez police officer is accused of leading a gang of kidnappers and killers that was captured after a vehicle chase by federal police in Juárez, officials said.
Federal police Tuesday arrested municipal police officer Juan Gallegos Acosta and five other men, seized four AR-15 and nine AK-47 rifles and three vehicles, including a 2002 GMC Yukon and a 2007 Toyota Solara, both reported stolen in Texas.
"Unfortunately, he is a member of the department," said Javier Torres, police force spokesman. "We are working on purging the department. Bad police officers will be sanctioned."
Federal officials said a chase began when federal police saw the sand-colored Yukon speeding on Zaragoza Avenue while carrying a group of men with assault rifles and bulletproof vests. The chase ended in the Oasis area.
The men and seized items were turned over to a federal organized crime unit in Mexico City. No charges were announced.
The federal agents were part of Joint Operation Chihuahua, the anti-crime offensive sent to Juárez to curb a flood of homicides, which have reached about 650 so far this year party because of a war among drug cartels.
At least seven people were slain Tuesday, including a triple homicide in the southern part of the city.
Chihuahua state investigators said the unidentified bodies of two men and a woman were found shot to death in colonia Hacienda de las Torres III. One man died on the street. The woman was in the front passenger seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The second man died in the front passenger seat of a Ford Crown Victoria with Texas plates inside a garage of a home on Calle Del Abrevadero.
In colonia Partido Iglesias, Juárez police went to a home at the end of a bloody trail left where the stabbed body of Armando Santillan Villegas, 48, had been dragged.
Mercedes Elguero Calderon, 38, and brothers Enrique Alonso and Luis Fernando Reyes Murguia, ages 38 and 36, were detained on suspicion of homicide. Later that morning, the body of an unidentified man shot multiple times was found in colonia Senderos de San Isidro.
Two men were killed in the evening in separate cases.
A Juárez police officer is accused of leading a gang of kidnappers and killers that was captured after a vehicle chase by federal police in Juárez, officials said.
Federal police Tuesday arrested municipal police officer Juan Gallegos Acosta and five other men, seized four AR-15 and nine AK-47 rifles and three vehicles, including a 2002 GMC Yukon and a 2007 Toyota Solara, both reported stolen in Texas.
"Unfortunately, he is a member of the department," said Javier Torres, police force spokesman. "We are working on purging the department. Bad police officers will be sanctioned."
Federal officials said a chase began when federal police saw the sand-colored Yukon speeding on Zaragoza Avenue while carrying a group of men with assault rifles and bulletproof vests. The chase ended in the Oasis area.
The men and seized items were turned over to a federal organized crime unit in Mexico City. No charges were announced.
The federal agents were part of Joint Operation Chihuahua, the anti-crime offensive sent to Juárez to curb a flood of homicides, which have reached about 650 so far this year party because of a war among drug cartels.
At least seven people were slain Tuesday, including a triple homicide in the southern part of the city.
Chihuahua state investigators said the unidentified bodies of two men and a woman were found shot to death in colonia Hacienda de las Torres III. One man died on the street. The woman was in the front passenger seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The second man died in the front passenger seat of a Ford Crown Victoria with Texas plates inside a garage of a home on Calle Del Abrevadero.
In colonia Partido Iglesias, Juárez police went to a home at the end of a bloody trail left where the stabbed body of Armando Santillan Villegas, 48, had been dragged.
Mercedes Elguero Calderon, 38, and brothers Enrique Alonso and Luis Fernando Reyes Murguia, ages 38 and 36, were detained on suspicion of homicide. Later that morning, the body of an unidentified man shot multiple times was found in colonia Senderos de San Isidro.
Two men were killed in the evening in separate cases.
Monday, June 23, 2008
How Weapons Get in the Hands of Criminals
Authorities say two siblings arrested in Henrico Saturday on a traffic violation were in possession of a Richmond police officer's firearm.
According to a Richmond Police Department news release this afternoon, Faith Watkins, 24, and Sanders Watkins, 21, both of Richmond were arrested and charged with several offenses, including felony child neglect and a drug violation.
The release said the firearm in their possession belongs to an officer who knows Faith Watkins and that she has access to his home. The officer, according to the release, is away on two-week military duty in North Carolina. The officer was not named in the release.
The release said: "It is the policy of the Richmond Police Department that if an officer will be on leave for a long-term basis, the service weapon belonging to that officer is collected by his Department supervisor. If an officer is on leave for a short-term basis, it is the responsibility of the officer to secure the service weapon."
According to a Richmond Police Department news release this afternoon, Faith Watkins, 24, and Sanders Watkins, 21, both of Richmond were arrested and charged with several offenses, including felony child neglect and a drug violation.
The release said the firearm in their possession belongs to an officer who knows Faith Watkins and that she has access to his home. The officer, according to the release, is away on two-week military duty in North Carolina. The officer was not named in the release.
The release said: "It is the policy of the Richmond Police Department that if an officer will be on leave for a long-term basis, the service weapon belonging to that officer is collected by his Department supervisor. If an officer is on leave for a short-term basis, it is the responsibility of the officer to secure the service weapon."
UPDATE: Kris Ledford Faces New Charges
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA
A Muskogee police officer faces new charges. Kris Ledford is already charged with stealing guns from the Muskogee Police Department's property room.
Ledford is now accused of taking a fellow officer's bullet proof vest and selling it to a deputy in Cherokee County. He also faces criminal charges in Tulsa.
Kris Ledford he's a husband and the father of a toddler girl. People are saying this is a bad deal, not just for him, but for the reputation of police officers all over Green Country.
Tulsa Police say it was a surveillance tape that started unraveling it all. They say it shows Muskogee Officer Kris Ledford and his friend, Shawn Busby, inside a Tulsa Radio Shack on May 1st, as Busby steals a police scanner.
Police believe the men were listening to the stolen scanner the next day when they heard a family call 911 and say they'd found a safe in a field while four-wheeling and requested a Tulsa Police officer to come and pick it up. Police say Ledford and Busby showed up instead, flashing a badge.
"They addressed the witnesses, the 911 callers by name and said they were Tulsa Police officers and were here to recover the safe," said Tulsa Police Detective Debra Glenn.
Officers tracked down Busby, served a warrant at his house and say they found a Muskogee duffle bag, handcuffs, drugs and a gun. And then, they say they got Ledford identified and were shocked.
"At the time I was first assigned the case, I assumed it was a couple of guys running around with a fake badge, acting kinda cool and hoping it was not an actual police officer involved in this," said Tulsa Police Detective Debra Glenn.
A search warrant at Ledford's house turned up a number of guns and police say at least 10 of them had been in the Muskogee Police Department's property room. He's accused of taking one gun from evidence and selling it to a doctor for $500.
Ledford currently faces three charges in Muskogee and two in Tulsa. That's something that is heartbreaking for other officers.
"It is just sickening because it erodes the public trust in every other officer," said Tulsa Police Detective Debra Glenn.
The Muskogee Police Department had scheduled a hearing on Thursday to start the process of firing Ledford, but, his attorney, Chad Richardson got an injunction that postponed that hearing.
Richardson says Ledford is a hero, who served his country as a military sniper and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star along with other commendations. He says Ledford shows classic signs of suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Kris Ledford on Suicide Watch
A Muskogee crime scene investigator has been jailed after police seized dozens of guns from his home.
Muskogee Police Chief Rex Eskridge says 30-year-old Kris Ledford is being held without bond at an undisclosed location until his first court appearance Monday. Eskridge says Ledford is being kept away from other prisoners and he is on suicide watch.
Police are working to determine the origin of the 60 to 70 guns that were found at Ledford's home in Broken Arrow.
Deputy Police Chief Johnny Teehee says investigators are trying to find out whether the guns, police scanners and silencers were embezzled from the police department.
Ledford was arrested Thursday on a warrant for a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a Tulsa police officer.
Muskogee Police Chief Rex Eskridge says 30-year-old Kris Ledford is being held without bond at an undisclosed location until his first court appearance Monday. Eskridge says Ledford is being kept away from other prisoners and he is on suicide watch.
Police are working to determine the origin of the 60 to 70 guns that were found at Ledford's home in Broken Arrow.
Deputy Police Chief Johnny Teehee says investigators are trying to find out whether the guns, police scanners and silencers were embezzled from the police department.
Ledford was arrested Thursday on a warrant for a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a Tulsa police officer.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Muskogee Officer Arrested for Stealing Weapons
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee Police Officer Kris Ledford is accused of impersonating a Tulsa Police Officer. Muskogee Officer Brad Holt said that an arrest warrant has been issued for Ledford. Holt said Officer Kris Ledford was placed on administrative leave by the Muskogee Police Department on May 28th.
On Friday, the Muskogee Police Department's Special Investigations Unit, with assistance from ATF, Broken Arrow Police Department and the Wagoner County DA Task Force, executed a search warrant at Ledford's Broken Arrow home.
The search warrant executed is in regard to missing weapons from the Muskogee Police Department's Evidence Room.
Officer Ledford was arrested at his home and has been transported to an undisclosed detention facility pending court proceedings on Monday. He was arrested on probable cause for multiple counts of Embezzlement by Trustee.
Officer Kris Ledford was taken into custody after a search of his home.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Former Tulsa Officer is Sentenced to Federal Prison
Tulsa, Oklahoma
A former Tulsa Police officer is going to federal prison. Buddy Visser was sentenced on Friday in federal court in Tulsa to 18-months in prison for each of two counts of selling stolen police department guns on the Internet.
The 47-year-old Visser was a firearms instructor for the Tulsa Police Department.
"This case and other recent federal public corruption prosecutions in the Northern District reflect the continuing commitment of my office, the federal investigative agencies and the Tulsa Police Department to root out, expose and bring to justice corrupt public servants, including those working within law enforcement. Our citizens and communities expect and deserve to be served by only the most honest public officials and we will continue to hold them to the highest standards of conduct," said U.S. Attorney David O'Melia.
In addition to prison time, Visser has been ordered to pay $15, 988 in restitution. Also, once he completes his prison sentence, he will serve three years on supervised release.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Buddy Visser entered plea
A former Tulsa police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing guns and ammunition from the department and selling them on the Internet.
Buddy Visser, 47, entered the plea to the charges of possession and sale of stolen firearms and mail fraud, which were filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office March 5.
He said his criminal conduct involved between eight and 24 firearms.
U.S. District Judge Terence Kern will sentence Visser -- who is free on bond -- on June 10. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Raley estimated that federal guidelines will suggest a prison sentence from two years to three years, five months.
Raley told the court that Visser "deprived the taxpayers and the city of Tulsa of the honest services he had taken an oath to maintain" when he committed the crimes during the first 11 months of 2007.
Visser resigned from the force March 6 after a 17-year career.
Chief Ron Palmer said that same day that "the resignation was accepted with no regret."
During Thursday's plea hearing before U.S. Magistrate Paul Cleary, Visser did not try to justify his crimes, but he told the court that he has been treated for manic- depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and is taking medication.
Visser admitted in his plea agreement that from January 2007 through late November he stole weapons and ammunition from the Tulsa Police Department's firing range, where he was an instructor.
Visser said he asked for prices so low that purchasers typically would buy quickly.
Visser had been suspended in December after the Tulsa Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating theft allegations.
His plea agreement indicates that Visser will be expected to pay restitution to the city for any unrecovered firearms and to the purchasers of guns that are located.
Raley said he does not an ticipate that anyone else will be charged with stealing guns from the Police Department and selling them. However, he would not comment about whether any further inquiries related to the Visser investigation are under way.
Palmer has said the department is now considering adding cameras and new auditing measures to ensure the security of weapons at the range.
**************
Another bad cop off the streets!!!
Buddy Visser, 47, entered the plea to the charges of possession and sale of stolen firearms and mail fraud, which were filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office March 5.
He said his criminal conduct involved between eight and 24 firearms.
U.S. District Judge Terence Kern will sentence Visser -- who is free on bond -- on June 10. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Raley estimated that federal guidelines will suggest a prison sentence from two years to three years, five months.
Raley told the court that Visser "deprived the taxpayers and the city of Tulsa of the honest services he had taken an oath to maintain" when he committed the crimes during the first 11 months of 2007.
Visser resigned from the force March 6 after a 17-year career.
Chief Ron Palmer said that same day that "the resignation was accepted with no regret."
During Thursday's plea hearing before U.S. Magistrate Paul Cleary, Visser did not try to justify his crimes, but he told the court that he has been treated for manic- depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and is taking medication.
Visser admitted in his plea agreement that from January 2007 through late November he stole weapons and ammunition from the Tulsa Police Department's firing range, where he was an instructor.
Visser said he asked for prices so low that purchasers typically would buy quickly.
Visser had been suspended in December after the Tulsa Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating theft allegations.
His plea agreement indicates that Visser will be expected to pay restitution to the city for any unrecovered firearms and to the purchasers of guns that are located.
Raley said he does not an ticipate that anyone else will be charged with stealing guns from the Police Department and selling them. However, he would not comment about whether any further inquiries related to the Visser investigation are under way.
Palmer has said the department is now considering adding cameras and new auditing measures to ensure the security of weapons at the range.
**************
Another bad cop off the streets!!!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
TPD Officer Buddy Visser Sold Stolen Weapons
Once again there is a local officer who is more of a thug than the people he has arrested. Police officer Buddy Visser of the Tulsa Police Department for 17 years is under investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
He faces federal firearms charges after being accused of selling stolen weapons and ammunition from the TPD training range. Currently Chief Palmer has suspended Officer Visser indefinitely, without pay.
This jackass and his wife were accused of excessive force during an OFF-Duty traffic stop, back in 2000. But as always they believe the officer just because he’s an officer, and all charges were dropped against them. This officer lied to his own police department, so he more than likely lied back then. No officer or person should be allowed to point their weapon at another citizen because a child threw something out of a car at them. Sounds like this officer should have been tested to see if he was using steroids.
Chief Palmer said that they also violated policies regarding the use of force and were ordered to pay $150,000 in punitive damages. But a year later the Vissers were reinstated to their assignments after an arbitrator reversed their terminations.
There is all kinds of bad cops out there, they just haven't been caught yet, or they keep getting away with wrong doing just because they have a badge. Someone needs to police the police if they are not going to police themselves. I hope this latest charge puts him away for double the time someone else could have gotten for the same crime. Then maybe some of these bad officers would think twice before committing a crime...do double the time.
He faces federal firearms charges after being accused of selling stolen weapons and ammunition from the TPD training range. Currently Chief Palmer has suspended Officer Visser indefinitely, without pay.
This jackass and his wife were accused of excessive force during an OFF-Duty traffic stop, back in 2000. But as always they believe the officer just because he’s an officer, and all charges were dropped against them. This officer lied to his own police department, so he more than likely lied back then. No officer or person should be allowed to point their weapon at another citizen because a child threw something out of a car at them. Sounds like this officer should have been tested to see if he was using steroids.
Chief Palmer said that they also violated policies regarding the use of force and were ordered to pay $150,000 in punitive damages. But a year later the Vissers were reinstated to their assignments after an arbitrator reversed their terminations.
There is all kinds of bad cops out there, they just haven't been caught yet, or they keep getting away with wrong doing just because they have a badge. Someone needs to police the police if they are not going to police themselves. I hope this latest charge puts him away for double the time someone else could have gotten for the same crime. Then maybe some of these bad officers would think twice before committing a crime...do double the time.
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