Claiming he wanted to clear his conscience, a former state trooper admitted Monday to arresting a truck driver as part of a scheme to kill him, stage a crash and collect settlement money.
Former Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper Franklin "Joe" Ryle Jr., 42, told a federal judge he didn't follow through with the plan because he couldn't bring himself to kill the trucker.
"There is no way I could harm that guy," Ryle said.
Ryle made the admissions as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors that came six months after he stopped Wal-Mart trucker Richard Smidt while patrolling near Douglas. The trooper planned to murder Smidt and stage a crash with his patrol vehicle in order to collect a settlement from the corporate giant.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, which was laid out during a hearing in U.S. District Court, Ryle pleaded guilty to depriving the truck driver's civil rights and carrying a pistol during the Jan. 8 crime. The government will dismiss a third charge that alleged Ryle solicited a second trooper to participate in the plot.
Prosecutors will recommend Ryle serve a prison sentence of 19 to 22 years. Ryle's attorneys are free to argue for a lesser sentence.
U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer asked Ryle why he was pleading guilty, knowing that it will result in a long prison sentence.
"Because that's everything I did," the 12-year patrol veteran replied.
Speaking in a calm voice, Ryle for the first time publicly recounted the traffic stop that led to his arrest and indictment.
Ryle, who lived in Douglas and patrolled the surrounding area, told the court he was on duty when he stopped the Wal-Mart truck outside of town. He handcuffed Smidt and drove him to his house.
Once there, Ryle told his wife he had found a dead Wal-Mart truck driver and wanted to crash the truck into his patrol car.
"Was the basis of the whole scheme to get a lot of money?" Brimmer asked.
"Yes sir," Ryle answered.
"And you were going to have to kill the truck driver?" the judge replied.
"Yes sir," Ryle answered again.
Ryle said he never took his gun out during the encounter but did touch it at one point. He ultimately drove Smidt back to his truck and let him go.
A week after the traffic stop, Ryle's brother-in-law -- a Casper police officer -- told the highway patrol about the incident. Smidt reported the encounter to patrol officials around the same time.
The patrol put Ryle on leave in mid-January. He was arrested two months later following a state and federal investigation. A federal grand jury indicted him on three charges in May.
Ryle's wife told investigators she suspected he might have been planning to kill her as part of the scheme. He was never charged with plotting to kill her.
She filed for divorce in February.
After the hearing, one of Ryle's attorneys said the former trooper suffered from serious depression and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The disorder came as a result of Ryle's experiences in the U.S. Marines and with the highway patrol, as well as in his personal life, Assistant Federal Public Defender David Weiss said.
"Joe was kind of a mess," Weiss told reporters.
Police officers should be offered more help to deal with mental health issues that come from their work, the attorney added.
"These guys are under a lot of stress," Weiss said.
Jim Barrett, another federal defender who also represents Ryle, said his client has been depressed for a long time. However, evaluations performed after Ryle's arrest did not show he suffered from a serious enough psychiatric issue to render him incompetent for trial.
Justice Department attorney Edward Caspar, who is prosecuting the case, declined to comment after the hearing and referred questions to his agency's public affairs office.
Ryle will remain in federal custody until sentencing, which is a few months away. He is being held in Scottsbluff, Neb.
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http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2009/7/21/FormerWyomingtrooperpleadsguiltyinplottokilltrucker.aspx
Former Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper Franklin "Joe" Ryle Jr., 42, told a federal judge he didn't follow through with the plan because he couldn't bring himself to kill the trucker.
"There is no way I could harm that guy," Ryle said.
Ryle made the admissions as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors that came six months after he stopped Wal-Mart trucker Richard Smidt while patrolling near Douglas. The trooper planned to murder Smidt and stage a crash with his patrol vehicle in order to collect a settlement from the corporate giant.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, which was laid out during a hearing in U.S. District Court, Ryle pleaded guilty to depriving the truck driver's civil rights and carrying a pistol during the Jan. 8 crime. The government will dismiss a third charge that alleged Ryle solicited a second trooper to participate in the plot.
Prosecutors will recommend Ryle serve a prison sentence of 19 to 22 years. Ryle's attorneys are free to argue for a lesser sentence.
U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer asked Ryle why he was pleading guilty, knowing that it will result in a long prison sentence.
"Because that's everything I did," the 12-year patrol veteran replied.
Speaking in a calm voice, Ryle for the first time publicly recounted the traffic stop that led to his arrest and indictment.
Ryle, who lived in Douglas and patrolled the surrounding area, told the court he was on duty when he stopped the Wal-Mart truck outside of town. He handcuffed Smidt and drove him to his house.
Once there, Ryle told his wife he had found a dead Wal-Mart truck driver and wanted to crash the truck into his patrol car.
"Was the basis of the whole scheme to get a lot of money?" Brimmer asked.
"Yes sir," Ryle answered.
"And you were going to have to kill the truck driver?" the judge replied.
"Yes sir," Ryle answered again.
Ryle said he never took his gun out during the encounter but did touch it at one point. He ultimately drove Smidt back to his truck and let him go.
A week after the traffic stop, Ryle's brother-in-law -- a Casper police officer -- told the highway patrol about the incident. Smidt reported the encounter to patrol officials around the same time.
The patrol put Ryle on leave in mid-January. He was arrested two months later following a state and federal investigation. A federal grand jury indicted him on three charges in May.
Ryle's wife told investigators she suspected he might have been planning to kill her as part of the scheme. He was never charged with plotting to kill her.
She filed for divorce in February.
After the hearing, one of Ryle's attorneys said the former trooper suffered from serious depression and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The disorder came as a result of Ryle's experiences in the U.S. Marines and with the highway patrol, as well as in his personal life, Assistant Federal Public Defender David Weiss said.
"Joe was kind of a mess," Weiss told reporters.
Police officers should be offered more help to deal with mental health issues that come from their work, the attorney added.
"These guys are under a lot of stress," Weiss said.
Jim Barrett, another federal defender who also represents Ryle, said his client has been depressed for a long time. However, evaluations performed after Ryle's arrest did not show he suffered from a serious enough psychiatric issue to render him incompetent for trial.
Justice Department attorney Edward Caspar, who is prosecuting the case, declined to comment after the hearing and referred questions to his agency's public affairs office.
Ryle will remain in federal custody until sentencing, which is a few months away. He is being held in Scottsbluff, Neb.
________________________________
http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2009/7/21/FormerWyomingtrooperpleadsguiltyinplottokilltrucker.aspx
