Officer James Ferguson Arrested for DWI

A San Antonio Police officer has been arrested for DWI in San Marcos.

Officer James Ferguson was reportedly arrested by San Marcos police on Wednesday night.

A spokesman for the Hays County Sheriff’s Office said Ferguson was released from jail Thursday on a $3,000 bond.

Ferguson has been with the San Antonio Police Department since 2007, according to state records.

Former Officer Daniel Lanious Charged with Corruption of Minor

A former Carroll Valley Police officer has been accused of sending "flirtatious and sexual" text messages to a 13-year-old girl, police state in charging documents.

Daniel Lanious, 50, of South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, was charged with corruption of a minor, according to a police criminal complaint filed at District Justice Susan Day's office in Mount Holly Springs.

The teenager's mother told police that Lanious met her daughter in July 2013, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

The girl received a text message from Lanious out of nowhere, the affidavit states. The messages quickly became "flirtatious and sexual," the affidavit continues.

The girl said she believed Lanious obtained her cellphone number from her Facebook page, the affidavit states.

The girl told police Lanious often mentioned wanting to have sex with her, according to the affidavit. She said she played along to an extent, but was not as graphic as he was, the affidavit continues.

The messages reportedly stopped on Aug. 13, when the girl's mother caught the last text, which read, "I wish you were home. I wish you were on birth control. I have a condom," according to the affidavit.

The mother replied to the message and told Lanious she hoped he was not over 18 because her daughter is only 13, according to the affidavit.

A day or two later the mother was visited by Lanious' son, who asked the mother if she would be contacting police, the affidavit states.

During an interview with state police Trooper Matthew Johnston from the Carlisle barracks, Lanious admitted to sending sexual text messages to the 13-year-old girl, the affidavit states.

Lanious apologized repeatedly for his actions and admitted what he did was "very stupid," according to the affidavit.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Lanious on April 2 in front of Day. He is being represented by Gettysburg attorney Steve Rice. Rice declined to comment on the case until he has spoken further with his client.

"As a well respected law enforcement officer, it would be nice if people could give him the benefit of the doubt," Rice said.

Six Officers in California Arrested in Scheme to Impound Vehicles

More than a third of the police officers in this Northern California town of 13,000 have been arrested, variously accused of bribery, embezzlement and threats charges.

Four are accused of developing a scheme to impound vehicles belonging to poor families, said Dean Flippo, Monterey County district attorney. After 30 days, those cars were turned over to King City police officers when the owners were unable to pay the impound fees.

The probe revealed that the scheme focused on poor Hispanic residents — including many who don't speak English. Census numbers show nearly 2 in 5 residents here are Hispanic.

"These people said, 'They are taking our property, they're taking our cars, they're taking our money and we can do nothing about that,' " Flippo said Tuesday. More than 200 vehicles were impounded, and 87% had been taken in by the same towing company.

Arrested were the following officials:

• Former police Chief Nick Baldiviez, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.

• Current acting Chief Bruce Miller, charged with accepting a bribe.

• Sgt. Bobby Carrillo, charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, accepting a bribe and bribing an executive officer.

• Sgt. Mark Baker, charged with criminal threats against a resident.

• Officer Mario Mottu, charged with embezzlement by a public officer.

• And Officer Jaime Andrade, charged with possession of an assault weapon and illegal storage of a firearm at his stepson's residence unrelated to the car scheme.

Also arrested was Brian Albert Miller, owner of a towing company and the acting police chief's brother. He was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and bribing an executive officer.

All of those arrested were out of jail within hours. Bail amounts ranged from $10,000 to $60,000.

"There has been a significant breakdown in the internal leadership of the King City Police Department," Flippo said. "It also appears to me that some officers have dishonored their badge."

Carrillo was accused of receiving a free vehicle for every 10 to 15 vehicles he had impounded. Ultimately, Carrillo allegedly got five vehicles to keep or sell and gave one to Bruce Miller, then a police captain.

In 2011, prosecutors believe Baldiviez gave Mottu a free 2001 Ford Crown Victoria patrol car belonging to either King City or the King City Police Explorers, a nonprofit group that is part of the Boy Scouts of America. Baldiviez remains on the city's payroll in spite of his September retirement, Flippo said.

"I'm not sure we know all the cars that were taken," the district attorney said. He couldn't put a value on the vehicles handed out in the scheme.

None of Tuesday's arrests, part of a six-month investigation of complaints going back 3½ years, are related to accusations posted on the Internet that King City police officers skimmed money from recovered bank robbery funds, Flippo said. He wouldn't specify whether any of the officers arrested were implicated in that accusation.

"As we began to talk to individuals over the years, we were beginning to hear this constant theme that had been there for years prior, and that was a lack of trust and faith in the King City Police Department," he said.

King City criminal cases in which any one of the six accused was the arresting officer are under scrutiny, the prosecutor said.

So far three cases that cannot proceed without the arresting officer's testimony have been dismissed, said Terry Spitz, chief assistant district attorney. Other cases also may be dismissed.

"My reputation is soiled," Bruce Miller said. "There's no coming back from this even if I'm found innocent. People are always going to look poorly upon me."

He said he knew his department was being investigated but had no idea he was a suspect. He denied that he had accepted any bribes.

Almost all of the police force's upper management has been arrested, Monterey County Sheriff Scott Miller said. His office is offering help in the interim as King City officials figure out how to continue policing the town about 135 miles southeast of San Francisco and 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles along U.S. 101.

"We have no plans to just go into the city and take over services, but our offer to the city is we're available from this point on to provide whatever level of law enforcement services the city requires," he said.

The King City Police Department has come under fire in recent years. In 2010, Baldiviez was placed on administrative leave after officers claimed he arrived intoxicated at crime scenes. The next year, Baldiviez came under scrutiny for allegedly placing overweight officers on a weight-loss program, claiming they were unfit to work.

Baldiviez officially retired in September after a four-month vacation. Bruce Miller has filled the chief's position on an interim basis since May 2013.

At the time, Bruce Miller said he would be interested in applying for the chief's position when it became officially available.

Baldiviez is also listed as one of several defendants in a November lawsuit clai

Sergeamt Timothy Williams Fired for Insubordination

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has terminated a veteran sergeant, following allegations he had inappropriate contact with a woman following a traffic stop then violated an order to stay away from her.

Sergeant Timothy Williams was terminated Wednesday, after exhausting his final appeal.

Williams was placed on administrative duty last month, following a complaint from the woman.

He was then placed on administrative leave, according to the sheriff's office, after Williams contacted the woman again.

A sheriff's office spokesman said Sgt. Williams was fired for insubordination and conduct unbecoming a deputy sheriff.

Williams had been with the sheriff's office since 1991.

Officer Clinton Montalbetti Charged with Possessing Child Porn

A former police officer in northern Missouri is charged with possessing child pornography.  Officers arrested Clinton Montalbetti, 23, on Tuesday in Linn County on an outstanding warrant from Putnam County.

A judge issued the warrant after suspected pornographic images were found on a flash drive used by Montalbetti while he worked as a Unionville officer in late 2013.

Montalbetti's bond is $10,000.  Kirksville police say additional charges are possible after a review of items retrieved from a search of his home near Brookfield.

Detective Karen Almos Arrested for Drunk Driving

A San Diego police detective was arrested Saturday on suspicion of drunken driving when she was found sleeping in her parked car at Balboa Park, authorities said Tuesday.

Detective Karen Almos, 47, a 16-year department veteran, has been assigned to administrative duties as an investigation continues, police Detective Gary Hassen said.

Hassen said paramedics found her in a parked vehicle about 3:25 p.m. on Pan America Plaza. She later was identified as a police detective, and San Diego police arrested her, Hassen said.

Almos was booked into Las Colinas jail in Santee, then released on bail set at $2,500, a jail record shows.

San Diego police Lt. Kevin Mayer said the state Vehicle Code section on drunken driving “gives officers a lot of leeway” in making arrests.

“The officers looked at all the evidence and believed they had enough to arrest her for this offense,” Mayer said. “This case illustrates that criminal behavior by our officers, on or off duty, is not tolerated. The chief has made this clear.”

The Vehicle Code says a DUI arrest may be made if the person is “in or about a vehicle” that obstructs a road, or if the person might cause injury or damage if not immediately arrested.

“What if we walked away, knowing the person could potentially hurt somebody?” California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said. “You can’t assume someone’s going to sleep off their intoxication.”

CHP Officer Kevin Pearlstein said an officer’s arrest report would note certain facts, such as seeing the person in the driver’s seat with a key in the ignition, and ask how the person got there and whether they had been drinking.

A fundraising event involving police, the Kiwanis Club and the public had been held earlier in the day at the location of Almos’ arrest outside the Balboa Park Club.

The 11th annual Guacamole Bowl, with teams preparing guacamole dip recipes for judging, raised more than $14,500 for the Sports for Exceptional Athletes program for developmentally disabled children and adults, said Clara Downes, the program’s associate director.

Downes said Tuesday that no alcohol is served at the fundraiser.

Four law enforcement teams were among the 26 teams that prepared and served guacamole samples. Members of the public paid $5 to taste the samples and vote for their favorites, Downes said.

No information was immediately available about whether Almos attended or participated in the Guacamole Bowl. Mayer said he has not confirmed whether she was there.

The event was open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but teams started at 8 a.m. to fix their recipes, Downes said. She estimated that more than 2,000 people attended, including some of the athletes in the program.

The National Latino Peace Officers Association took first place in the law enforcement division, while a team fielded by the San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union winning the overall top prize, Downes said.

Last April, San Diego police Detective Jeffrey Blackford pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drunken-driving charges related to a December incident in which he crashed his unmarked police car into a roadside utility box.

Officer Maurice Hopkins Arrested for Rape

A Pine Bluff police officer was formally charged with rape Tuesday after a criminal investigation into allegations made by the alleged victim on Monday.

Police spokesman Lt. David Price said in a news release Officer Maurice Hopkins, who has been with the department for two years and nine months, was charged with one count of rape by Prosecuting Attorney S. Kyle Hunter after the investigation was forwarded to him.

The alleged incident occurred Sunday, according to a news release from Price on Monday. He also said the alleged victim was an adult female. Hopkins was placed on administrative leave with pay at that time.

A warrant was issued for Hopkins arrest and bond was set at $100,000 secured. He was also ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

Hopkins turned himself in Tuesday, Police Chief Jeff Hubanks said. He was booked into the adult detention center at 5:09 p.m. and was released on bond at 6:02 p.m., according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office website.

Price said in the news release Tuesday that the department will not release any further information until the conclusion of an internal investigation.

Officer William Ruscoe Arrested for Sexual Assault

A veteran Trumbull Police officer was arrested Monday night by Connecticut State Police in Bridgeport on sexual assault charges.

Details of the assault are not clear, but William Ruscoe, 44, was charged with second-degree sex assault, third-degree sex assault and fourth-degree sex assault, as well as tampering with a witness.

Multiple reports says he’s a 20-year veteran and sexually assaulted a member of the police department’s explorer program, where he served as an adviser for several years.

Cash bond was set at $50,000 and he’s due in Bridgeport Superior Court either Feb. 25 or March 5.

Officer Sean Gilhuly Arrested After Drunk Driving

An Orlando police officer was arrested Tuesday for the second time in a
month.

Sean Gilhuly, 30, was arrested in Orange County on a charge of
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — a motor vehicle, according to a
 police spokesman.

Orlando officers would not give details other than to say they are
investigating Gilhuly on suspicion of leaving the scene of an off-duty
crash.

They would not say whether Tuesday's arrest was related to Gilhuly's DUI
 arrest Jan. 19 in Oviedo. Police there said they found an open bottle
of peach vodka in the passenger seat of his sport utility vehicle.

A passer-by told a dispatcher that Gilhuly had sat through two green
lights and appeared unfit to drive.

Gilhuly was charged with criminal mischief because investigators say he
kicked out the back window of a patrol car after his arrest, a police
report shows.

He also was ticketed on charges of improper stopping or standing and
having an open container of alcohol.

Gilhuly remains suspended with pay while an internal investigation is
conducted. He was hired Sept. 12, 2011.

Officer Mark Ridley Jr Released on Bond

A Muskogee police officer who is facing several felony charges was released from jail Friday after a $50,000 bond was set.

Mark Vernon Ridley Jr., 39, of Oktaha had been held without bond in the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility since his arrest last month.

Ridley was arrested after he allegedly crashed his truck into his wife’s car and kidnapped her at gunpoint.

On Jan. 31, he was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, forcible sodomy and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.

Ridley was placed on paid administrative leave in December after allegations of assault, abuse, stalking and harassment surfaced.

Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said Ridley had tried to commit suicide while in custody at the jail.

Larry Langley, special district judge for Sequoyah County District Court, set Ridley’s bond at $50,000 and ordered Ridley to be under 24-hour supervision with the understanding that the person providing supervision will insure that Ridley takes his prescribed medication. The judge also ruled that Ridley could not have access to firearms and was ordered to not have contact with his wife or witnesses in the case.

Langley was assigned to the case after Muskogee County’s Special District Judge Robin Adair recused himself.

In requesting a reduction in bond Friday, defense attorney Donn Baker told the judge that Ridley was unstable initially, but no longer poses a risk.

Baker said a Feb. 17 letter from a nurse practitioner at a local health facility who had evaluated Ridley proved “he is much more stable and doing a lot better.” Ridley was “not in danger to himself or anyone else,” Baker said.

In the Feb. 17 letter, Michael S. Smith, a Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with Muskogee Family Care, states, “Though he was quite unstable, and even suicidal, initially upon his entry into the jail, he has now become much more stable and, in my opinion, does not represent any danger to himself or others.”

The letter continues, “Additionally, I have discussed his case with the mental health provider from Green Country Behavioral Health, who interviewed Officer Ridley, who likewise believes that he does not represent any threat to himself.”

Ridley’s father and other individuals were willing to provide 24-hour supervision if Ridley was free on bond, Baker said.

The office of Eddie Wyant, district attorney for Delaware and Ottawa counties, was named to prosecute the case after Muskogee County District Moore recused himself.

Jennifer Ellis, an assistant district attorney in Ottawa County, said the state objected to the bond for Ridley.

“Our position is one of safety” for Ridley and Ridley’s wife, she said.

If Ridley was released on bond, then the only benefit would be a “reactive situation” if Ridley violated the conditions of bond and that Ridley could harm himself or others.

“We feel the risk is just too high,” she said.

She added that the state believes that Ridley should remain incarcerated in jail or be placed in a mental health facility until the preliminary hearing.

A status hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 28, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. May 16. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, a judge will determine if Ridley should stand trial.

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Former Officer David Banks Charged with Sexual Misconduct with Child

A former Unionville Police officer was charged with sexual misconduct involving a child after Kirksville Police received and investigated claims he was exchanging inappropriate text messages with a juvenile.

David Banks, 25, was arrested at a residence in Stewartsville after being terminated from the Unionville Police Department over allegations of sexual misconduct.

According to the Kirksville Police Department, the suspect had been exchanging sexual explicit text messages and had sent at least one image to a 14-year-old female in Unionville. KPD began its investigation Thursday.

Following his termination with the police department Thursday, Banks is alleged to have left Unionville and was located at a residence in DeKalb County, where a search warrant was executed for his arrest early Friday morning.

Banks was being held in the Daviess/Dekalb Regional Jail as of Friday morning on a $10,000 cash-only bond. He was charged with the class D felony of sexual misconduct involving a child.

The investigation is ongoing and other charges are pending, according to KPD.

Officer Shawn Allen Charged with Fraud

A Region 8 police officer was charged with both fraud and possession after he was arrested Friday morning.

According to police, Walnut Ridge police officer Shawn Allen was charged with fraud after abusing drug prescriptions. He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Allen was released on bond and has a scheduled court date.

Sgt. Kevin Simmons Charged with Soliciting Prostitution

A Baltimore City police sergeant was among four people arrested Wednesday night in a vice sting in Baltimore County.

County police said the men solicited prostitution and offered money to undercover detectives.

Sgt. Kevin Simmons, 40, is among those charged. The other three men were identified as Edward Yuditsky, 42, of Timonium; Trevor William Joseph Barnes, 44, of Mount Airy; and Mark Kane, 48, of Eldersburg.

The four men taken into custody were charged with two counts of prostitution. All except Kane, who also faces drug charges, were released on their own recognizance. Kane was held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on $5,000 bail.

Simmons has been assigned to the Neighborhood Patrol Bureau in the Western District. He has been with the department since January 1996.

Officer Ernesto Fierro Indicted in Texas Death

An officer has been indicted on criminal charges in connection with an Iowan's death in Texas.

Officer Ernesto Fierro turned himself in to authorities at 5 p.m. Thursday.

A grand jury found Fierro did "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly threaten William Livezey, Jr. with imminent bodily injury by causing the vehicle driven by said defendant to drive toward William Livezey, Jr., and did then use or exhibit a deadly weapon..."

The grand jury also found Fierro subjected Livezey "to an arrest that the defendant knew was unlawful."

He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, official oppression and three counts of reckless driving. Fierro was released on $85,000 bond.

Iowan Bill Livezey was pulled over by Fierro on Dec. 11 who was off-duty at the time.

Authorities said witnesses told them Fierro was trying to run Livezey off the road.

The Navarro County Sheriff's Office told KCCI when their deputies arrived, Livezey said he was feeling ill and suffered a heart attack. Deputies took the handcuffs off and started CPR.

An ambulance transported Livezey to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
KTVT-TV reported that the Livezey family has hired an attorney to pursue the case

Corrections Officer Jessie Tyree Arrested on Drug Charges

A federal corrections officer and a woman were arrested at an apartment complex by Ocala police and drug agents Friday and were charged with possession of illegal narcotics.

Ocala Police Department officers Brandon Sirolli and J.P. Hall were patrolling at Spring Manor Apartments at 2833 NE Seventh St., Ocala, when they smelled burnt marijuana coming from an open window.

The officers saw Jessie Tyree and a woman walking from a hallway and smelled a strong odor of marijuana on them. The two said they had just left the apartment from which the officers had smelled burnt marijuana, reports state.

The woman told the officers she had smoked marijuana in the apartment. Other officers arrived and Tyree and the woman were searched. The woman did not have anything illegal in her possession but Tyree had MDMA, commonly called Ecstasy, cocaine and drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

Tyree, 28, is a corrections officer at Marion Correctional Institution. He told the officers he has been using drugs for “just a little while,” the report notes.

Charlotte James, the tenant in the apartment, came outside and asked officers what was going on. She said she had smoked marijuana before Tyree and the woman arrived, but that there was not any more inside. The officers asked to search the residence and she told them no, the report states.

The officers contacted the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, which obtained a search warrant. Inside James’ apartment agents found a small amount of marijuana.
James, 26, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.

Tyree was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, MDMA and drug paraphernalia.