A former suburban Cleveland police officer convicted of stealing machine guns, night-vision goggles and a silencer has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and now faces more time behind bars.
Parma police officer Mark McCombs apologized in Cuyhaoga County Common Pleas court before the sentencing for tampering with evidence and theft in office.
McCombs is awaiting sentencing in federal court where he faces at least 41 months in prison for having two machine guns and a silencer that were stolen from the police department's SWAT team.
McCombs was a member of the SWAT unit until he was fired in 2007.
He was fired after being accused of forcing a woman to have sex in a patrol car. A jury later found him not guilty of rape, kidnapping and gross sexual imposition.
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Showing posts with label stealing weapons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stealing weapons. Show all posts
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Former Officer Jeffery Holiday Charged with Stealing Weapons
A former Altoona police officer has been arrested on a theft charge for allegedly taking firearms from the police department's evidence locker.
Jeffery D. Holiday, 39, Altoona, was charged with second-degree of theft of property, Sheriff Todd Entrekin said in a news release.
The Altoona Police Department requested that the Etowah County Sheriff's Office conduct a special investigation involving the theft, Entrekin said.
Altoona Police Chief Anthony Davis said he asked the sheriff's department to investigate because it involved an employee in his department.
Davis said Holiday was served with a protection from abuse order and it was discovered a few days later that he had previously taken two firearms from the police department's evidence locker.
Holiday was employed with the Altoona Police Department at the time and was placed on suspension, Davis said. Holiday resigned July 7, he said.
Jeffery D. Holiday, 39, Altoona, was charged with second-degree of theft of property, Sheriff Todd Entrekin said in a news release.
The Altoona Police Department requested that the Etowah County Sheriff's Office conduct a special investigation involving the theft, Entrekin said.
Altoona Police Chief Anthony Davis said he asked the sheriff's department to investigate because it involved an employee in his department.
Davis said Holiday was served with a protection from abuse order and it was discovered a few days later that he had previously taken two firearms from the police department's evidence locker.
Holiday was employed with the Altoona Police Department at the time and was placed on suspension, Davis said. Holiday resigned July 7, he said.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Former Officer Jerry Bristow Pleads Guilty to Stealing Weapons from Evidence Room
A former Clinton police officer has pleaded guilty to taking two pistols and a shotgun from the police evidence room and selling them to a pawnbroker.
The former officer, 56-year-old Jerry Bristow, remains free on bond until a pre-sentence hearing on Sept. 11.
Bristow, who supervised the evidence room, left the force Jan. 1.
On Monday, Assistant DeWitt County State's Attorney Darrell Price said Clinton Police Chief Mike Reidy called for an investigation in January after he was told guns were missing from the evidence room.
Price told Circuit Court Judge Garry Bryan that the DeWitt County Sheriff's Department discovered that Bristow had taken the guns and sold them for his own profit at a Bloomington pawn shop.
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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com
The former officer, 56-year-old Jerry Bristow, remains free on bond until a pre-sentence hearing on Sept. 11.
Bristow, who supervised the evidence room, left the force Jan. 1.
On Monday, Assistant DeWitt County State's Attorney Darrell Price said Clinton Police Chief Mike Reidy called for an investigation in January after he was told guns were missing from the evidence room.
Price told Circuit Court Judge Garry Bryan that the DeWitt County Sheriff's Department discovered that Bristow had taken the guns and sold them for his own profit at a Bloomington pawn shop.
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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com
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
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Former Officer Jerry Bristow Accused of Stealing Guns will Stand Trial
CLINTON, Ill.
A former police officer accused of taking guns from the Clinton Police Department evidence room has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will go on trial later this year.
Jerry Bristow, who will tried on eight felony charges and one misdemeanor, is accused of taking a target pistol and shotgun on May 12, 2008; a pistol on July 3, 2008 and a revolver on August 1, 2008.
Because the revolver was valued at less than $300, it carries the misdemeanor charge. He is also charged with six counts of official misconduct.
Bristow entered a not guilty plea during his appearance Wednesday.
Bristow, who supervised the evidence room, left the force Jan. 1. An investigation by the DeWitt County Sheriff's Department led to the discovery of the missing weapons.
Bristow is free after posting $1,000 bond.
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More Information:
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/02/04/news/doc4989fa6c526d4042047083.txt
A former police officer accused of taking guns from the Clinton Police Department evidence room has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will go on trial later this year.
Jerry Bristow, who will tried on eight felony charges and one misdemeanor, is accused of taking a target pistol and shotgun on May 12, 2008; a pistol on July 3, 2008 and a revolver on August 1, 2008.
Because the revolver was valued at less than $300, it carries the misdemeanor charge. He is also charged with six counts of official misconduct.
Bristow entered a not guilty plea during his appearance Wednesday.
Bristow, who supervised the evidence room, left the force Jan. 1. An investigation by the DeWitt County Sheriff's Department led to the discovery of the missing weapons.
Bristow is free after posting $1,000 bond.
____________________
More Information:
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/02/04/news/doc4989fa6c526d4042047083.txt
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Former Officer Jerry Bristow Charged with Taking Weapons from Evidence Room
CLINTON
A former longtime Clinton police officer was arraigned Wednesday afternoon on charges that he took guns last year from an evidence room at the Clinton police station.
Jerry Bristow, 55, wearing an orange DeWitt County jumpsuit, appeared before Judge Chris Freese. He faces eight felony charges and one misdemeanor count.
Bristow acknowledged he understood the charges and said he would be represented by Clinton attorney Kevin Hammer.
DeWitt County State’s Attorney Richard Koritz said Wednesday that Bristow surrendered voluntarily on Tuesday and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Bond was returned to jail in lieu of posting $1,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4.
Bristow is accused of taking a target pistol and shotgun from the evidence room at the police station on May 12, 2008, a pistol on July 3, 2008, and a revolver on Aug. 1, 2008.
The revolver was valued at less than $300, so that incident carries the misdemeanor charge. The other gun theft charges are felonies.
He also is charged with six counts of official misconduct.
Each felony count carries a prison term of two to five years.
Bristow supervised the evidence room at the department and recently worked as a school resource officer before submitting his resignation Jan. 1. His resignation was not related to theft allegations, officials said.
DeWitt County Sheriff Roger Massey said Wednesday that his department was asked by Clinton Police Chief Mike Reidy on Friday to investigate the missing property.
Massey hinted that Bristow’s financial problems may have contributed to the thefts.
“I think it’s an example of tough economic times that probably led to a very poor and costly decision,” said Massey.
In addition to his time with the Clinton department, Bristow also worked for the sheriff’s department for several years. A year ago Bristow received a watch from the city of Clinton after celebrating 25 years on the force.
Information & Video: http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=66651
A former longtime Clinton police officer was arraigned Wednesday afternoon on charges that he took guns last year from an evidence room at the Clinton police station.
Jerry Bristow, 55, wearing an orange DeWitt County jumpsuit, appeared before Judge Chris Freese. He faces eight felony charges and one misdemeanor count.
Bristow acknowledged he understood the charges and said he would be represented by Clinton attorney Kevin Hammer.
DeWitt County State’s Attorney Richard Koritz said Wednesday that Bristow surrendered voluntarily on Tuesday and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Bond was returned to jail in lieu of posting $1,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4.
Bristow is accused of taking a target pistol and shotgun from the evidence room at the police station on May 12, 2008, a pistol on July 3, 2008, and a revolver on Aug. 1, 2008.
The revolver was valued at less than $300, so that incident carries the misdemeanor charge. The other gun theft charges are felonies.
He also is charged with six counts of official misconduct.
Each felony count carries a prison term of two to five years.
Bristow supervised the evidence room at the department and recently worked as a school resource officer before submitting his resignation Jan. 1. His resignation was not related to theft allegations, officials said.
DeWitt County Sheriff Roger Massey said Wednesday that his department was asked by Clinton Police Chief Mike Reidy on Friday to investigate the missing property.
Massey hinted that Bristow’s financial problems may have contributed to the thefts.
“I think it’s an example of tough economic times that probably led to a very poor and costly decision,” said Massey.
In addition to his time with the Clinton department, Bristow also worked for the sheriff’s department for several years. A year ago Bristow received a watch from the city of Clinton after celebrating 25 years on the force.
Information & Video: http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=66651
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Officer Johnny Baltazar Investigated for Smuggling Handguns
A department veteran allegedly bought guns at the Police Academy and sent them to Belize, where he runs a security firm.
A veteran Los Angeles police officer who operates a security company in Belize is under federal investigation for allegedly smuggling handguns into the Central American nation, according to law enforcement sources and internal LAPD documents.
Officer Johnny Baltazar is accused of purchasing eight .40-caliber Glocks from the LAPD Academy store and secretly shipping them, along with two other guns and 1,530 rounds of ammunition, to Belize where he runs a company called Elite Security, according to documents obtained by The Times.
Baltazar, 49, who was assigned to the West Los Angeles Division, has been accused administratively by the LAPD with exporting firearms without a license, failing to declare firearms he exported and failing to notify his LAPD superiors that he was under federal investigation, documents show. He has been suspended with pay pending a disciplinary hearing that could result in his firing.
Such hearings, which were open to the public for decades, have been conducted in secret since a 2006 state Supreme Court ruling that limited access to police personnel information.
Baltazar, who serves on the board of directors of the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation, an association of African American employees of the Los Angeles Police Department, could not be reached for comment.
Beyond the current charges, LAPD officials are also seeking additional information about his security company and specifically what it does.
"The question is what was he doing in Belize?" said one police official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the confidential nature of the investigation. The official said Baltazar did not have a department-issued off-duty work permit, which is required for officers who work second jobs.
The official added that Baltazar had been working a compressed work schedule in which officers work either 10 or 12 hours a day, three or four days a week, and that he told fellow officers he had been traveling to Belize.
Michael Gennaco, head of the Office of Independent Review at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said most major law enforcement agencies have strict policies regarding outside work by officers "because they don't want their people engaged in illegal activity or activity that's detrimental to the reputation of the department."
When officers working second jobs don't obtain permits, it makes it difficult for department officials to assess whether the work they are doing is consistent with the principles of their law enforcement day jobs, Gennaco said.
Federal authorities are continuing to investigate the allegations against Baltazar and are expected to present their findings to a grand jury, according to documents.
The documents state that Baltazar bought the handguns from the academy store in February 2007. In July 2007, he placed them in a safe, along with a pair of 9-millimeter handguns and the ammunition, and arranged to ship them to Belize with a company called Amerijet.
The officer did not declare the guns or ammunition in paperwork associated with the shipment and allegedly told Amerijet employees the safe was empty. Baltazar declared the value of the safe at $231.84, the documents show, but insured the shipment for $6,000 -- the approximate value of the guns and ammunition.
Importing handguns larger than 9 millimeters is banned in Belize under a 2002 law, according to the police documents.
Law enforcement sources said officials in Belize somehow discovered the guns were inside the safe and determined they were not legal. The safe was returned to the U.S.
The safe and guns were seized by customs officials on their arrival in the U.S., according to documents.
Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, would not confirm or deny that Baltazar was under investigation and declined to comment for this article.
A veteran Los Angeles police officer who operates a security company in Belize is under federal investigation for allegedly smuggling handguns into the Central American nation, according to law enforcement sources and internal LAPD documents.
Officer Johnny Baltazar is accused of purchasing eight .40-caliber Glocks from the LAPD Academy store and secretly shipping them, along with two other guns and 1,530 rounds of ammunition, to Belize where he runs a company called Elite Security, according to documents obtained by The Times.
Baltazar, 49, who was assigned to the West Los Angeles Division, has been accused administratively by the LAPD with exporting firearms without a license, failing to declare firearms he exported and failing to notify his LAPD superiors that he was under federal investigation, documents show. He has been suspended with pay pending a disciplinary hearing that could result in his firing.
Such hearings, which were open to the public for decades, have been conducted in secret since a 2006 state Supreme Court ruling that limited access to police personnel information.
Baltazar, who serves on the board of directors of the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation, an association of African American employees of the Los Angeles Police Department, could not be reached for comment.
Beyond the current charges, LAPD officials are also seeking additional information about his security company and specifically what it does.
"The question is what was he doing in Belize?" said one police official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the confidential nature of the investigation. The official said Baltazar did not have a department-issued off-duty work permit, which is required for officers who work second jobs.
The official added that Baltazar had been working a compressed work schedule in which officers work either 10 or 12 hours a day, three or four days a week, and that he told fellow officers he had been traveling to Belize.
Michael Gennaco, head of the Office of Independent Review at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said most major law enforcement agencies have strict policies regarding outside work by officers "because they don't want their people engaged in illegal activity or activity that's detrimental to the reputation of the department."
When officers working second jobs don't obtain permits, it makes it difficult for department officials to assess whether the work they are doing is consistent with the principles of their law enforcement day jobs, Gennaco said.
Federal authorities are continuing to investigate the allegations against Baltazar and are expected to present their findings to a grand jury, according to documents.
The documents state that Baltazar bought the handguns from the academy store in February 2007. In July 2007, he placed them in a safe, along with a pair of 9-millimeter handguns and the ammunition, and arranged to ship them to Belize with a company called Amerijet.
The officer did not declare the guns or ammunition in paperwork associated with the shipment and allegedly told Amerijet employees the safe was empty. Baltazar declared the value of the safe at $231.84, the documents show, but insured the shipment for $6,000 -- the approximate value of the guns and ammunition.
Importing handguns larger than 9 millimeters is banned in Belize under a 2002 law, according to the police documents.
Law enforcement sources said officials in Belize somehow discovered the guns were inside the safe and determined they were not legal. The safe was returned to the U.S.
The safe and guns were seized by customs officials on their arrival in the U.S., according to documents.
Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, would not confirm or deny that Baltazar was under investigation and declined to comment for this article.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Officer Hubertus Vannes Sentenced to 5 Years
MINEOLA, N.Y.
A former New York City police officer has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing handguns from a police evidence room and trading them for painkillers.
Hubertus Vannes, of Roslyn Heights, N.Y., pleaded guilty in May to criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a firearm. He had been an NYPD officer for two years when he was arrested last fall.
Prosecutors say Vannes admitted trading three stolen guns to a man for painkillers. He had 76 tablets of prescription painkillers in his possession when he was arrested.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--officersentenced0922sep22,0,7916253.story
A former New York City police officer has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing handguns from a police evidence room and trading them for painkillers.
Hubertus Vannes, of Roslyn Heights, N.Y., pleaded guilty in May to criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a firearm. He had been an NYPD officer for two years when he was arrested last fall.
Prosecutors say Vannes admitted trading three stolen guns to a man for painkillers. He had 76 tablets of prescription painkillers in his possession when he was arrested.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--officersentenced0922sep22,0,7916253.story
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