A former police chief and police officer were arrested and charged with theft in office, the Lake County Prosecuting Attorney said today.
Former Timberlake Police Chief David Phillips and former Timberlake Police Officer Carrie Ann Murray are in the Lake County jail, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Both have been charged with two counts of theft from office, and Phillips was also charged with two counts of tampering with records. The indictment charges that the thefts occurred in October of last year.
Showing posts with label tampering with records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tampering with records. Show all posts
Friday, April 11, 2014
Monday, March 01, 2010
Vice Officer Samuel Roccaforte Arrested for Tampering with Records
A Houston Police Department vice officer appeared in court this morning after being arrested during the weekend on two charges of tampering with a government record in connection with a prostitution arrest.
Samuel Anthony Roccaforte, 57, is accused of arresting a woman for prostitution and filing a false police record about what the 45-year-old said in her bedroom.
The woman, whose prostitution charges have been dropped, protested being arrested for offering sex in exchange for money.
On tape, the officer can be heard saying, “Well, you did, you know you did, I know you did. There's no audio, there's no video. It's gonna be my word against yours and who do you think they're going to believe?” according to court records.
Documents show Roccaforte called the woman after seeing an advertisement with her phone number on a website. The woman invited the officer to her apartment and once inside, into her bedroom, where she invited him to place a donation on a table.
Because Roccaforte began asking questions about having sex for money, the woman believed he was a police officer, the charging document shows. She said she did not provide that type of service.
Roccaforte arrested the woman for prostitution and wrote that she agreed to have sex for $200.
Roccaforte is free after posting $4,000 bond Sunday. Both charges stem from the same incident. The state jail felony is punishable by a maximum of two years behind bars.
Harris County records show that the woman has been convicted of DWI and was placed on deferred adjudication for drug possession.
Roccaforte's attorney Chip Lewis said he had not heard the tape.
“Our preliminary investigation directly contradicts the state's version,” Lewis said. “However, I will not be able to be more specific until we've had an opportunity to review the evidence.”
Calls to HPD were not immediately returned.
Samuel Anthony Roccaforte, 57, is accused of arresting a woman for prostitution and filing a false police record about what the 45-year-old said in her bedroom.
The woman, whose prostitution charges have been dropped, protested being arrested for offering sex in exchange for money.
On tape, the officer can be heard saying, “Well, you did, you know you did, I know you did. There's no audio, there's no video. It's gonna be my word against yours and who do you think they're going to believe?” according to court records.
Documents show Roccaforte called the woman after seeing an advertisement with her phone number on a website. The woman invited the officer to her apartment and once inside, into her bedroom, where she invited him to place a donation on a table.
Because Roccaforte began asking questions about having sex for money, the woman believed he was a police officer, the charging document shows. She said she did not provide that type of service.
Roccaforte arrested the woman for prostitution and wrote that she agreed to have sex for $200.
Roccaforte is free after posting $4,000 bond Sunday. Both charges stem from the same incident. The state jail felony is punishable by a maximum of two years behind bars.
Harris County records show that the woman has been convicted of DWI and was placed on deferred adjudication for drug possession.
Roccaforte's attorney Chip Lewis said he had not heard the tape.
“Our preliminary investigation directly contradicts the state's version,” Lewis said. “However, I will not be able to be more specific until we've had an opportunity to review the evidence.”
Calls to HPD were not immediately returned.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Detective Jim MacNeil Found Guilty
A disgraced former Edmonton police detective found guilty of obstruction of justice for tampering in his son’s drunk-driving case has avoided being put behind bars.
Jim MacNeil, 51, was given a four-month conditional sentence to be served in the community on Tuesday.
Judge Doreen Sulyma told a packed courtroom MacNeil had “compromised the administration of justice” and said he had a “higher level of blameworthiness” as a result of being a senior officer.
“It was done for a family member. There was no need for this,” she said.
“He could have assisted his son legally. Instead, he chose to hold himself above the rule of law.”
Sulyma also criticized the former detective for trying to put the blame on another office.
She said the falsely blamed officer wrote in a victim impact statement that she her professional reputation had been negatively affected.
Sulyma said mitigating factors were that MacNeil had no prior criminal record; boasted a long, successful career with the Edmonton Police Service; and volunteered in the community.
MacNeil was ordered to take any courses directed by his probation officer and he must abide by a daily 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew for the first month of the sentence.
At the time of MacNeil’s Dec. 1 conviction, Sulyma said she didn’t believe his testimony and ruled he had used his position as a police officer to “improperly” access police information to try to “protect” his son.
“From the beginning, he was using his position for the sole goal of helping his son,” said Sulyma.
She also ruled the actions of the 26-year veteran, who had then been suspended without pay, marked a “serious and marked departure” from the standards of a public officer.
“The actions of the accused were indeed partial and he used his office for a purpose other than the public good.”
According to an agreed statement of facts in the case, Chad MacNeil was arrested for impaired driving by Const. Eleanor McEvoy and Const. Greg Kitura on Feb. 10, 2005.
After MacNeil tried to get a copy of his son’s file on Feb. 17, 2005, police began an internal investigation.
According to the agreed facts, MacNeil admitted he sent a fax to the Driver Fitness and Monitoring Branch on Feb. 22, 2005, requesting his son’s suspension be canceled.
MacNeil also admitted he sent a memo to the Edmonton Police Service's case management unit requesting the suspension be canceled; and accessed CPIC, the national police computer system, to run inquiries concerning his son.
On Nov. 19, MacNeil took the stand in his own defense and admitted to impersonating his son on the phone.
Jim MacNeil, 51, was given a four-month conditional sentence to be served in the community on Tuesday.
Judge Doreen Sulyma told a packed courtroom MacNeil had “compromised the administration of justice” and said he had a “higher level of blameworthiness” as a result of being a senior officer.
“It was done for a family member. There was no need for this,” she said.
“He could have assisted his son legally. Instead, he chose to hold himself above the rule of law.”
Sulyma also criticized the former detective for trying to put the blame on another office.
She said the falsely blamed officer wrote in a victim impact statement that she her professional reputation had been negatively affected.
Sulyma said mitigating factors were that MacNeil had no prior criminal record; boasted a long, successful career with the Edmonton Police Service; and volunteered in the community.
MacNeil was ordered to take any courses directed by his probation officer and he must abide by a daily 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew for the first month of the sentence.
At the time of MacNeil’s Dec. 1 conviction, Sulyma said she didn’t believe his testimony and ruled he had used his position as a police officer to “improperly” access police information to try to “protect” his son.
“From the beginning, he was using his position for the sole goal of helping his son,” said Sulyma.
She also ruled the actions of the 26-year veteran, who had then been suspended without pay, marked a “serious and marked departure” from the standards of a public officer.
“The actions of the accused were indeed partial and he used his office for a purpose other than the public good.”
According to an agreed statement of facts in the case, Chad MacNeil was arrested for impaired driving by Const. Eleanor McEvoy and Const. Greg Kitura on Feb. 10, 2005.
After MacNeil tried to get a copy of his son’s file on Feb. 17, 2005, police began an internal investigation.
According to the agreed facts, MacNeil admitted he sent a fax to the Driver Fitness and Monitoring Branch on Feb. 22, 2005, requesting his son’s suspension be canceled.
MacNeil also admitted he sent a memo to the Edmonton Police Service's case management unit requesting the suspension be canceled; and accessed CPIC, the national police computer system, to run inquiries concerning his son.
On Nov. 19, MacNeil took the stand in his own defense and admitted to impersonating his son on the phone.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Lt Howard Watson Arrested for Coercing Two Woman into Performing Sexual Acts on Him
A Dallas County constable lieutenant was arrested Wednesday and charged with multiple felonies as part of an investigation by the district attorney's office into activities at some constable offices, authorities said.
Lt. Howard Watson, 66, of Dallas is a senior officer in Constable Jaime Cortes' Precinct 5 office in Oak Cliff. His arrest is the first to come from a months-long investigation of constables by the DA's public integrity division.
Watson was booked into Dallas County Jail late Wednesday afternoon, sheriff's officials said. He is being charged with sexual assault, bribery, official oppression, the unauthorized use of two motor vehicles and tampering with government records.
Watson is accused of, among other things, coercing two women into performing sexual acts with him in exchange for not arresting them on outstanding warrants. Watson also used an incorrect address for a certificate that allowed him to help register voters, court records show.
Peter Schulte, an attorney for Cortes, said the constable "understands the seriousness of the allegations" and has placed Watson on leave until further notice.
Schulte said Cortes is opening an internal investigation on the matter.
Watson's wife, Janette, 64, also was arrested late Wednesday. She is charged with providing a false seller's name and previous owner's name on a vehicle title certificate. She also is charged with tampering with a government record by altering a vehicle title.
The Watsons were unavailable for comment.
Watson was one of several Precinct 5 officers who aroused suspicions in the county tax office about two years ago by driving personal vehicles with 30-day registration tags.
In August, The Dallas Morning News reported that the deputies had been renewing the temporary permits every month, paying $25 each time, leading some officials to wonder whether they had title to the vehicles.
The transactions raised questions about where the constables were getting the vehicles, some of which were in salvage yards after being damaged in crashes. The constables, however, wouldn't say where they got the vehicles.
At the time of the News report, County Judge Jim Foster said he wanted to make sure the vehicles did not come from Dowdy Ferry Auto Services, the towing company whose contracts with Cortes and Precinct 1 Constable Derick Evans have been questioned by county officials.
Some constable officers using the paper tags only recently applied for titles to their vehicles, with Watson seeking a bonded title. A bonded title can protect your against future claims to a vehicle. It is generally sought after the state denies a title application because of a lack of proper ownership evidence.
It's unclear from the indictment whether the situation described by The News is tied to Watson's and his wife's arrests.
The News' investigation found that Watson received a bonded title in July for a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria he was driving with temporary tags, records show. He also was driving a 2001 Cadillac Catera with paper tags. That car, originally registered in Florida, was sold at auction in Texas in April 2007. Records don't indicate when and how Watson obtained the car.
Title records show that Watson's wife became the owner of the Cadillac in August.
Foster said some information compiled by a special investigator helped make the arrests possible. In September, county commissioners hired former FBI agent Danny Defenbaugh to conduct a civil investigation into operations at the Precinct 5 and Precinct 1 constable offices.
As part of that investigation, which is continuing, Defenbaugh turned over evidence of crimes to the DA's public integrity division.
The district attorney's office declined to comment on the arrests.
Foster said he hopes Wednesday's arrests are just the beginning.
"I just wish that this would have happened sooner," he said. "It's very serious. And I'm looking forward to all these issues being resolved."
Cortes hired Watson in July 2007 when county commissioners appointed Cortes to replace former Constable Mike Dupree, who resigned while facing criminal charges.
Previously, Watson worked briefly at two small Ellis County police departments – three months at the Maypearl Police Department and five months at the Life School ISD police department, state records show.
Watson lost his ability to park his Dallas County constable vehicle at his home about a year and a half ago after wrecking it while off-duty.
Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield said he hopes more arrests will follow.
In recent months, numerous current and former deputy constables from Precincts 1 and 5 have reported wrongdoing to some of the commissioners and to the district attorney.
Mayfield said several more deputies are scheduled to appear before the grand jury investigating constable affairs.
"It's somewhat encouraging," Mayfield said about Wednesday's arrests. "It's a good sign. We'll wait to see what follows."
Lt. Howard Watson, 66, of Dallas is a senior officer in Constable Jaime Cortes' Precinct 5 office in Oak Cliff. His arrest is the first to come from a months-long investigation of constables by the DA's public integrity division.
Watson was booked into Dallas County Jail late Wednesday afternoon, sheriff's officials said. He is being charged with sexual assault, bribery, official oppression, the unauthorized use of two motor vehicles and tampering with government records.
Watson is accused of, among other things, coercing two women into performing sexual acts with him in exchange for not arresting them on outstanding warrants. Watson also used an incorrect address for a certificate that allowed him to help register voters, court records show.
Peter Schulte, an attorney for Cortes, said the constable "understands the seriousness of the allegations" and has placed Watson on leave until further notice.
Schulte said Cortes is opening an internal investigation on the matter.
Watson's wife, Janette, 64, also was arrested late Wednesday. She is charged with providing a false seller's name and previous owner's name on a vehicle title certificate. She also is charged with tampering with a government record by altering a vehicle title.
The Watsons were unavailable for comment.
Watson was one of several Precinct 5 officers who aroused suspicions in the county tax office about two years ago by driving personal vehicles with 30-day registration tags.
In August, The Dallas Morning News reported that the deputies had been renewing the temporary permits every month, paying $25 each time, leading some officials to wonder whether they had title to the vehicles.
The transactions raised questions about where the constables were getting the vehicles, some of which were in salvage yards after being damaged in crashes. The constables, however, wouldn't say where they got the vehicles.
At the time of the News report, County Judge Jim Foster said he wanted to make sure the vehicles did not come from Dowdy Ferry Auto Services, the towing company whose contracts with Cortes and Precinct 1 Constable Derick Evans have been questioned by county officials.
Some constable officers using the paper tags only recently applied for titles to their vehicles, with Watson seeking a bonded title. A bonded title can protect your against future claims to a vehicle. It is generally sought after the state denies a title application because of a lack of proper ownership evidence.
It's unclear from the indictment whether the situation described by The News is tied to Watson's and his wife's arrests.
The News' investigation found that Watson received a bonded title in July for a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria he was driving with temporary tags, records show. He also was driving a 2001 Cadillac Catera with paper tags. That car, originally registered in Florida, was sold at auction in Texas in April 2007. Records don't indicate when and how Watson obtained the car.
Title records show that Watson's wife became the owner of the Cadillac in August.
Foster said some information compiled by a special investigator helped make the arrests possible. In September, county commissioners hired former FBI agent Danny Defenbaugh to conduct a civil investigation into operations at the Precinct 5 and Precinct 1 constable offices.
As part of that investigation, which is continuing, Defenbaugh turned over evidence of crimes to the DA's public integrity division.
The district attorney's office declined to comment on the arrests.
Foster said he hopes Wednesday's arrests are just the beginning.
"I just wish that this would have happened sooner," he said. "It's very serious. And I'm looking forward to all these issues being resolved."
Cortes hired Watson in July 2007 when county commissioners appointed Cortes to replace former Constable Mike Dupree, who resigned while facing criminal charges.
Previously, Watson worked briefly at two small Ellis County police departments – three months at the Maypearl Police Department and five months at the Life School ISD police department, state records show.
Watson lost his ability to park his Dallas County constable vehicle at his home about a year and a half ago after wrecking it while off-duty.
Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield said he hopes more arrests will follow.
In recent months, numerous current and former deputy constables from Precincts 1 and 5 have reported wrongdoing to some of the commissioners and to the district attorney.
Mayfield said several more deputies are scheduled to appear before the grand jury investigating constable affairs.
"It's somewhat encouraging," Mayfield said about Wednesday's arrests. "It's a good sign. We'll wait to see what follows."
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Officer Duhamel Torres Indicted for Rape, Kidnapping, Assault
CLEVELAND
A Cleveland police officer was indicted Wednesday on charges connected to the rape of a woman while on duty last December.
Duhamel Torres was indicted on several charges, including rape, kidnapping, intimidation of a crime victim, tampering with records and assault.
Prosecutors said Torres stopped a 41-year-old woman near West 43rd Street and Lorain Avenue. He asked her if she had a warrant out for her arrest and ordered her into his patrol car, saying he would give her a ride home, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Torres drove the woman to an area on Scranton Avenue, threatened her with arrest, slapped her in the face and raped her.
When he dropped her off near her home, he threatened her again, prosecutors said.
Authorities said DNA from the rape kit matched Torres'.
__________________
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1234431036196931.xml&coll=2
A Cleveland police officer was indicted Wednesday on charges connected to the rape of a woman while on duty last December.
Duhamel Torres was indicted on several charges, including rape, kidnapping, intimidation of a crime victim, tampering with records and assault.
Prosecutors said Torres stopped a 41-year-old woman near West 43rd Street and Lorain Avenue. He asked her if she had a warrant out for her arrest and ordered her into his patrol car, saying he would give her a ride home, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Torres drove the woman to an area on Scranton Avenue, threatened her with arrest, slapped her in the face and raped her.
When he dropped her off near her home, he threatened her again, prosecutors said.
Authorities said DNA from the rape kit matched Torres'.
__________________
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1234431036196931.xml&coll=2
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Officer Vinnie Edwards Charged with Falsely Reporting Crash
A Cincinnati police officer is out on bond after being arrested Tuesday and charged with falsely reporting a crash after a dispute involving her personal car.
Vinnie Edwards, 49, is charged with tampering with records, forgery and unauthorized use of property following an Aug. 22 incident in the parking lot of the Hyde Park Kroger store.
Edwards’ personal car, a black 2007 Ford Fusion, was hit on the front passenger door with a shopping cart that was being used by a man.
The man and Edwards exchanged information at the time and Edwards later sent him an estimate for the damage.
Shocked that the estimate was for more than $900, the man reviewed the estimate more closely and saw that it was for more than the nick the shopping cart caused on her door.
Edwards responded, a Hamilton County indictment alleges, by running the man’s name through the national crime database to check on his criminal record – even though the man wasn’t charged in the incident.
She also is accused of filing a crash report of the incident with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles even though there was no crash.
Edwards was in court Tuesday and released on her own recognizance. She was suspended without pay following her arrest.
She was hired as a Cincinnati police officer in June 1992 – four months after, records show, she was charged with falsification. It’s unclear what the outcome of that charge was.
Edwards is a patrol officer in the police department’s District 1 that encompasses Downtown, West End, Over-the-Rhine and other nearby areas.
The charges against Edwards carry a maximum prison term of seven years.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Officer Robin Brown Charged with Document Fraud
An Irvington police officer whose job was to stop document fraud is being accused of using a friend's birth certificate to obtain a New Jersey driver's license with her photo on it, authorities said today.
A state grand jury indicted Officer Robin M. Brown, 41, of Irvington, on charges of using of another's personal identifying information, tampering with public records and forgery, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. The indictment was handed up late Tuesday.
Brown could not be reached for comment. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge.
Brown got a duplicate driver's license in her friend's name, but with her photo on it last June at the Motor Vehicle Commission's office in Newark, prosecutors said.
The ruse was discovered when the friend went to change her address at the MVC office in Irvington and the clerk noticed the photo on file for the license was actually Brown. The clerk knew Brown because she worked at the Irvington office as part of a program that places police officers in motor vehicle agencies to stop document fraud.
A state grand jury indicted Officer Robin M. Brown, 41, of Irvington, on charges of using of another's personal identifying information, tampering with public records and forgery, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice. The indictment was handed up late Tuesday.
Brown could not be reached for comment. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge.
Brown got a duplicate driver's license in her friend's name, but with her photo on it last June at the Motor Vehicle Commission's office in Newark, prosecutors said.
The ruse was discovered when the friend went to change her address at the MVC office in Irvington and the clerk noticed the photo on file for the license was actually Brown. The clerk knew Brown because she worked at the Irvington office as part of a program that places police officers in motor vehicle agencies to stop document fraud.
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