Former Officer Patrick Earwood Convicted on 10 Counts of Child Molestation

Jurors took two hours Wednesday to convict former Cave Spring police officer Patrick Earwood on 10 counts, including aggravated child molestation, in Floyd County Superior Court.

Earwood, 31, faces 25 years to life in prison for aggravated child molestation. Judge Tami Colston is scheduled June 9 to sentence Earwood on all his charges.

“I’m very pleased with the jury’s verdict,” Assistant District Attorney Kay Ann Wetherington said.

Jurors convicted Earwood on two counts each of aggravated sodomy and second-degree child cruelty and on one count each of aggravated child molestation, sexual battery, sexual assault against a person in custody, child molestation, giving false statements and violation of his oath as a public officer.

They acquitted Earwood on one count each of sexual assault against a person in custody and sexual battery.

Peter Odom, Earwood’s attorney, said he respects the jury, adding it’s likely his client will appeal.

“We’re very disappointed in the verdict,” Odom said. “Obviously, the jury did not see things the way we thought they should.”

Jurors found that Ear wood touched or coerced three of four women into sex acts between 2012 and June 2013. They acquitted Earwood on accusations he touched a woman’s breasts in exchange for not taking her to jail for DUI.

Closing arguments

Odom attacked the victims in his closing arguments, questioning their credibility and deriding prosecutors for what he called a lack of evidence.

“Allegations are easy to make,” Odom told jurors. “But in a court of law they’ve got to withstand the acid test of your reasoning.

“I’m going to talk to you about what the evidence is — words,” Odom added. “You’ve got the words of two teenagers and two criminals. That’s it.”

The allegations against Earwood surfaced last June when one of the teens told a friend. Police began investigating, and on July 1 arrested Earwood.

Odom told jurors that the teens initially denied that his client touched them, saying that’s why the younger girl was reticent about testifying.

“She made it up,” Odom said. “She got Sgt. (Teri) Davis all worked up to the point that she made an arrest, and she can’t take it back.”

Odom said the girls’ stories kept changing because they’re false. The two adult women had a reason to lie because they faced potential criminal charges.

One woman admitted she used drugs and has a conviction for giving police false information. The other was stopped for DUI, though her case never reached court, Odom said.

The defense attorney also hammered prosecutors for failing to provide jurors the victims’ phone records. Odom questioned why Davis didn’t get the records between one teen and her boyfriend, and the conversations between both teen victims.

“What physical evidence do you have to support the claims the state is making?” Odom asked. “You’ve got nothing.”

Wetherington dismissed Odom’s arguments, telling jurors the victims’ testimony is the best evidence.

“He had a badge,” Wetherington said of Earwood. “He had a gun. He had a patrol car. He had power. I can only imagine how these victims felt at the time this officer exercised control over them. Instead of serve and protect he chose to molest and assault.”

Wetherington advised jurors against focusing on what she called unimportant details, and instead examine the elements of the crimes.

Three of the victims didn’t live in Cave Spring. The victim who lived in the small town was 14 years old at the time and without parental supervision.

“What has she gained from this?” Wetherington asked. “Nothing. She has nothing to gain. No motive whatsoever.

“This is not a conspiracy,” the prosecutor added. “This is not a coincidence.”

The teen victims know each other, but the adult victims don’t know any of the others. Wetherington called them credible because of that and because she said they told similar stories: that Earwood coerced a sex act from them in exchange for avoiding jail.

“Please be the voice of these girls,” Wetherington said, referring to all four victims. “They’ve got no dog in this fight.”

Officer George Hall Charged with Violation of Oath of Office

The Sylvester Police Department arrested one of their own officers today around 3 p.m. and took him into custody at the Worth County Sheriff’s office.

Officer George Hall was arrested and charged with violation of oath of office, making false statements, and tampering with evidence.


The release of information regarding this arrest was sent out to media organizations just 20 minutes after Officer Hall was taken into custody.

This case is still under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and no other info is being released at this time.

Officer Cory Owensby Charged with Several Felonies

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer faces multiple felony charges after he was indicted Thursday following an internal affairs investigation into evidence mishandling that began nearly one year ago.

Patrolman Cory Owensby turned himself in Thursday morning after a special grand jury returned indictments on five felony counts of official misconduct. He also face five misdemeanor counts of criminal conversion and three misdemeanor counts of false informing.

He was released on his own recognizance after appearing before a judge Thursday.

IMPD Chief Rick Hite suspended Owensby without pay late Thursday and said he would recommend the Civilian Police Merit Board terminate his employment with the department.

Owensby, an IMPD Officer since 2007, is the son of Fraternal Order of Police Local 86 President Bill Owensby. Hite said that did not play a role in his investigation.

“He is a member of the IMPD. He is an officer in our department, no different than any other officer in the department. We’ll respect his tenure, but no different than anyone else on the team,” Hite said Thursday.

I-Team 8’s calls to Bill Owensby and the FOP were not returned Thursday.

Owensby was placed on paid administrative duty last fall. That’s when internal affairs investigators were first tipped off that he had allegedly mishandled evidence in at least five different cases, beginning in late 2012, according to the indictment.

Court documents obtained by I-Team 8 show Owensby is accused of failing to turn over key evidence in relation to those cases, including marijuana, prescription pills, drug paraphernalia like pipes and rolling papers, and a steel axe.

Hite acknowledged that could impact the prosecution of those cases, but downplayed the significance.

“We’re looking at what the impact has been,” he said. “But, it wasn’t a widespread kind of case where we can show chapter and verse [that] there were multiple, multiple cases impacted. At this point, we’re still looking into that.”

IMPD has dealt with other recent evidence problems as well. Blood vials were mishandled in the David Bisard case, and cocaine evidence was mistakenly destroyed by property room employees earlier this year.

Despite that, Hite says critical changes have already been made.

“We’re currently recreating a new environment within that whole spear of evidence collection and property room,” he said. “And you’re seeing, as we stated, a change in management systems, internal records management systems. You’re seeing the results of that.”

Internal investigators were also the ones to open the case, Hite noted.

“I think you’ll find it, I think, refreshing to know that this was an internal process and internal audit. We caught this. So, don’t let that go by you. We found this. Our processes work,” he said.

Hite turned over his investigators findings to Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry, who requested a special prosecutor. Jefferson County Prosecutor D.J. Mote was assigned to the case.

Speaking by phone with I-Team Thursday, Mote said additional details of the case are not being made public at this time because the indictments were handed down by a six-member special grand jury.

Owensby is scheduled to return to court in May.

Officer Christopher Russo Arrested After Lying About Being Stabbed

“Blame a black guy” excuse never gets old for some people. A former “Officer of the Year” who claimed that he was ambushed and stabbed by two black men during a robbery finally admitted that he totally made up the whole story and is now facing charges…as he should!

A police officer was arrested after making up a story about being ambushed and stabbed by two black males. According to reports by WSB-TV, Clayton County Police Officer Christopher Russo filed a false report with police in McDonough, Ga.

Russo told officers he walked into a burglary in progress at an apartment complex while off duty. He said two men ambushed, punched and peppered sprayed him then cut him with a knife. In the police report, he said the two men sounded like black males.

McDonough police investigated the scene and realized that it was highly unlikely that a burglary took place. After Georgia Bureau of Investigators questioned Russo, he confessed and told them he made the story up and stabbed himself.

Without proper police work, two innocent black males could have been arrested and charged with the assault and stabbing of a police officer.

Russo was arrested on charges of false report of a crime, a misdemeanor and making false statements. He has since been released on bond.

Former Officer Patrick Earwood Charged with Molesting Girls Due in Court

A former Cave Spring police officer accused of molesting girls and forcing women into sexual acts is scheduled for an arraignment next month.

Patrick Edward Earwood, 31, remained in jail Friday without bond. Earwood is scheduled to appear April 11 before a Floyd County Superior Court judge.

Earwood has the option of having his charges read to him at the arraignment.

Prosecutors allege Ear wood coerced girls and women to perform sex acts or expose themselves.

Authorities first learned of the allegations when a girl alleged she rode in Earwood’s patrol car, and that he asked her for sex, police reported.

An investigation began, which led detectives to two different women.

According to an order by Superior Court Judge Tami Colston:

The first woman said Earwood arrested her and took her to City Hall. Earwood then told her he’d free her if she gave him oral sex. When she said nothing, Earwood returned her to his patrol car and began driving to the Floyd County Jail.

“On the way to the jail, Defendant Earwood said ‘are you going to do this or not?’” the order states. “She responded, ‘You know, I’m going to have to do this?’ He said yes and pulled off the road.”

The woman performed oral sex on Earwood, and he then took the woman to meet her mother. She did not go to jail.

The second woman said she encountered Earwood when he arrested her for DUI. Earwood said they could “work something out” if her boyfriend wasn’t in the car. She thought little of the comment, and Earwood took her to the police station for a breath test. When she failed the test, Earwood put her in his patrol car and began driving to jail.

“On the way to the jail, Earwood offered to lower one of the traffic charges if she would let him touch her breasts,” the order states. “She moved up closer to him and he fondled her breasts on the way to the jail.”

Earwood faces two counts each of aggravated sodomy, second-degree child cruelty, sexual battery and sexual assault against a person in custody. He also faces charges of aggravated child molestation, child molestation, giving false statements and violation of his oath by a public officer.

Officer Danielle Scott Arrested for Obstructing an Officer

A probationary Milwaukee police officer was arrested on a state charge of obstructing an officer, the Milwaukee police department said. Danielle Scott, 22, is accused of providing false information regarding a homicide investigation. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case. "I have lost confidence in her ability to serve on the Milwaukee Police Department and I have terminated her employment," Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said. According to the Department, Scott served as a police aide before becoming a police officer in October and graduating from the police academy in March. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case against her. Police sources told TODAY'S TMJ4 that officer is dating a man arrested for gunning down another man in a violent car jacking. Russell Setum was shot to death and his mother was also shot. Sources say officer Scott was found at the suspect's home. No charges have been filed yet. The two have a child together. Meanwhile, police say Chief Flynn discharged sergeant Christopher Gull last week. According to police, "Gull displayed sexually explicit photos and made inappropriate comments to co-workers and subordinates while on duty." Gull had 16 years of service with MPD and was a sergeant assigned to the Technical Communications Division. Chief Flynn is expected to answer questions about the recent discharges of personnel Wednesday afternoon.

Former Officer Anthony Bickerton Sentenced for Making False Statements to FBI

A former Stoughton police officer pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements to FBI investigators in a 2008 police corruption probe.

Federal prosecutors will recommend that Anthony Bickerton, 60, of Stoughton spend 12 to 18 months in prison as part of a plea deal for lying about his role in a fake, FBI-arranged, stolen goods ring with two other Stoughton officers who have resigned from the force.

In conversations secretly taped in 2008 by a convicted criminal turned cooperating witness, the former detective arranged for discounted high-definition televisions for his daughter and other police officers and a power washer for himself. He thought the goods were stolen, but they were provided as part of the FBI’s probe. Prosecutors said he tried to hide the power washer at a fellow officer’s house after the FBI questioned him.

“Mr. Bickerton’s actions are an affront to the many honest men and women in the law enforcement community who serve the public with dedication and integrity,’’ US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said in a statement. “Today’s plea should be a reminder to the public that we will continue to aggressively pursue all investigations and prosecutions of corrupt and dishonest public officials.’’

Prosecutors had also alleged that Bickerton illegally obtained Registry of Motor Vehicles records for the informant, but as part of the plea, he will not have to admit to that.

Appearing before Judge Richard Stearns, Bickerton displayed much different behavior yesterday afternoon than he did in January, when he was escorted into the John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse in jeans and handcuffs. In the January proceedings, Bickerton broke down and cried while addressing Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler. Yesterday, he appeared relaxed, calm, and even smiled at Stearns while the judge questioned him.

His wife, Rose, wiped away tears as the 45-minute proceeding drew to a close. No other friends or family of Bickerton, a father of three who was raised in Mattapan, were in court yesterday. No one from the Stoughton Police Department attended.

If the case had gone to trial, Assistant US Attorney Brian T. Kelly said, two other former police officers would have been called to testify against Bickerton. He would have faced a maximum of five years in prison for giving false statements and 10 years for obstruction of justice.

Bickerton was released on his existing bond, and he will be back in court May 11 for sentencing. He left the courthouse with his wife, and declined to comment. His lawyer, Kevin Reddington, called the process fair and said his client was looking forward to resolving the case.

Former Sheriff Wesley Wells Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal Investigators

Acting United States Attorney Kevin F. McDonald stated today that guilty pleas were entered by former Union County Sheriff Wesley Howard Wells, Former County Tax Assessor Willie E. Randall, Jr., and Union County residents Willard Dee Farr and Lapriest Darnell Beacham to charges stemming from four separate indictments issued by a federal grand jury in September 2009 as a result of a long term investigation into public corruption in Union County.

1. Former Union County Sheriff Wesley Howard Wells pled guilty today in federal court in Spartanburg to lying to federal investigators. Evidence presented at today’s hearing established that Wells made sizeable loans to an individual, resulting in significant interest income to Wells. In March 2009, Wells made false statements to federal law enforcement agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning his involvement in concealing his receipt of taxable interest income and the existence of documents acknowledging the same. Wells faces a maximum possible sentence of five years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

2. Former Union County Tax Assessor Willie E. Randall, Jr., pled guilty to conspiracy, extortion, soliciting and accepting bribes, money laundering, structuring financial transactions to evade federal reporting requirements, and knowingly allowing the Union County Tax Assessor’s Office to be used as a “stash house” for the storage and distribution of cocaine and hydrocodone. Randall faces a maximum possible sentence of 190 years' imprisonment and a fine of $5.25 million dollars.

In addition, Randall also pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and a mixture containing methamphetamine. Randall faces an additional maximum possible sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of $1 million dollars.
3. Union County Resident Lapriest Darnell Beacham was also named as a co-defendant in a separate indictment along with Willie E. Randall, Jr. Beacham pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Beacham faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of $1 million dollars.

4. Union County Resident Willard Dee Farr pled guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion. Farr faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

United States District Judge Henry F. Floyd accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants at a later date.

Mr. McDonald stated that the case was investigated by agents of the FBI, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, and SLED, and that Assistant United States Attorneys Mark C. Moore, Nancy C. Wicker, and J.D. Rowell of the Columbia office prosecuted the cases.
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Information - SC FBI

Officer Jerry Pendley Arrested for Lying on Job Application

An Oklahoma police officer was arrested for lying to the federal government after authorities say he falsified a job application. The allegations stem from when Luther police officer Jerry Pendley went to work as a security officer at a federal building.

"I guess they don't have anything better to do at Homeland Security now," Pendley's attorney Robert Manchester said. "They have to find somebody to show they're doing something."

According to Manchester, Pendley is that somebody; agents arrested him Monday night on two federal charges.

Court records show Pendley failed to mention previous criminal charges on his employment application when he applied for a security position at our state's federal building.

Records say he was arrested for assault and battery more than once and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon.

Authorities also say he lied about why he left his former places of employment; allegations his attorney says are blown out of proportion.

"It's foolishness. It is a tempest in the teapot," Manchester said. "They've taken a mole hill and tried to make it into a mountain and my client's the fall guy."

Manchester says Pendley got a phone call from an OHP trooper telling him he needed to meet him at a gas station.

That's when they informed Pendley of a warrant for his arrest and took him into custody.

"They didn't want to talk to him," Manchester said. "They wanted to arrest him."

Pendley has been an officer at the Luther Police Department for about three weeks and the chief says he passed their background check.

"The short time he was here he was an excellent officer," Chief C.O. Moore said.

Pendley was employed at the Federal Building from 2005 to 2009; four years his attorney says went unnoticed until now.

"Do they do background investigations?" Manchester said. "What have they been doing? Why is this suddenly a burning issue with them?"

Luther police say there will be a meeting Wednesday to decide how to handle Pendley's employment with the department.

Pendley has been released from jail on bond.
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Information & Photo

Reserve Officer Jason Walker Charged with Faking Degree

Police in suburban Saanich are combing their files to see whether a therapist accused of falsely claiming to hold two doctoral degrees testified in criminal cases during his 21/2 years as a reserve constable with the force.

Jason Matthew Walker, 31, was charged Dec. 31 with fraud after he reported to police in August that a client of his counselling clinic, a six-year-old child, claimed he had been abused by his father. In his sworn affidavit in the case, which was part of a custody battle, Walker indicated he held two doctoral degrees.

Reserve constables testify as witnesses in criminal cases, but those cases are unlikely to be serious, said Saanich police spokeswoman Sgt. Julie Fast. "The vast majority of calls are about noise complaints, shoplifters and incidents of that nature."

Officer Jose Villarreal Charged with Forging Documents

A Mexican national allegedly used forged documents to obtain U.S. citizenship and a job as a Homestead, Fla., police officer, authorities said.

Jose Villarreal, 31, has been charged with official misconduct, obtaining forged instruments and making false official statements, The Miami Herald reported Tuesday.

Villarreal's citizenship certificate was falsely obtained and the birth certificate he used contained false information about his date of birth, his middle name and his mother's name, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.

Villarreal, who was arrested Friday, was hired by Homestead
police in 2006. He has been placed on administrative leave with pay, police spokesman Ed Bowe said.

"It's always a disappointment for any department when a police officer is arrested,'' Bowe said.

Officer Jose Villarreal Arrested for Falsifying Documents

A Homestead police officer has been arrested, accused of falsifying documents to obtain U.S. citizenship.

Miami-Dade jail spokeswoman Janell Hall said 31-year-old Jose Villarreal was still in jail Monday on $250,000 bail. He was arrested and charged last week with official misconduct, uttering forged instruments and false official statements.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Villarreal, who was born in Mexico, turned in a birth certificate with false information about his birthday, his middle name and his mother's name. He later applied for a law enforcement certification, using a copy of his citizenship certificate, which authorities say he falsely obtained.

Authorities said Villarreal, who was hired by Homestead police in 2006, has been placed on administrative leave with pay.

Police officers must have U.S. citizenship to work on the force.

Officer Brad Ahrensfield Charged with Making False Statements

A federal grand jury has charged an Albuquerque police officer with obstruction of justice for warning a business owner about a drug trafficking investigation.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque said Thursday that Brad Ahrensfield also is charged with making a false statement to federal agents.

The indictment accuses Ahrensfield of telling the owner of an Albuquerque business called Car Shop about a joint state and federal drug trafficking investigation in September.

The Attorney's Office says when federal investigators confronted Ahrensfield about the leak, he lied about what he knew of the investigation and to whom he had given the information.

Ahrensfield faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of both charges.

Officer Candi Perry Charged with Giving False Report

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Candi Perry is a former officer of the year, speaks Spanish fluently and is accused of official misconduct and false reporting during a homicide investigation.

It was on June 25th that a homeless man - Herman Baker - was found shot to death in an alley near west 32nd Street and Rader Street. Officer Perry was on duty and her attorney claims was simply trying to shield a potential witness from a potential suspect. However, the grand jury indictment alleges Perry gave false information to another officer.

Perry's lawyer argues she isn't a homicide detective and any mistakes she made were innocent and unintentional.

There is no word of arrests in the Clark murder case.

Perry was arrested Tuesday and released last night on $10,000 bond. She faces a November 4th court date.
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http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1159257

Cpl David Nevitt Suspended for Lying

An assistant chief handed down a 15-day day suspension on Thursday to a Dallas police officer who wrongly said a man was carrying a bag containing drugs and guns. That man spent 10 months behind bars until a videotape later showed that he was not carrying the bag as the officer alleged.

At issue in the case was whether Senior Cpl. David Nevitt lied or was mistaken. Police investigators ultimately concluded that they could not prove that Nevitt had lied to make the August 2007 arrest of Thomas Hannon outside a north Dallas hotel. Instead, they found that he had failed to fully investigate the incident to the best of his ability.

"The way they went about this arrest was sloppy, and as the allegations alludes to it was not fully investigated," said Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson, who oversees the city's seven patrol stations. "Today, I held officer Nevitt accountable for his actions. His fifteen days will begin immediately."

Nevitt, who has denied any wrongdoing, could not be reached for comment. He can appeal the suspension.

"It's just unfair and certainly wasn't warranted," said Phil Burleson, an attorney representing Nevitt. "He in good faith attempted to make arrests based upon the information he had at the time."

At the time of Hannon's arrest, Nevitt was a member of a specialized unit whose cases continue to be the subject of an ongoing review by prosecutors. Hannon's arrest sparked the review after prosecutors concluded that he had been arrested on false charges. Felony charges involving arrests made by the unit have since been thrown out against two different men after two witnesses passed polygraph exams requested by prosecutors.

The official police report written by Senior Cpl. Jerry Dodd, now in the vice unit, gives the following account: Nevitt saw Hannon leave the hotel carrying a black leather bag. The officers said Hannon spotted them, dropped the bag and tried to evade them. Police found a loaded .357 Colt revolver and 2.6 grams of methamphetamine in the bag.

Hannon, who was wanted for failing to report to his parole officer, was caught and charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Dodd's report does not mention the existence of video footage, nor the arrest of other people, including the man who turned out to have been carrying the bag.

In March 2008, as the case neared trial, prosecutors say Nevitt told them that he had been sitting in an undercover vehicle when he saw Hannon leave the hotel holding the bag. They said he told them that he then went inside and watched surveillance video, but that the hotel lacked the technology to make a copy of it.

A defense attorney subsequently obtained a copy. It showed that another man had the bag. Prosecutors then dismissed the charges.

Nevitt told internal investigators that he never told prosecutors that he had actually seen Hannon with the bag. He also described the video footage that he reviewed as being small and of "poor quality," which apparently led to the misidentification. He said the maintenance worker told him that another employee could make a copy later.

That hotel employee, Jaime Maltos, told internal investigators that he showed the video footage to Nevitt and another heavy-set Dallas police officer. "I brought them back to the engineering office to go thru the videos, one by one I enlarged them so they could see it better," Maltos said.

He said he also said he gave Nevitt two copies a couple of days later. However, in a statement in Hannon's civil lawsuit, he said he was less sure, saying he couldn't recall whether it was Nevitt or another officer who retrieved the copies.

None of the officers who participated in Hannon's arrest have admitted picking up the video, internal records show.

The squad, which once numbered about seven officers, is now largely dismantled. The unit's supervisor, Sgt. Randy Sundquist was moved off the streets this spring after the DA's office released a letter stating that he shouldn't be trusted to testify in court. Two other officers, one of whom has since retired, also were involuntarily transferred out of the unit.

Scott Palmer, an attorney representing Hannon, called the Police Department's decision disappointing.

"How much false prosecution and perjury will it take before DPD fires an officer?" Palmer said. "But for the hotel engineer saving this video, this officer and all of the officers were prepared to testify falsely about the events, and Mr. Hannon would likely have ended up in prison for a long time."

Deputy Ezequiel Sauceda Arrested for Providing False Information

Special agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested a Cameron County Sheriff’s Department deputy for making false statements in the purchase of firearms, officials said Thursday.

Ezequiel Sauceda, 31, was arrested Thursday afternoon at the sheriff’s department office in Olmito, said ATF spokeswoman Franceska Perot.

"At this point the investigation is still ongoing, so we can’t release too many details," Perot said. "He was charged with three counts of providing false information in federal documents, a practice called lie and buy."

Sauceda had presented himself as the final buyer of three firearms at a local sporting goods store when in fact the firearms were destined for another person, ATF said.

Gus Reyna, chief deputy for the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department, said Sauceda was dismissed from the sheriff’s department on Thursday. However, because of county policy, Reyna said he could not discuss the reasons for Sauceda’s termination.

Deputy Esequiel Sauceda Buying Weapons for Someone Else

A former Cameron County sheriff's deputy was arraigned Friday for allegedly straw-purchasing three pistols at a local sporting goods store.

Esequiel Sauceda, 31, pleaded not guilty to making a false statement in firearms records. He was released on $50,000 bond.

His lawyer, Robert Lerma, said he was still familiarizing himself with the case and did not yet have any comment. He said Sauceda had resigned from the sheriff's department. Some local news reports said Sauceda was terminated on Thursday. Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio did not immediately return a call for clarification.

According to the Sept. 1 federal indictment, Sauceda on Dec. 8, 2007, misrepresented himself as the final buyer of two .22-caliber pistols and one 9 mm pistol. It was unclear from court documents for whom the weapons were purchased, or if they wound up in Mexico.

“It boils down to he bought weapons for someone else,” said Franceska Perot, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

ATF special agents arrested Sauceda on Thursday.

A trial has been set to begin in November. If convicted, Sauceda faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sgt Ball Accused of Covering up DWI Accident

A local police sergeant in the town of Greece, NY, just outside Rochester, has been accused of covering up a DWI accident that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Stephanie Olivia. Sgt. Brian Ball was one of the officers who responded when Oliva's boyfriend, Chad Kenyon, crashed the car he was driving.

Sgt. Ball turned himself into police this morning but pleaded not guilty. He is facing charges involved with the shredding of documents at the Greece Police Department. He is one of three men charged with the crime; Police Chief Merritt Rahn and Deputy Chief Bill Mackin are additionally charged with admitting a document they knew to hold false information as evidence in a case.

Chief Rahn has been arrested under suspicion of submitting a memo regarding the background check of a police officer which he knew contained false information. All told, 5 Greece police officers have been charged with similar crimes.

Sgt. Ball will be immediately suspended pending the ultimate decision of the court. Cheif Rahn has been suspended for some time, and all are awaiting the results of the several cases which will determine the future of the Greece police.

It is not clear at this point why Sgt. Ball aided in the cover up of the DWI fatality. The two young people involved in the crash had recently graduated from a local high school and were pursuing additional education, Oliva as a cosmetologist. The fatality shook what is a relatively small town due to its high publicity and the involvement of young people.
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http://rocnow.com/article/local-news/200990824004

Officer Bernard Hall Jr Arrested for Corruption

A second Benton Harbor police officer was arrested on Friday on similar corruption charges that sent a narcotics officer to prison earlier this year.

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Michigan said narcotics supervisor Bernard Hall Jr., 33, of Benton Harbor, faces a three count indictment.

Hall supervised officer Andrew Thomas Collins, who was convicted of planting drug evidence and falsifying search warrants on Jan. 26.

He is serving a 37-month prison sentence.

Hall supervised Collins and other officers in the Benton Harbor Police Department’s narcotics unit, the FBI said.

Hall is accused of working with Collins in falsifying search warrants and planting drug evidence on suspected drug dealers and executing search warrants without proper probable cause.

He also is accused of unlawfully seizing personal property during drug raids and keeping money and property for his own use, Brian Delaney, criminal chief with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said.

Count two of Hall’s indictment alleges that he made false statements during the federal grand jury investigating Collins.

"In particular the indictment alleges that Hall lied when he testified under oath that ‘I’ve never seen him (Collins) take money from anybody" and "I’ve never witnessed him (Collins) do anything illegal," Delaney said.

The third count alleges that Hall made false statements to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office when he claimed he had overseen a drug deal by a confidential informant on Feb. 20, 2007 at 849 LaVette St., Delaney said.

"In truth and in fact" there was no drug purchase made at that time at that location, Delaney said.

Hall resigned from the police department and is scheduled for a hearing Friday in federal court in Grand Rapids.

Benton Harbor Police Chief Al Mingo and officials from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the charges during a press conference Friday morning.

More than 100 drug cases and convictions that the two officers handled are being reviewed by the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office and by federal prosecutors for possible dismissal.

Former Detective Rickie Durham on House Arrest for Obstruction of Justice

Suspended Philadelphia police detective Rickie Durham pleaded not guilty to obstruction-of-justice charges yesterday and was placed under house arrest during a brief hearing in U.S. District Court.

Judge David R. Strawbridge rejected a prosecution motion to deny Durham bail and instead set restrictions aimed at addressing the government's concern that Durham might try to influence witnesses in the case against him.

In a cramped fifth-floor courtroom packed with relatives and friends, including several off-duty police officers, Durham responded with a firm "not guilty" when the six charges were read to him.

The 12-year police veteran has been suspended with intent to dismiss, a procedure that will result in his firing within 30 days.

He has been charged with knowingly leaking information to a drug kingpin about a pending law enforcement raid and then lying to investigators about it.

His lawyer, Fortunato N. Perri Jr., told Strawbridge that Durham was a "dedicated police officer" and intended to fight the charges.

Pointing to the members of the department who had turned out for the hearing, Perri said, "Law enforcement has a different view than the government. . . . Law enforcement has not turned their back on Rickie Durham."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bresnick had argued that Durham should be denied bail and jailed pending trial.

In a detention motion and in arguments in open court, Bresnick contended that Durham had violated his oath as a police officer by tipping off Alton "Ace Capone" Coles about a series of raids Aug. 10, 2005.

Bresnick argued that Durham had "risked the lives of hundreds of his fellow officers, who unwittingly could have walked into a firestorm of bullets as a result of his obstructive conduct."

He contended that if left free, Durham would be "a serious risk of continuing to obstruct justice in the case that awaits him."

Strawbridge, however, ruled that Durham would be placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring at his home in the 1600 block of East Mount Pleasant Avenue; that the house, owned by Durham's wife, would be used as collateral for a $50,000 bail bond; that Durham would report to pretrial-services officials twice a week; and that he could not have any contact with any potential witness in the case.

The charges appear to be built around information provided by Jerome "Pooh" Richardson, a former Philadelphia high school and NBA basketball standout.

Durham and Richardson have been friends for years. Richardson's half-sister, Aysa, was Coles' live-in girlfriend in August 2005.

Durham was one of more than 200 law enforcement agents assigned to take part in predawn raids aimed at the Coles drug organization that Aug. 10.

A few hours before the raids went off, Durham called Pooh Richardson, who lives in California.

The indictment alleges that Durham made the call knowing that Richardson would in turn call his sister and tip her and Coles off about the raids.

Durham has said he made the call merely to gather information for the investigation. He has subsequently acknowledged that the call was "poor judgment," but has insisted he had no intention of leaking information.

What Durham said to Richardson during their phone call will be at the heart of the case. Richardson is cooperating with authorities.

The raids went off as planned.

Coles, who was charged with heading a multimillion-dollar cocaine operation, was eventually convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to life plus 55 years.