A woman has claimed that a former Gainesville Police officer coerced and intimidated her into having sex with him.
Gainesville Police received the complaint on May 7, and John Robert Bostick, 34, resigned May 9 from the department at the start of the internal investigation.
The woman wrote in a “victim statement” that Bostick was making her have sex with him to keep him from “messing with” her family and allowing her to drive with an invalid driver’s license, according to the police supplement report.
The woman said that Bostick had called her multiple times, though she did not answer the phone.
The woman told police that she met Bostick at a downtown nightclub where she works.
While on patrol, he complimented her on her looks and asked for her personal information, the report stated.
Bostick also shared confidential police information with the woman regarding her father’s arrest.
In a separate incident, Bostick told the woman that her friend shouldn’t worry about his charges because Bostick forgot to write the citation, according to the report.
The alleged sexual battery occurred outside of Gainesville Police jurisdiction, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Spencer Mann, State Attorney’s Office spokesman, said the attorney’s office is still deciding whether Bostick could be prosecuted for a sexual battery charge.
Friday, July 04, 2008
UPDATE: Detective Jason Barber Free on Bond
INDIANAPOLIS
An Indianapolis narcotics detective facing charges of selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct was released on bond today.
Detective Jason Barber was released after a Marion Superior Court judge reduced his bond from $100,000 to $5,000.
Barber is accused of knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted burglar during a police sting. He is the fourth Indianapolis police officer arrested in two weeks and the third narcotics detective. He has been suspended without pay.
Barber's attorney, Terrance Kinnard, says Barber denies the charges.
As a condition of his release, Judge William Young required Barber to report weekly, surrender his passport and be subject to random drug tests while awaiting his trial in September.
An Indianapolis narcotics detective facing charges of selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct was released on bond today.
Detective Jason Barber was released after a Marion Superior Court judge reduced his bond from $100,000 to $5,000.
Barber is accused of knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted burglar during a police sting. He is the fourth Indianapolis police officer arrested in two weeks and the third narcotics detective. He has been suspended without pay.
Barber's attorney, Terrance Kinnard, says Barber denies the charges.
As a condition of his release, Judge William Young required Barber to report weekly, surrender his passport and be subject to random drug tests while awaiting his trial in September.
D.C. Officer Arrested for Assault, Abduction, and Rape
A Metropolitan Police Department officer is in jail facing charges of attempted rape, assault and abduction after police said they caught him going after his former girlfriend.
Officer Kelvin Barksdale, a tremendously popular patrol officer on Capitol Hill, is held without bond in the Prince William County jail. Many people expressed shock at the news of his arrest, while others who witnesses the attack, including a Virginia police officer who helped stop it, said it could have been worse.
"I had pulled up at that intersection, Williamstown Drive and Old Triangle and heard all the commotion, all the screaming and yelling." A woman was fighting for her life when Dumfries police detective Mark McCoy jumped out to help. He saw a man, allegedly Barksdale, who is accused of trying to abduct his former girlfriend at gunpoint, possibly using his service weapon.
"Take her to the wooded area over here where he made the threats to kill her and her family, her children." Neighbors credited detective McCoy and others for interrupting the attack and perhaps saving the woman's life. She reportedly had ended a personal relationship with Barksdale a few days earlier.
"I mean, come on. He is a police officer. He should know better than that.," neighbor Dorothy Dye said.
44-year-old Barksdale is a much decorated, veteran officer based out of the First District Police Station. He's well-known and well-liked as a beat cop in Capitol Hill neighborhoods. It was his own department who helped Dumfries Police take him into custody. "They contacted him and at some point encouraged him to come down and turn himself in," McCoy said.
Witnesses said there was such rage involved in the assault, at first they thought the man was a stranger, not someone who could have ever cared about the person he was attacking. "There are crazy people out there in the world who don't have their head on straight. They're in law enforcement and politics and school and everywhere," neighbor Lakisha Ferguson said.
Officer Barksdale will stay behind bars until his hearing at the end of August. Meantime, he's on administrative leave from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Officer Kelvin Barksdale, a tremendously popular patrol officer on Capitol Hill, is held without bond in the Prince William County jail. Many people expressed shock at the news of his arrest, while others who witnesses the attack, including a Virginia police officer who helped stop it, said it could have been worse.
"I had pulled up at that intersection, Williamstown Drive and Old Triangle and heard all the commotion, all the screaming and yelling." A woman was fighting for her life when Dumfries police detective Mark McCoy jumped out to help. He saw a man, allegedly Barksdale, who is accused of trying to abduct his former girlfriend at gunpoint, possibly using his service weapon.
"Take her to the wooded area over here where he made the threats to kill her and her family, her children." Neighbors credited detective McCoy and others for interrupting the attack and perhaps saving the woman's life. She reportedly had ended a personal relationship with Barksdale a few days earlier.
"I mean, come on. He is a police officer. He should know better than that.," neighbor Dorothy Dye said.
44-year-old Barksdale is a much decorated, veteran officer based out of the First District Police Station. He's well-known and well-liked as a beat cop in Capitol Hill neighborhoods. It was his own department who helped Dumfries Police take him into custody. "They contacted him and at some point encouraged him to come down and turn himself in," McCoy said.
Witnesses said there was such rage involved in the assault, at first they thought the man was a stranger, not someone who could have ever cared about the person he was attacking. "There are crazy people out there in the world who don't have their head on straight. They're in law enforcement and politics and school and everywhere," neighbor Lakisha Ferguson said.
Officer Barksdale will stay behind bars until his hearing at the end of August. Meantime, he's on administrative leave from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Indianapolis Officer and his Wife accused Running Prostitution Ring
An Indianapolis police officer and his wife were accused Wednesday of running a prostitution ring out of their Greenwood home, and a former top criminal justice agency official was arrested and charged with patronizing a prostitute.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Patrolman Jeremy Lee, 30, was fired after Johnson County prosecutors filed a felony charge against him of aiding in promoting prostitution. His wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, 36, faces five felony counts of promoting prostitution.
Jerry McCory, 56, who most recently served as a Marion County sheriff's liaison at Jail II and Liberty Hall, is charged with patronizing a prostitute, a misdemeanor.
McCory, former director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, a Merrillville police chief and a public safety adviser to Mayor Bart Peterson, resigned from the Sheriff's Department on June 25 without explanation.
Lee was a probationary officer who joined the department in October. His arrest marks the fifth of an IMPD officer in the past 16 days.
"We're disturbed by his conduct; we're ashamed of him," IMPD Chief Michael Spears said. "The thing the public needs to know is this investigation (was made) by the members of our own agency. . . . We're going to be a stronger agency for the removal of individuals like Mr. Lee."
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said the charges followed an IMPD investigation submitted to his office early Wednesday. He said a prostitution case involving law enforcement is unprecedented in the community south of Indianapolis.
"That's unusual anywhere," Hamner said. "But we've never seen it here."
According to a probable cause affidavit, Lori Vernon-Lee solicited women to work for her escort service and advertised their services through a local weekly newspaper. Vernon-Lee would arrange for escorts to meet with clients at the escorts' homes or in hotels, where they would perform acts ranging from massage to sexual intercourse, according to interviews with clients and escorts cited in the affidavit. Vernon-Lee would take a portion of the fee for their services.
According to an affidavit, Jeremy Lee told police he answered phones for his wife's service, acted as a bodyguard for women while they were with clients and helped collect money from the escorts while wearing his police uniform.
He said he assisted his wife with her business as far back as 1998, when she ran an escort service in New Hampshire, the affidavit says.
As part of the IMPD investigation, detectives randomly selected six names of clients who patronized Vernon-Lee's service from her log books. Among the names was McCory, whose name was listed under April 24, according to the affidavit.
McCory is accused of hiring an escort to perform oral sex. He was hired by the Sheriff's Department in December to monitor oversight and compliance in the department's work with private-facilities operators. His salary was $69,866 a year. He was not subject to disciplinary action or investigation by the Marion County department during his tenure, said Julio Fernandez, a spokesman for the department.
Since Lee had not completed probation, Spears said he could fire Lee without going through formal procedures that could include a hearing before the department's merit board.
No other police officers or public officials are suspected in the case, said Capt. Chris Boomershine of the IMPD strategic investigations branch.
Lee joins four officers facing charges filed in the past three weeks. Narcotics officer Jason S. Barber, 32, was charged last week with selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct. He was released from jail Wednesday after a judge granted his request for reduced bond.
The previous week, narcotics officers Robert B. Long and Jason P. Edwards and patrol officer James Davis were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of marijuana. They resigned June 19.
"It's not fair to indict any other part of the Police Department other than to indict the personal decisions to commit intentional actions, which were criminal on the part of these ex-officers," Spears said in reference to the recent police arrests.
McCory turned himself in Wednesday, Hamner said, but paid his bond, which was set at $2,000. He did not return phone calls Wednesday evening seeking comment.
Vernon-Lee was arrested Wednesday and was in Johnson County Jail on Wednesday night on $40,000 bond.
Lee, who was out of town on military training in Massachusetts, received the news of the charges and the warrant in a cell phone call Wednesday afternoon.
If convicted, the Lees each could face a maximum of eight years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 apiece, Hamner said. McCory could face up to a year and a maximum $5,000 fine.
Boston Officers were Previously Disciplined
A lawyer for David Woodman's family voiced outrage yesterday after learning that two of the nine officers who were with the 22-year-old Brookline man when he stopped breathing as he was being taken into custody during the Celtics championship celebration on June 18 had previously been disciplined, one for domestic violence and the other for a lack of judgment in dealing with a shooting suspect.
The prior complaints against the officers "could indicate they have anger management problems," said Howard Friedman, who represents the parents of Woodman, a former Emmanuel College student who died in the hospital 11 days after his encounter with the officers.
Friedman said there are unanswered questions about who started the encounter with Woodman.
"We're still in the dark," Friedman said. "But if one of these officers were involved or were the lead, that would be a sign of a more serious problem. That would shed new light on the entire incident."
Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said that neither of the two officers initiated Woodman's arrest, and that one had no physical contact with him, while the other helped push Woodman's arm behind his back while he was resisting arrest.
"There was a violent resistance to an arrest, and the incident was over very, very quickly," Davis said in a telephone interview.
He said yesterday that he asked Donald K. Stern, the former US attorney and now a lawyer in private practice, to review the circumstances around Woodman's death.
The Woodmans have called on the FBI and US Attorney's office to investigate their son's death.
Stern - who now works at Cooley, Godward, Kronish - was head of a panel that reviewed the death of Victoria Snelgrove, a 21-year-old Emerson College student who died in 2004 during a Red Sox celebration after a police officer fired a pepper pellet that struck her in the eye.
"I've worked very closely with Don Stern in the past, and I think he's the perfect person to help with this situation," Davis said, adding that Stern would "really make sure people are satisfied we are being completely transparent on this."
Stern said last night that it is unlikely he would convene a commission as he did in the Snelgrove case, where the facts were more technical and complex. That case involved a review of department weapons and crowd control tactics.
"This seems to me more manageable to get my arms around without forming a commission," Stern said, adding that he will probably serve as an independent investigator and call on specialists to aid in the review.
Yesterday Boston police released the names of the eight officers and one sergeant involved in arresting Woodman, along with their department histories, in response to a request from the Globe under the Freedom of Information Act.
One of the officers, Henderson Parker, 41, a 14-year veteran of the force, was suspended for 30 days in 2002 following "a physical confrontation of a domestic nature that resulted in injuries," according to a police record. The record did not provide any more details, but Davis said the confrontation did not happen while Parker was at work.
Another officer, Dowayne Lewis, 34, who has been with the department for seven years, was suspended two days in October 2005 for acting unprofessionally during an arrest. In that case, a man who shot a gun outside Lewis's house was arrested and placed in the back of a cruiser. Lewis, who was not on duty, approached the cruiser to identify the suspect and opened the door, in violation of department rules. The suspect tried to hit Lewis, who shoved back, Davis said.
Lewis, who has not been disciplined since the incident, was the officer who pushed Woodman's arm while he was being arrested, Davis said. "That's the sum of the contact," he said.
Officer Steven Borne, a 24-year-old former emergency medical technician who joined the department last year, was the officer who administered CPR when Woodman stopped breathing, Davis said. Borne is the subject of a pending internal affairs investigation spurred by a motorist's complaint that he was disrespectful while issuing her a ticket last month, Davis said.
None of the other officers involved in Woodman's arrest have ever been disciplined, police said. The officers are Sergeant James Blake, 42, who joined the department in 2001; Steven Collette, 26, who joined the department in 2006; Michael Condon, 30, who joined in 2006; Carina Acosta, 31, who joined in 2005; and Michael McManus, 30, and Brian Morse, 28, who both joined last year. McManus, Morse, and Borne are all on probation because they are new officers.
Parker, Blake, and Morse had no physical contact with Woodman, Davis said.
The night of Woodman's arrest, he and four friends had left a Kenmore Square bar after the Celtics victory and were walking home when they passed the officers at the corner of the Fenway and Brookline Avenue.
According to one of Woodman's friends, Woodman said, "Wow, it seems like there's a lot of crime on this corner," prompting officers to confront Woodman, who was holding a plastic cup of beer.
The friend said police slammed Woodman to the ground, then ordered them to leave the scene or face arrest. Davis said Woodman tried to flee and resisted arrest. He was charged with public drinking and resisting arrest.
Woodman's parents, Cathy and Jeffrey Woodman of Southwick, have accused police of failing to get prompt medical attention for their son. They said doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told them their son suffered significant brain damage from a lack of oxygen. He died Sunday. Officials are awaiting final autopsy results to determine the cause of death. Woodman had a preexisting heart condition, but led an active life, his parents have said.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, who is conducting an investigation with police homicide detectives into Woodman's death, yesterday defended his decision to allow city police to investigate the incident.
"The decision on whether anyone is criminally responsible for anything that may have occurred here is exclusively mine to make," Conley said. "The fact that I'm using Boston police homicide investigators really reflects the faith I have in their integrity and professionalism."
The prior complaints against the officers "could indicate they have anger management problems," said Howard Friedman, who represents the parents of Woodman, a former Emmanuel College student who died in the hospital 11 days after his encounter with the officers.
Friedman said there are unanswered questions about who started the encounter with Woodman.
"We're still in the dark," Friedman said. "But if one of these officers were involved or were the lead, that would be a sign of a more serious problem. That would shed new light on the entire incident."
Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said that neither of the two officers initiated Woodman's arrest, and that one had no physical contact with him, while the other helped push Woodman's arm behind his back while he was resisting arrest.
"There was a violent resistance to an arrest, and the incident was over very, very quickly," Davis said in a telephone interview.
He said yesterday that he asked Donald K. Stern, the former US attorney and now a lawyer in private practice, to review the circumstances around Woodman's death.
The Woodmans have called on the FBI and US Attorney's office to investigate their son's death.
Stern - who now works at Cooley, Godward, Kronish - was head of a panel that reviewed the death of Victoria Snelgrove, a 21-year-old Emerson College student who died in 2004 during a Red Sox celebration after a police officer fired a pepper pellet that struck her in the eye.
"I've worked very closely with Don Stern in the past, and I think he's the perfect person to help with this situation," Davis said, adding that Stern would "really make sure people are satisfied we are being completely transparent on this."
Stern said last night that it is unlikely he would convene a commission as he did in the Snelgrove case, where the facts were more technical and complex. That case involved a review of department weapons and crowd control tactics.
"This seems to me more manageable to get my arms around without forming a commission," Stern said, adding that he will probably serve as an independent investigator and call on specialists to aid in the review.
Yesterday Boston police released the names of the eight officers and one sergeant involved in arresting Woodman, along with their department histories, in response to a request from the Globe under the Freedom of Information Act.
One of the officers, Henderson Parker, 41, a 14-year veteran of the force, was suspended for 30 days in 2002 following "a physical confrontation of a domestic nature that resulted in injuries," according to a police record. The record did not provide any more details, but Davis said the confrontation did not happen while Parker was at work.
Another officer, Dowayne Lewis, 34, who has been with the department for seven years, was suspended two days in October 2005 for acting unprofessionally during an arrest. In that case, a man who shot a gun outside Lewis's house was arrested and placed in the back of a cruiser. Lewis, who was not on duty, approached the cruiser to identify the suspect and opened the door, in violation of department rules. The suspect tried to hit Lewis, who shoved back, Davis said.
Lewis, who has not been disciplined since the incident, was the officer who pushed Woodman's arm while he was being arrested, Davis said. "That's the sum of the contact," he said.
Officer Steven Borne, a 24-year-old former emergency medical technician who joined the department last year, was the officer who administered CPR when Woodman stopped breathing, Davis said. Borne is the subject of a pending internal affairs investigation spurred by a motorist's complaint that he was disrespectful while issuing her a ticket last month, Davis said.
None of the other officers involved in Woodman's arrest have ever been disciplined, police said. The officers are Sergeant James Blake, 42, who joined the department in 2001; Steven Collette, 26, who joined the department in 2006; Michael Condon, 30, who joined in 2006; Carina Acosta, 31, who joined in 2005; and Michael McManus, 30, and Brian Morse, 28, who both joined last year. McManus, Morse, and Borne are all on probation because they are new officers.
Parker, Blake, and Morse had no physical contact with Woodman, Davis said.
The night of Woodman's arrest, he and four friends had left a Kenmore Square bar after the Celtics victory and were walking home when they passed the officers at the corner of the Fenway and Brookline Avenue.
According to one of Woodman's friends, Woodman said, "Wow, it seems like there's a lot of crime on this corner," prompting officers to confront Woodman, who was holding a plastic cup of beer.
The friend said police slammed Woodman to the ground, then ordered them to leave the scene or face arrest. Davis said Woodman tried to flee and resisted arrest. He was charged with public drinking and resisting arrest.
Woodman's parents, Cathy and Jeffrey Woodman of Southwick, have accused police of failing to get prompt medical attention for their son. They said doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told them their son suffered significant brain damage from a lack of oxygen. He died Sunday. Officials are awaiting final autopsy results to determine the cause of death. Woodman had a preexisting heart condition, but led an active life, his parents have said.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, who is conducting an investigation with police homicide detectives into Woodman's death, yesterday defended his decision to allow city police to investigate the incident.
"The decision on whether anyone is criminally responsible for anything that may have occurred here is exclusively mine to make," Conley said. "The fact that I'm using Boston police homicide investigators really reflects the faith I have in their integrity and professionalism."
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Officer Monte Montalvo Accused of Sexual Assault Pleads Not Guilty
Buffalo police officer Monte Montalvo pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Wednesday afternoon. His case moved from city court to state supreme court where he faces a single felony count of Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree.
Montalvo had no comment as he left court with his attorney.
Prosecutors allege that the 37-year-old officer was working as a security guard at a college fraternity party in December, when he met a 19-year-old female college student. The two apparently went to Montalvo's west side home, where the woman says Montalvo allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Montalvo is free on his own recognizance. He returns to court on July 23. He faces one and a third to four years in prison if convicted.
Lower Bond Denied for Officer Accused of Rape
WAUKEGAN
A Lake County judge denied a motion to lower the bond of the former Waukegan police officer accused of raping a woman while on duty.
Judge Raymond Collins said today he saw nothing in the defense’s motion to justify lowering Delatwon Haynes $2 million bond, despite arguments that his accuser is an admitted drug addict.
“I don’t find anything that would change my mind,” Collins told defense attorney Joel Brodsky and prosecutor Patricia Fix, as Haynes stood by quietly. Bail was set at $2 million by Judge Daniel Shanes last week.
Brodsky had argued that Haynes’ clean record should be enough to lower his bond to something more manageable.
“There is nothing (in his past) that would say he would not obey all court orders or he would not show up for court,” Brodsky said.
Fix countered that, saying that the charges against Haynes are serious, and testimony Shanes heard last week warranted a high bond amount. Fix also said that there is precedent for a police officer being held on high bond. Last month a judge rejected a motion to lower a $1.5 million bond on for Gurnee police officer Jay Simon, who has been jailed on charges that he sexually assaulted two young girls.
Haynes, 32, of Zion, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in January while he worked the midnight shift. He resigned from the Waukegan Police Department a few days after allegations of rape were brought against him by the then-Waukegan resident.
Last week the State’s Attorneys Office approved charges for four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, one count of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and eight counts of misconduct.
Brodsky argued Wednesday, and has said in the past, that the allegations are unreliable, because the accuser admitted to police that she was a heroin addict.
Fix dismissed Brodsky’s claims, saying the State wasn’t going to try Haynes in the press, or reveal information about the case before discovery was due. Fix did however reveal that a used condom gathered by Haynes’ accuser at the scene contained Haynes’ DNA.
“That’s pretty strong physical evidence your honor,” Fix told Collins.
Officer and His Wife Accused in Prostitution Ring
GREENWOOD, Ind.
A former police officer and his wife have been accused of running a prostitution ring out of their home, where he allegedly collected cash from the prostitutes while in uniform.
Former Indianapolis police officer Jeremy Lee faces a charge of aiding in promoting prostitution.
Lee was fired Wednesday after the charge was filed against him in Johnson County, just south of Indianapolis.
"We're disturbed by his conduct; we're ashamed of him," said Indianapolis Police Chief Michael Spears, who added that the investigation was started by his department.
Lee, 30, would collect money from prostitutes hired by his wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, while wearing his police uniform, according to court documents.
Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for the couple and Jerry L. McCory, 56, a Marion County Sheriff's Department employee who faces a misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute.
Vernon-Lee, 36, is charged with five felony counts of promoting prostitution for allegedly operating the illegal escort service from home in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, according to an affidavit.
Vernon-Lee was being held in Johnson County Jail late Wednesday night on $40,000 bond, said a jail officer. McCory was released earlier on $2,000 bond. Lee was not in custody, the officer said. WTHR TV reported that Lee was in Massachusetts and had been contacted and told to surrender to authorities there.
Vernon-Lee allegedly recruited women to serve as escorts and then advertised their services in a weekly Indianapolis newspaper.
When clients called Vernon-Lee's escort service, she allegedly would arrange for a meeting between client and one of the escorts during which money was exchanged for various sex acts.
Each escort would turn over part of the money she collected -- typically about half -- to Vernon-Lee, whose husband would collect the cash while in his police uniform, the affidavit states.
A former police officer and his wife have been accused of running a prostitution ring out of their home, where he allegedly collected cash from the prostitutes while in uniform.
Former Indianapolis police officer Jeremy Lee faces a charge of aiding in promoting prostitution.
Lee was fired Wednesday after the charge was filed against him in Johnson County, just south of Indianapolis.
"We're disturbed by his conduct; we're ashamed of him," said Indianapolis Police Chief Michael Spears, who added that the investigation was started by his department.
Lee, 30, would collect money from prostitutes hired by his wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, while wearing his police uniform, according to court documents.
Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for the couple and Jerry L. McCory, 56, a Marion County Sheriff's Department employee who faces a misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute.
Vernon-Lee, 36, is charged with five felony counts of promoting prostitution for allegedly operating the illegal escort service from home in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood, according to an affidavit.
Vernon-Lee was being held in Johnson County Jail late Wednesday night on $40,000 bond, said a jail officer. McCory was released earlier on $2,000 bond. Lee was not in custody, the officer said. WTHR TV reported that Lee was in Massachusetts and had been contacted and told to surrender to authorities there.
Vernon-Lee allegedly recruited women to serve as escorts and then advertised their services in a weekly Indianapolis newspaper.
When clients called Vernon-Lee's escort service, she allegedly would arrange for a meeting between client and one of the escorts during which money was exchanged for various sex acts.
Each escort would turn over part of the money she collected -- typically about half -- to Vernon-Lee, whose husband would collect the cash while in his police uniform, the affidavit states.
Jail Officers Investigated for Inmate's Death
UPPER MARLBORO, Md.
A black man arrested in the hit-and-run death of a police officer was found strangled in his cell, and investigators focused Tuesday on guards at the suburban Maryland jail, which has a history of security lapses.
As state police took over the investigation, an attorney for inmate Ronnie L. White's family said the young man's attackers "took it upon themselves to be both the judge, the jury and the executioner."
White's death shocked and angered officials in Prince George's County, including County Executive Jack Johnson, who likened it to "vigilante justice."
Investigators from the FBI and state police joined the case Monday after the state medical examiner concluded that White had been strangled Sunday morning.
White, 19, was arrested early Saturday on charges of ramming a stolen pickup truck into police Cpl. Richard Findley. Findley had gotten out of his police cruiser Friday while trying to conduct a traffic stop on the truck. White allegedly struck him and dragged him for a short distance in the community of Laurel.
Johnson immediately moved to curb speculation that White's death was the result of police officers seeking revenge, saying the slaying was "unrelated to any act" by police.
Attorney Bobby G. Henry Jr., who represented White's family, urged the U.S. Department of Justice to join the investigation.
"Something is dreadfully wrong with our system," he said.
County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey said his office would convene a grand jury to review evidence in the case. He said investigators were scrutinizing seven correctional officers who had access to White, who was being held separately from other inmates. Ivey also said other workers at the county jail and inmates would be questioned.
"We'll follow the evidence wherever it leads," he said.
Rich Wolf, an FBI spokesman in Baltimore, confirmed that the agency had opened a civil rights case, but he would not comment on the investigation. Calls to state police were not immediately returned.
White's death is the latest in a series of security lapses at the jail, which is 20 miles outside Washington in one of Maryland's largest counties. Last month, the county's corrections director was fired after guns vanished from the armory. In February, a former police official convicted of second-degree murder was found with a handcuffs key.
A corrections officer suspected of being a gang member was charged in March with bringing cell phones to inmates who were members of the Bloods street gang. And earlier this year, two female officers were suspended for allegedly having sexual contact with inmates.
More than 450 guards work at the 20-year-old facility, which had an average daily population of 1,489 prisoners during the 2007 fiscal year. White was being held in a cell by himself, to protect him from other prisoners, because of the high profile of his alleged crime.
"This shouldn't happen," Johnson said Monday night. "Every citizen we bring into our custody should be protected."
Curtis Knowles, head of the county's correctional officers union, said Tuesday that union lawyers advised him not to comment on the case because of the investigation. On Monday, he urged people not to reach any conclusions before the investigation had run its course.
Corrections officials have said White had no visible signs of trauma on his body when guards bringing him a meal found him slumped on the floor next to his bed about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. He had been checked 15 minutes earlier and appeared to be well. A preliminary autopsy by the state medical examiner in Baltimore ruled the death a homicide and found two broken bones in his neck.
None of the seven guards or an unspecified number of supervisors who could have had contact with White have been suspended or placed on leave during the investigation, according to Vicki Duncan, spokeswoman for the corrections division.
White had a prior criminal record that included serving time for drug charges.
Members of his family did not attend a news conference Tuesday held by their attorney, and they could not be immediately reached.
Findley, 39, was a 10-year veteran of the county police force. A funeral was scheduled for Thursday, and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff until then.
Corrections Officer Arrested in Jail Sex Case
A corrections officer from the Saline County Sheriff's Office was arrested Monday in connection with a sex case involving three inmates at the Saline County Jail.
Sheriff Glen Kochanowski says that 27-year-old Eric Taylor was fired, and arrested, on Monday. He is accused of inappropriately touching three female inmates at the Saline County Jail on June 24th.
According to Kochanowski, Taylor was arrested following a simultaneous criminal and internal affairs investigation. Investigators believe that this was a one time event, and had not been on-going.
Taylor had been employed since June of 2006 as a corrections officer at the sheriff's office. He could face felony charges that include three counts of unlawful sexual relations by a law enforcement officer with an inmate over the age of sixteen.
Sheriff Glen Kochanowski says that 27-year-old Eric Taylor was fired, and arrested, on Monday. He is accused of inappropriately touching three female inmates at the Saline County Jail on June 24th.
According to Kochanowski, Taylor was arrested following a simultaneous criminal and internal affairs investigation. Investigators believe that this was a one time event, and had not been on-going.
Taylor had been employed since June of 2006 as a corrections officer at the sheriff's office. He could face felony charges that include three counts of unlawful sexual relations by a law enforcement officer with an inmate over the age of sixteen.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Officer accused of battery and leaking information
A Gainesville Police Department internal investigation found that a former officer violated GPD policies by sharing confidential police information with a woman he was having sex with.
In addition, the State Attorney’s Office is looking into the woman’s accusation that the officer committed sexual battery on her.
Bostick was found in violation of the following Gainesville Police Department policies:
"Immoral, unlawful, or improper conduct or indecency, whether on or off the job, which would tend to affect the employee's relationship to his/her job, fellow workers' reputations or goodwill in the community."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Conduct unbecoming
Criminal conduct
Association with known offenders / person of questionable reputation
Investigative information
"Productivity or workmanship not up to required standard of performance."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Department-owned property
In-car audio/Video system procedures
Property and evidence control
Bostick failed to turn in certain department items, such as a clip-on GPD ID and removable laptop floppy drive after his resignation with GPD. GPD also found evidence items in his assigned patrol vehicle that he had failed to turn in as evidence. He also failed to set the correct date for his in-car videotapes, according to the GPD Internal Affairs report.
John Robert Bostick voluntarily resigned May 9 from GPD while the investigation was ongoing.
On May 8, GPD received a complaint alleging that Bostick committed sexual battery on a woman with an extensive criminal history, according to a GPD Internal Affairs report dated June 18.
The woman recorded the sexual battery on her video recorder and had numerous voicemail messages from Bostick on her cell phone, the report stated.
The only audible phone message that was recovered by GPD’s Computer Forensics Unit was of Bostick saying, “All right, girl. That’s the last straw there. I am declaring war, and that will be it. It’s JB. Later.”
The complaint also alleged that Bostick provided confidential information to the woman regarding ongoing criminal investigations, the report stated.
The woman refused to have sex with Bostick until he agreed to “look the other way” if he observed any illegal activity involving the woman and another person, according to the report.
Because the alleged sexual battery occurred outside of GPD’s jurisdiction, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was notified, according to the report.
Spencer Mann, spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office, said it will take about a week to decide whether Bostick will be prosecuted for the alleged sexual battery charge.
In addition, the State Attorney’s Office is looking into the woman’s accusation that the officer committed sexual battery on her.
Bostick was found in violation of the following Gainesville Police Department policies:
"Immoral, unlawful, or improper conduct or indecency, whether on or off the job, which would tend to affect the employee's relationship to his/her job, fellow workers' reputations or goodwill in the community."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Conduct unbecoming
Criminal conduct
Association with known offenders / person of questionable reputation
Investigative information
"Productivity or workmanship not up to required standard of performance."This includes violation of these GPD general orders:
Department-owned property
In-car audio/Video system procedures
Property and evidence control
Bostick failed to turn in certain department items, such as a clip-on GPD ID and removable laptop floppy drive after his resignation with GPD. GPD also found evidence items in his assigned patrol vehicle that he had failed to turn in as evidence. He also failed to set the correct date for his in-car videotapes, according to the GPD Internal Affairs report.
John Robert Bostick voluntarily resigned May 9 from GPD while the investigation was ongoing.
On May 8, GPD received a complaint alleging that Bostick committed sexual battery on a woman with an extensive criminal history, according to a GPD Internal Affairs report dated June 18.
The woman recorded the sexual battery on her video recorder and had numerous voicemail messages from Bostick on her cell phone, the report stated.
The only audible phone message that was recovered by GPD’s Computer Forensics Unit was of Bostick saying, “All right, girl. That’s the last straw there. I am declaring war, and that will be it. It’s JB. Later.”
The complaint also alleged that Bostick provided confidential information to the woman regarding ongoing criminal investigations, the report stated.
The woman refused to have sex with Bostick until he agreed to “look the other way” if he observed any illegal activity involving the woman and another person, according to the report.
Because the alleged sexual battery occurred outside of GPD’s jurisdiction, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was notified, according to the report.
Spencer Mann, spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office, said it will take about a week to decide whether Bostick will be prosecuted for the alleged sexual battery charge.
Gay Riot Police Officer Accused of Sexual Assault
Lee Gye-deok, a riot policeman who recently asked for a transfer to the military over frustration against the police' s violent suppression of candlelit protests, has been accused of sexually harassing his fellows in the camp.
Yongsan Police Station recently filed for a warrant for his arrest after reports he tried to touch the body parts of 13 colleagues without their permission. The alleged victims include his seniors and juniors.
The station said Lee has seven months to finish his term and they fear he will commit such offenses again. However, a court rejected the request for his arrest.
Lee drew public attention when he came out of the closet earlier this year. He recently filed for a transfer saying the environment did not fit his work and political ethics. The Ministry of Defense has reportedly turned down his request.
He was put behind bars late last month for neglecting his duty.
Some believe the allegations are a backlash due to his request, combined with homophobia in the society.
``This is how a smart man gets bullied for speaking the truth,'' one of Lee's friends said. ``If you really harassed a colleague during service you wouldn't be alive, especially if he is your senior!'' he added.
Yongsan Police Station recently filed for a warrant for his arrest after reports he tried to touch the body parts of 13 colleagues without their permission. The alleged victims include his seniors and juniors.
The station said Lee has seven months to finish his term and they fear he will commit such offenses again. However, a court rejected the request for his arrest.
Lee drew public attention when he came out of the closet earlier this year. He recently filed for a transfer saying the environment did not fit his work and political ethics. The Ministry of Defense has reportedly turned down his request.
He was put behind bars late last month for neglecting his duty.
Some believe the allegations are a backlash due to his request, combined with homophobia in the society.
``This is how a smart man gets bullied for speaking the truth,'' one of Lee's friends said. ``If you really harassed a colleague during service you wouldn't be alive, especially if he is your senior!'' he added.
Corrections officer accused of touching female inmates
KS
A corrections officer who worked in the Saline County Jail was fired and arrested Monday after he was accused of touching three female inmates.
Eric A. Taylor, 27, Bridgeport, had worked for the Sheriff’s Office for two years, but Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said he did not believe this had been a pattern of behavior.
“As far as we know, this was a one-time event,” he said. “It’s something that should never happen, but it happens.”
Kochanowski said the three inmates were housed together. Taylor allegedly touched them in a sexual way on June 24. When the sheriff’s office received information about the allegations, an internal affairs investigation and a sheriff’s office criminal investigation were launched simultaneously.
Taylor turned himself in and bonded out immediately, Kochanowski said.
A corrections officer who worked in the Saline County Jail was fired and arrested Monday after he was accused of touching three female inmates.
Eric A. Taylor, 27, Bridgeport, had worked for the Sheriff’s Office for two years, but Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said he did not believe this had been a pattern of behavior.
“As far as we know, this was a one-time event,” he said. “It’s something that should never happen, but it happens.”
Kochanowski said the three inmates were housed together. Taylor allegedly touched them in a sexual way on June 24. When the sheriff’s office received information about the allegations, an internal affairs investigation and a sheriff’s office criminal investigation were launched simultaneously.
Taylor turned himself in and bonded out immediately, Kochanowski said.
TBI investigating officer accused of choking man
MOUNT JULIET, Tenn.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a traffic stop involving a Mt. Juliet police officer accused of performing "vascular restraint" on a man suspected of trying to swallow drugs.
Jason Holleman, a lawyer for the city, said Thursday the TBI is looking into the April 4 incident in which Cpl. William Cosby stopped a vehicle driven by James Lawrence Anders Jr.
Interim Mt. Juliet police chief James Hambrick said Cosby performed "vascular restraint" on Anders when he suspected he was going to swallow drugs, and that Anders temporarily blacked out.
WTVF-TV in Nashville reports the incident was caught on Cosby's patrol car video camera and shows him putting his hands around Anders' neck and applying pressure before he loses consciousness.
Anders was charged with possessing marijuana, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence. But his attorney said the charges were dropped last week by a local judge at the request of the state attorney general.
Hambrick said Cosby was still on the job and given a written reprimand for the incident.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a traffic stop involving a Mt. Juliet police officer accused of performing "vascular restraint" on a man suspected of trying to swallow drugs.
Jason Holleman, a lawyer for the city, said Thursday the TBI is looking into the April 4 incident in which Cpl. William Cosby stopped a vehicle driven by James Lawrence Anders Jr.
Interim Mt. Juliet police chief James Hambrick said Cosby performed "vascular restraint" on Anders when he suspected he was going to swallow drugs, and that Anders temporarily blacked out.
WTVF-TV in Nashville reports the incident was caught on Cosby's patrol car video camera and shows him putting his hands around Anders' neck and applying pressure before he loses consciousness.
Anders was charged with possessing marijuana, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence. But his attorney said the charges were dropped last week by a local judge at the request of the state attorney general.
Hambrick said Cosby was still on the job and given a written reprimand for the incident.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Second Mission police officer arrested for driving while intoxicated
A second city police officer was suspended Sunday after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated over the weekend.
Mission police Lt. Gabriel Zuniga was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on South Padre Island about 10 p.m. Saturday, said Trooper Johnny Hernandez, a local spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Zuniga was pulled over for a traffic violation along Texas Highway 100, north of the Island's main strip, Hernandez said.
The off-duty police officer failed a sobriety test at the scene and was transported to the Port Isabel Police Department, where he refused to give a breath sample, Hernandez said. Zuniga was then taken to the Cameron County Jail in Brownsville.
Zuniga's arrest marks the second intoxicated driving incident involving a Mission police officer this weekend.
Also Saturday, Officer Martin Flores Villarreal, 40, of Mission, was arrested at 2:30 a.m. on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in an unmarked Mission police vehicle. A DPS trooper arrested Flores along U.S. Expressway 83 in San Juan.
Both officers were indefinitely suspended without pay, said Mission police spokesman Lt. Martin Garza. The accused officers have the right to appeal the suspension, Garza said.
"We are embarrassed and certainly apologize to the public for their actions," he said of the accused officers.
"The acts of these couple of officers doesn't reflect on the actions of other officers from the police department."
Mission police Lt. Gabriel Zuniga was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on South Padre Island about 10 p.m. Saturday, said Trooper Johnny Hernandez, a local spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Zuniga was pulled over for a traffic violation along Texas Highway 100, north of the Island's main strip, Hernandez said.
The off-duty police officer failed a sobriety test at the scene and was transported to the Port Isabel Police Department, where he refused to give a breath sample, Hernandez said. Zuniga was then taken to the Cameron County Jail in Brownsville.
Zuniga's arrest marks the second intoxicated driving incident involving a Mission police officer this weekend.
Also Saturday, Officer Martin Flores Villarreal, 40, of Mission, was arrested at 2:30 a.m. on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in an unmarked Mission police vehicle. A DPS trooper arrested Flores along U.S. Expressway 83 in San Juan.
Both officers were indefinitely suspended without pay, said Mission police spokesman Lt. Martin Garza. The accused officers have the right to appeal the suspension, Garza said.
"We are embarrassed and certainly apologize to the public for their actions," he said of the accused officers.
"The acts of these couple of officers doesn't reflect on the actions of other officers from the police department."
Officer Clay Blanchard Charged in Domestic Fight
A Des Moines senior police officer has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted his wife Friday evening.
Clay Blanchard, 56, of Des Moines, was arrested this morning, according to police.
He was charged with domestic assault causing injury, second-degree harassment and obstructing an emergency phone call and taken to the Polk County Jail. Blanchard’s wife, Angela, 40, was not seriously injured, police said.
Angela Blanchard came back to the couple’s residence Friday evening after having dinner with a man, and her husband reportedly began yelling at her and demanded her cell phone, a police report said.
When Angela refused, the two wrestled for the phone and she threatened to call police. Blanchard then took her cell phone and his wife called police from their home phone.
Angela Blanchard told officers she didn’t want to make a report about the incident, but one was made for documentation, police said.
Angela said the couple has an open marriage, the police report said. The man she had seen earlier the night of the assault was a relationship her husband knew about, she told police.
“We investigated this like we would with any other criminal case,” said Sgt. Vince Valdez. “As far as his employment, that is yet to be determined.”
Clay Blanchard, 56, of Des Moines, was arrested this morning, according to police.
He was charged with domestic assault causing injury, second-degree harassment and obstructing an emergency phone call and taken to the Polk County Jail. Blanchard’s wife, Angela, 40, was not seriously injured, police said.
Angela Blanchard came back to the couple’s residence Friday evening after having dinner with a man, and her husband reportedly began yelling at her and demanded her cell phone, a police report said.
When Angela refused, the two wrestled for the phone and she threatened to call police. Blanchard then took her cell phone and his wife called police from their home phone.
Angela Blanchard told officers she didn’t want to make a report about the incident, but one was made for documentation, police said.
Angela said the couple has an open marriage, the police report said. The man she had seen earlier the night of the assault was a relationship her husband knew about, she told police.
“We investigated this like we would with any other criminal case,” said Sgt. Vince Valdez. “As far as his employment, that is yet to be determined.”
Officer Andre Calhoun Arrested for Plotting to Commit Robbery
PELHAM, GA
A south Georgia police officer was arrested on the job after investigators say he plotted to steal.
Pelham police officer Andre Calhoun is out of jail on bond now, after he was taken into custody as he worked early Saturday morning.
Pelham investigators say while Calhoun was on the job, he plotted to commit robbery and burglary. Calhoun is charged with four felonies, two counts of conspiracy and one each of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and violation of his oath of office.
A south Georgia police officer was arrested on the job after investigators say he plotted to steal.
Pelham police officer Andre Calhoun is out of jail on bond now, after he was taken into custody as he worked early Saturday morning.
Pelham investigators say while Calhoun was on the job, he plotted to commit robbery and burglary. Calhoun is charged with four felonies, two counts of conspiracy and one each of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and violation of his oath of office.
Monday, June 30, 2008
David Woodman dies days after Arrest
A 22-year-old man who stopped breathing while in police custody after his arrest during the June 18 Boston Celtics NBA championship celebration died yesterday, prompting an investigation by Boston police and the Suffolk County District Attorney's office into his death.
The parents of David Woodman, a former Emmanuel College student who was living in Brookline, said their son did not receive prompt medical attention while lying unconscious, face down on Brookline Avenue with his hands cuffed behind his back. They also accused police of failing to give them a full account of what happened.
Boston police say they immediately administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, flagged an ambulance after noticing Woodman was in distress, and did everything they could to help him before he was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. But Jeffrey and Cathy Woodman of Southwick say their son must have been deprived of oxygen for at least four minutes because he suffered significant brain damage.
"We don't know what happened," said Jeffrey Woodman, contending that police have left them with more questions than answers. "We are left to surmise that something occurred while he was in police custody that stopped his heart."
Woodman said his son had a preexisting heart condition, but he led an active life and had been playing basketball earlier that day. He said doctors told him his son's heart was functioning normally.
Thomas J. Nee, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, said he understands the family's anguish, "but nothing those officers did that night caused his death."
He said that the officers, who have not been identified publicly, have cooperated with the investigation, and that the family's questions will be answered.
David Woodman, who was charged with drinking in public and resisting arrest, remained hospitalized after the incident and awoke June 23 from a medically induced coma. His parents said he recognized them but had difficulty communicating and whispered, "What happened?"
He smiled at a Globe reporter during a brief visit Thursday, spoke softly to his parents, and appeared confused. A large scrape was visible near his right eye. On Saturday, he was asking to go home, according to his parents, who believed he would survive and face lengthy rehabilitation.
At 2:30 a.m. yesterday he died at the hospital. The family is awaiting autopsy results.
Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, said Conley "pledged a thorough and impartial review of the facts."
The Boston Police Department launched an internal investigation shortly after the incident into how the officers handled Woodman and will join the district attorney's office in investigating his death, Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the Boston police, said yesterday. Several officers were treated for stress and have returned to work, she said.
The parents of David Woodman, a former Emmanuel College student who was living in Brookline, said their son did not receive prompt medical attention while lying unconscious, face down on Brookline Avenue with his hands cuffed behind his back. They also accused police of failing to give them a full account of what happened.
Boston police say they immediately administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, flagged an ambulance after noticing Woodman was in distress, and did everything they could to help him before he was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. But Jeffrey and Cathy Woodman of Southwick say their son must have been deprived of oxygen for at least four minutes because he suffered significant brain damage.
"We don't know what happened," said Jeffrey Woodman, contending that police have left them with more questions than answers. "We are left to surmise that something occurred while he was in police custody that stopped his heart."
Woodman said his son had a preexisting heart condition, but he led an active life and had been playing basketball earlier that day. He said doctors told him his son's heart was functioning normally.
Thomas J. Nee, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, said he understands the family's anguish, "but nothing those officers did that night caused his death."
He said that the officers, who have not been identified publicly, have cooperated with the investigation, and that the family's questions will be answered.
David Woodman, who was charged with drinking in public and resisting arrest, remained hospitalized after the incident and awoke June 23 from a medically induced coma. His parents said he recognized them but had difficulty communicating and whispered, "What happened?"
He smiled at a Globe reporter during a brief visit Thursday, spoke softly to his parents, and appeared confused. A large scrape was visible near his right eye. On Saturday, he was asking to go home, according to his parents, who believed he would survive and face lengthy rehabilitation.
At 2:30 a.m. yesterday he died at the hospital. The family is awaiting autopsy results.
Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, said Conley "pledged a thorough and impartial review of the facts."
The Boston Police Department launched an internal investigation shortly after the incident into how the officers handled Woodman and will join the district attorney's office in investigating his death, Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the Boston police, said yesterday. Several officers were treated for stress and have returned to work, she said.
MCI-Concord officer charged with drug trafficking
A Massachusetts correctional officer faces arraignment today on drug charges after the Middlesex district attorney's office said he attempted to sell eight pounds of marijuana to a State Police trooper working undercover in Lowell.
The case against Robert Sweeney, 48, of Dracut, who works at MCI-Concord, is not related to the arrest of another correctional officer on Thursday in Winthrop, said Corey Welford, spokesman for District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr.
Investigators were led to Sweeney in June, when they first learned he was allegedly dealing marijuana, the DA's office stated. About 3:15 p.m. Saturday, he attempted to sell the marijuana to the trooper for $10,000, according to the office.
Police executed a search warrant at his address after the arrest and seized two pounds of marijuana, 100 bottles of steroids, and six tablets of ecstasy, Leone's office said.
Investigators do not believe Sweeney sold drugs while on the job or used his position for criminal activity, the office stated.
Sweeney was suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the state Department of Correction, said Diane Wiffin, a department spokeswoman.
On Thursday, Scott Sears, 36, of Winthrop, a correctional officer with the Middlesex Sheriff's Office, was charged with transporting drugs to inmates at Billerica House of Correction, where he works, authorities said.
An undercover agent met with Sears at a doughnut shop in Winthrop and gave him drugs in a coffee cup. As payment, Sears allegedly received $150 in cash and 3 grams of cocaine. He has been suspended without pay from his job.
Sears was charged with two counts of possession, one with intent to distribute; committing a drug violation near a school or park; and delivering drugs to a prisoner.
Sweeney was being held on $20,000 cash bail on four counts of possession, two with intent to distribute; one count of distribution; and one count of conspiracy to violate the narcotics laws.
He is to be arraigned today in Lowell District Court.
The case against Robert Sweeney, 48, of Dracut, who works at MCI-Concord, is not related to the arrest of another correctional officer on Thursday in Winthrop, said Corey Welford, spokesman for District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr.
Investigators were led to Sweeney in June, when they first learned he was allegedly dealing marijuana, the DA's office stated. About 3:15 p.m. Saturday, he attempted to sell the marijuana to the trooper for $10,000, according to the office.
Police executed a search warrant at his address after the arrest and seized two pounds of marijuana, 100 bottles of steroids, and six tablets of ecstasy, Leone's office said.
Investigators do not believe Sweeney sold drugs while on the job or used his position for criminal activity, the office stated.
Sweeney was suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the state Department of Correction, said Diane Wiffin, a department spokeswoman.
On Thursday, Scott Sears, 36, of Winthrop, a correctional officer with the Middlesex Sheriff's Office, was charged with transporting drugs to inmates at Billerica House of Correction, where he works, authorities said.
An undercover agent met with Sears at a doughnut shop in Winthrop and gave him drugs in a coffee cup. As payment, Sears allegedly received $150 in cash and 3 grams of cocaine. He has been suspended without pay from his job.
Sears was charged with two counts of possession, one with intent to distribute; committing a drug violation near a school or park; and delivering drugs to a prisoner.
Sweeney was being held on $20,000 cash bail on four counts of possession, two with intent to distribute; one count of distribution; and one count of conspiracy to violate the narcotics laws.
He is to be arraigned today in Lowell District Court.
Accused officers' drugs cases at risk
After an Indianapolis police officer appeared in court this morning on charges he knowingly sold a firearm to a convicted burglar, the Marion County prosecutor admitted he’s worried about the fate of the investigator’s pending drug cases.
Jason Barber, 32, appeared in Marion Superior Court on charges of selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct. Barber, a narcotics detective, was arrested at his home Friday. He is the fourth police officer to be arrested in the last two weeks.
“These officers were in this court several weeks ago testifying against defendants,” Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said after the hearing. “Now they are defendants.”
Barber is the third narcotics officer to be arrested, although police say Barber’s alleged crime had nothing to do with the federal investigation that landed his colleagues, former officers Jason Edwards and Robert Long, in jail.
The arrests have damaged more than a dozen other pending cases and could lead to successful appeals for convicted drugs dealers who may have been sent to prison based on testimony from one of the tainted officers, Brizzi said.
“Every other man and woman on the force is tarnished by this,” Brizzi said. “Every single case these officers were on becomes less strong.”
Long, Edwards and former patrol officer James Davis are accused of stealing marijuana and cash from drug dealers. They are being held in the Marion County Jail while awaiting trial in U.S. District Court.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Indiana State Police Officer Donna Elam, assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, used a confidential informant to catch Barber illegally selling the handgun.
The informant, who was not identified, gave $110 in marked cash to Barber in exchange for a .25-caliber Sundance handgun on March 16. The informant wore a hidden recording device during the transaction, which took place inside Barber’s car in the parking lot of the Walgreen’s at 711 E. 38th St., according to the document.
Barber was held Monday in the Marion County jail with bond set at $100,000. He will appear in court on Wednesday to seek to have his bond reduced.
Jason Barber, 32, appeared in Marion Superior Court on charges of selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct. Barber, a narcotics detective, was arrested at his home Friday. He is the fourth police officer to be arrested in the last two weeks.
“These officers were in this court several weeks ago testifying against defendants,” Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said after the hearing. “Now they are defendants.”
Barber is the third narcotics officer to be arrested, although police say Barber’s alleged crime had nothing to do with the federal investigation that landed his colleagues, former officers Jason Edwards and Robert Long, in jail.
The arrests have damaged more than a dozen other pending cases and could lead to successful appeals for convicted drugs dealers who may have been sent to prison based on testimony from one of the tainted officers, Brizzi said.
“Every other man and woman on the force is tarnished by this,” Brizzi said. “Every single case these officers were on becomes less strong.”
Long, Edwards and former patrol officer James Davis are accused of stealing marijuana and cash from drug dealers. They are being held in the Marion County Jail while awaiting trial in U.S. District Court.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Indiana State Police Officer Donna Elam, assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, used a confidential informant to catch Barber illegally selling the handgun.
The informant, who was not identified, gave $110 in marked cash to Barber in exchange for a .25-caliber Sundance handgun on March 16. The informant wore a hidden recording device during the transaction, which took place inside Barber’s car in the parking lot of the Walgreen’s at 711 E. 38th St., according to the document.
Barber was held Monday in the Marion County jail with bond set at $100,000. He will appear in court on Wednesday to seek to have his bond reduced.
Feds say Yonkers Cop used Excessive Force
WHITE PLAINS
A Yonkers police officer appeared in federal court this morning on charges that he assaulted a woman and violated her civil rights when he slammed her to the ground before handcuffing her at a city restaurant last year.
Wayne Simoes, 38, is accused of using excessive force against Irma Marquez after she tried to get a better look as medical assistance was being provided to her niece following a confrontation at La Fonda early on March 3, 2007.
The incident was captured on videotape and showed Simoes grab Marquez around the waist, lift her into the air and throw her face down to the floor, according to a criminal complaint by FBI Special Agent Kristina Norris that was filed in U.S. District Court in White Plains.
Norris said that other Yonkers officers who were present in the restaurant that morning said later that "Simoes' use of force against Marquez was unreasonable and excessive."
Marquez, suffered a broken jaw and other facial injuries but was charged with obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct. She filed an $11.3 million federal lawsuit against Yonkers police last month after a jury in City Court acquitted her of all charges.
Marquez' lawyers have criticized District Attorney Janet DiFiore for prosecuting their client and questioned whether her office could properly handle cases of police misconduct. DiFiore said after the lawsuit was filed that her office's handling of the case is being reviewed and that she has "reassigned personnel pending completion of the inquiry."
U.S. Magistrate George Yanthis released Simoes on $300,000 bond. The officer, who lives in Yonkers and joined the police department there in 2000, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is due back in court on July 23.
A Yonkers police officer appeared in federal court this morning on charges that he assaulted a woman and violated her civil rights when he slammed her to the ground before handcuffing her at a city restaurant last year.
Wayne Simoes, 38, is accused of using excessive force against Irma Marquez after she tried to get a better look as medical assistance was being provided to her niece following a confrontation at La Fonda early on March 3, 2007.
The incident was captured on videotape and showed Simoes grab Marquez around the waist, lift her into the air and throw her face down to the floor, according to a criminal complaint by FBI Special Agent Kristina Norris that was filed in U.S. District Court in White Plains.
Norris said that other Yonkers officers who were present in the restaurant that morning said later that "Simoes' use of force against Marquez was unreasonable and excessive."
Marquez, suffered a broken jaw and other facial injuries but was charged with obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct. She filed an $11.3 million federal lawsuit against Yonkers police last month after a jury in City Court acquitted her of all charges.
Marquez' lawyers have criticized District Attorney Janet DiFiore for prosecuting their client and questioned whether her office could properly handle cases of police misconduct. DiFiore said after the lawsuit was filed that her office's handling of the case is being reviewed and that she has "reassigned personnel pending completion of the inquiry."
U.S. Magistrate George Yanthis released Simoes on $300,000 bond. The officer, who lives in Yonkers and joined the police department there in 2000, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is due back in court on July 23.
NYPD Officers Accused of False Arrest
NEW YORK
A team of New York Police Department narcotics officers is under investigation for falsely arresting two brothers and two other men in January, claiming they were selling drugs in an Elmhurst club called Delicioso.
New surveillance video obtained last week by defense attorneys does not show any evidence the men sold cocaine or any other drugs to undercover police in the club, authorities said.
The brothers and other two men arrested were charged in January with selling two bags of cocaine worth $100, according to The Washington Post.
On Thursday, those charges were dropped when surveillance video showed that the undercover police officers had never been in contact with the men they arrested, the paper reported.
"How lucky these tapes existed," Rochelle Berliner, who represented brothers Maximo and Jose Colon, told the Post. "Three cops' words against theirs? Who is the jury going to believe?"
But the false charges came at a cost. Jose Colon lost his grocery store business after the arrests, and he was furious with police because of it.
"I just don't know why they would do this to us," he told the Post. "They know who deals drugs on the street, and they just made up everything."
Authorities at the district attorney's office and with the NYPD confirmed to the Post that an investigation into the officers involved in the false drug bust was under way, and according to the paper, at least six police officers have been questioned in connection with the incident in the last few days.
Two of the undercover officers involved in the bust were placed on modified assignment on Tuesday, according to the Post. The third officer left the NYPD and is now working for Nassau County police, the paper reported.
A team of New York Police Department narcotics officers is under investigation for falsely arresting two brothers and two other men in January, claiming they were selling drugs in an Elmhurst club called Delicioso.
New surveillance video obtained last week by defense attorneys does not show any evidence the men sold cocaine or any other drugs to undercover police in the club, authorities said.
The brothers and other two men arrested were charged in January with selling two bags of cocaine worth $100, according to The Washington Post.
On Thursday, those charges were dropped when surveillance video showed that the undercover police officers had never been in contact with the men they arrested, the paper reported.
"How lucky these tapes existed," Rochelle Berliner, who represented brothers Maximo and Jose Colon, told the Post. "Three cops' words against theirs? Who is the jury going to believe?"
But the false charges came at a cost. Jose Colon lost his grocery store business after the arrests, and he was furious with police because of it.
"I just don't know why they would do this to us," he told the Post. "They know who deals drugs on the street, and they just made up everything."
Authorities at the district attorney's office and with the NYPD confirmed to the Post that an investigation into the officers involved in the false drug bust was under way, and according to the paper, at least six police officers have been questioned in connection with the incident in the last few days.
Two of the undercover officers involved in the bust were placed on modified assignment on Tuesday, according to the Post. The third officer left the NYPD and is now working for Nassau County police, the paper reported.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Officer Arrested On Suspicion Of Shooting Man In Bar Fight
PITTSBURGH, Pa.
Police responded to the corner of 20th and Sidney streets at approximately 2:15 a.m. Saturday morning for the report of a man with a gun.
When they arrived at the scene, police discovered that officer Paul Abel had shot a 20-year-old male inside a bar at that location.
The police report states that Abel was driving home from a South Side bar when an unknown man reached into his driver's side window and punched him in the face.
Following this, Abel retrieved his pistol and returned to the bar to confront his attacker. With the gun in his hand, Abel swung at the victim and hit the back of his head with the butt of the weapon. The gun discharged upon contact and a bullet penetrated the victim's right hand. He was taken to Mercy Hospital for his injury.
Abel was arrested for aggravated assault and was also charged with DUI when it was discovered that his blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit.
Abel has been suspended while detectives investigate the matter.
And Target 11 Investigator Rick Earle reports that Abel is already the focus of a Citizen's Review Board investigation.
It stems from an altercation he was involved in with his brother-in-law at the Allegheny County Courthouse last year.
The Review Board accused him of conduct unbecoming of an officer and falsification of records.
His hearing with the board is scheduled to continue next month.
Police responded to the corner of 20th and Sidney streets at approximately 2:15 a.m. Saturday morning for the report of a man with a gun.
When they arrived at the scene, police discovered that officer Paul Abel had shot a 20-year-old male inside a bar at that location.
The police report states that Abel was driving home from a South Side bar when an unknown man reached into his driver's side window and punched him in the face.
Following this, Abel retrieved his pistol and returned to the bar to confront his attacker. With the gun in his hand, Abel swung at the victim and hit the back of his head with the butt of the weapon. The gun discharged upon contact and a bullet penetrated the victim's right hand. He was taken to Mercy Hospital for his injury.
Abel was arrested for aggravated assault and was also charged with DUI when it was discovered that his blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit.
Abel has been suspended while detectives investigate the matter.
And Target 11 Investigator Rick Earle reports that Abel is already the focus of a Citizen's Review Board investigation.
It stems from an altercation he was involved in with his brother-in-law at the Allegheny County Courthouse last year.
The Review Board accused him of conduct unbecoming of an officer and falsification of records.
His hearing with the board is scheduled to continue next month.
Officer Suspended after DWI Arrest
SAN JUAN, TX
A Mission police officer has been suspended indefinitely after a Saturday morning arrest for allegedly driving an unmarked police car while drunk, officials said.
This is at least the third arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated for Officer Martin Flores Villarreal, 40, of Mission, and at least his second while driving an unmarked Mission police car, according to court records and Trooper Johnny Hernandez, a local spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The first two charges, in 2004 and 2006, were both dismissed, court records indicate.
Villarreal is suspended from the department indefinitely and without pay following his latest arrest, said Lt. Martin Garza, a Mission police spokesman. The accused officer has the right to appeal the suspension.
State troopers arrested Villarreal about 2:30 a.m. Saturday along the eastbound frontage road of Expressway 83 near the intersection with Raul Longoria Road, according to Hernandez.
Villarreal apparently was stopped on suspicion of a traffic violation, which Hernandez refused to detail. The Mission police officer failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office, where a breath test indicated his blood alcohol concentration was twice the legal limit, Hernandez said.
Under Texas law, any driver with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher is considered intoxicated.
Three other passengers in the car -- two women and another Mission police officer -- did not appear to be intoxicated and were not detained, Hernandez said.
Villarreal, who was arraigned at the sheriff's office on a charge of driving while intoxicated, posted the state-mandated $502 bond and was released sometime Saturday morning, according to the sheriff's office.
Mission police Chief Leo Longoria could not be reached for comment.
This was at least the second time this year an officer with a local law enforcement agency was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Hidalgo County Sheriff's Deputy Sergio Salaiz De Hoyos, 36, was arrested in mid-February in Donna. He resigned after Sheriff Lupe Treviño suspended him with pay. His case is pending in Hidalgo County Court-at-law No. 4
De Hoyos had at least one prior DWI arrest in 1990. Court records indicate he was convicted and completed a DWI education program.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Update on Officer Steven Harrison
Accused Ex-cop is Addict
A disgraced Oak Lawn police officer, accused of shaking down Hispanic immigrants for cash, is a heroin junkie, it was revealed in court Friday.
It's unclear whether former rookie officer Steven Harrison, 26, was addicted when he allegedly solicited bribes of up to $250 from as many as 14 Hispanic motorists during illegal traffic stops last fall.
Harrison -- already facing more than 20 counts of official misconduct, intimidation and theft -- was arrested while free on bail June 20 on the West Side with 10 wraps of heroin in his pocket. He's now also charged with possession of heroin.
Chicago officers spotted him buying the dope on the platform at the Cicero Green Line L station about 7:40 p.m., police said.
Harrison seemed close to tears as he appeared Friday before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Rosemary Higgins. At one point, Higgins barked at Harrison, "Stop with the puppy dog eyes," adding, "You held a position in the community, but you have chosen to flout the law."
Harrison, of the 3800 block of West 107th Place, has been in the County Jail, isolated for his own safety, since his latest arrest. He was fired by Oak Lawn in October after being charged with the shakedowns.
His attorney, Brian Bennett, urged Higgins to release Harrison so he could receive treatment for his addiction, explaining that Harrison's health insurance benefits had expired following his firing and that there were no drug treatment programs that would accept him while he was jailed.
Harrison's parents would keep a close watch on him once he was released, Bennett said.
But Higgins said the parents "were watching over him when he relapsed," and told Harrison, "I'm not going to trust you to be out on the street on bond."
Outside court, Bennett declined to say whether Harrison was using heroin while working as a cop.
A disgraced Oak Lawn police officer, accused of shaking down Hispanic immigrants for cash, is a heroin junkie, it was revealed in court Friday.
It's unclear whether former rookie officer Steven Harrison, 26, was addicted when he allegedly solicited bribes of up to $250 from as many as 14 Hispanic motorists during illegal traffic stops last fall.
Harrison -- already facing more than 20 counts of official misconduct, intimidation and theft -- was arrested while free on bail June 20 on the West Side with 10 wraps of heroin in his pocket. He's now also charged with possession of heroin.
Chicago officers spotted him buying the dope on the platform at the Cicero Green Line L station about 7:40 p.m., police said.
Harrison seemed close to tears as he appeared Friday before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Rosemary Higgins. At one point, Higgins barked at Harrison, "Stop with the puppy dog eyes," adding, "You held a position in the community, but you have chosen to flout the law."
Harrison, of the 3800 block of West 107th Place, has been in the County Jail, isolated for his own safety, since his latest arrest. He was fired by Oak Lawn in October after being charged with the shakedowns.
His attorney, Brian Bennett, urged Higgins to release Harrison so he could receive treatment for his addiction, explaining that Harrison's health insurance benefits had expired following his firing and that there were no drug treatment programs that would accept him while he was jailed.
Harrison's parents would keep a close watch on him once he was released, Bennett said.
But Higgins said the parents "were watching over him when he relapsed," and told Harrison, "I'm not going to trust you to be out on the street on bond."
Outside court, Bennett declined to say whether Harrison was using heroin while working as a cop.
NY Officer Wayne Simoes Arrested for Excessive Force
NEW YORKThis March 2007 photo released in New York by Certain & Zilberg, PLLC, shows Irma Marquez in her hospital bed bearing injuries she sustained after being body-slammed by a Yonkers, N.Y, police officer. The FBI arrested Yonkers police officer Wayne Simoes on Friday, June 27, 2008, charging him with violating Marquez's civil rights when he used excessive force and put Marquez in the hospital for four days.
A police officer who body-slammed an unarmed woman and broke her jaw during a medical call to a suburban restaurant last year was arrested Friday and charged with civil rights violations.
Federal prosecutors said Yonkers officer Wayne Simoes used excessive force when he grabbed the woman by the waist, hoisted her in the air and slammed her, face first, into a tile floor.
The takedown, recorded March 3, 2007, by security cameras, knocked Irma Marquez unconscious and put her in the hospital for four days. At the time, authorities said the officer was trying to keep her from interfering with emergency medical technicians summoned to the restaurant to assist her niece, who had been hit in the head with a bottle.
Simoes, 38, said little Friday during his arraignment. A magistrate released him on bond. His attorney, Andrew Quinn, said Simoes intends to plead not guilty.
"I've also seen the video, and I know what it shows. But what the video doesn't show is the operation of Wayne Simoes' mind at the time of this incident," Quinn said. He said Simoes didn't intend to violate the woman's rights or "cause any type of injury."
Simoes could get years in prison if convicted. The Yonkers Police Department said it had placed him on modified duty pending the outcome of the case.
Despite the nature of Marquez's injuries, which included a broken jaw and bruises over her entire face, law enforcement authorities initially sided with the officer.
Marquez was arrested and charged with obstruction of governmental administration, and an internal inquiry cleared Simoes of any wrongdoing. After the Justice Department informed the city that it was investigating, Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone held a news conference to praise the department, saying its officers "do their jobs the right way in full accordance with the law."
A Westchester County jury, however, acquitted Marquez of the obstruction charge. Weeks later she sued the police department for $11.3 million.
Marquez's lawyer, Gary Certain, praised the FBI and the U.S. attorney for bringing the civil rights charge, calling it "a major step forward in addressing an alarming pattern of misconduct within the Yonkers Police Department."
He acknowledged that Marquez had been emotionally distraught during the incident out of concern for her injured niece, but said she hadn't interfered with the EMTs and did nothing to provoke a violent attack.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Tulsa Judge Harris Sues Accusers
A Tulsa judge who faces two counts of indecent exposure has filed a civil lawsuit against his former girlfriend and another woman for allegedly slandering and libeling him with an intent to destroy his judicial and legal career.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of District Judge Jesse Harris is seeking an unspecified amount of actual damages in excess of $10,000 and punitive damages from the women.
A special prosecutor charged Harris on April 24 with exposing himself to the two women March 9 in the parking lot of a Tulsa motel. Harris has denied the allegations.
According to the lawsuit, the women conspired to make false claims of criminal conduct against Harris and carried out their scheme. The women have no credibility, the lawsuit alleged.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of District Judge Jesse Harris is seeking an unspecified amount of actual damages in excess of $10,000 and punitive damages from the women.
A special prosecutor charged Harris on April 24 with exposing himself to the two women March 9 in the parking lot of a Tulsa motel. Harris has denied the allegations.
According to the lawsuit, the women conspired to make false claims of criminal conduct against Harris and carried out their scheme. The women have no credibility, the lawsuit alleged.
Judge faces alcohol charge
Judge Catherine B. Steenland of the 39th District Court has been accused of driving drunk in Ogemaw County in northern lower Michigan, the prosecutor there said Thursday.
Steenland, 41, of Roseville, is named in a complaint charging her with one count of operating while intoxicated, first offense. She is scheduled to be arraigned July 24 in 82nd District Court.
Details surrounding her arrest were not divulged. In a press release announcing the charge, Ogemaw Prosecutor LaDonna Schultz credits the Michigan State Police and the Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office for their "fine work and professionalism ... in the investigation and apprehension" of Steenland. The statement, however, included no details about the circumstances surrounding Steenland's arrest, nor any specifics on why law enforcers earned the prosecutor's praise.
Steenland's arrest had been widely rumored in recent weeks. During that time, officials at the Michigan State Police post in West Branch and Ogemaw prosecutors declined comment on the incident pending an announcement of formal charges.
Schultz was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon at her office, and her home telephone number is not published. Meantime, the administrative office at the state police post was closed for the day.
Steenland's attorney, Stephen Rabaut, described her as a respected judge.
"I can tell you she's respected by judges, attorneys and litigants alike. She has an unblemished record. She intends to address this matter immediately and resolve it as soon as possible," Rabaut said. He declined to elaborate or comment on the allegations.
Misdemeanor drunken driving is punishable by up to 93 days in jail, but incarceration of that length is uncommon for first offenders. Steenland has no prior offenses on her current driving record, according to the Michigan Secretary of State.
The offense also carries a fine ranging from $100 to $500, up to 360 hours of community service and licensing sanctions.
Voters in Roseville and Fraser first elected Steenland to the 39th District Court in 2002. She ran unopposed for re-election to a 6-year term in November 2004.
Her husband, Richard Steenland, is Roseville's city clerk and a former councilman. Her father-in-law, Joseph Steenland, is the longtime president of the Roseville Public Schools Board of Education.
Catherine Steenland graduated from Detroit College of Law. In May 2006, she and the court's other judges, magistrate and chief probation officer were honored by the Roseville Optimist Club as part of the club's Respect for Law/Non-Violent Day, designed to influence and impress children.
As part of her statement in The Macomb Daily Voter's Guide in 2004, Steenland said: "I will stand by my pledge to administer justice fairly and diligently to keep our communities safe."
Steenland is the second judicial official from Macomb County arrested this year on suspicion of drunken driving. In January, Warren police arrested 37th District Court Administrator James Conrad. Conrad refused to take breath tests and was released by Warren police less than an hour later when Chief 37th District Judge Walter Jakubowski Jr. set a personal recognizance bond.
In April, Jakubowski rejected a request by a law firm serving as special prosecutor on behalf of the Warren City Attorney's Office, for a warrant charging Conrad with misdemeanor drunken driving. Conrad no longer serves as a magistrate in the Warren-Center Line district court, but remains the administrator of Macomb County's busiest district court.
Steenland, 41, of Roseville, is named in a complaint charging her with one count of operating while intoxicated, first offense. She is scheduled to be arraigned July 24 in 82nd District Court.
Details surrounding her arrest were not divulged. In a press release announcing the charge, Ogemaw Prosecutor LaDonna Schultz credits the Michigan State Police and the Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office for their "fine work and professionalism ... in the investigation and apprehension" of Steenland. The statement, however, included no details about the circumstances surrounding Steenland's arrest, nor any specifics on why law enforcers earned the prosecutor's praise.
Steenland's arrest had been widely rumored in recent weeks. During that time, officials at the Michigan State Police post in West Branch and Ogemaw prosecutors declined comment on the incident pending an announcement of formal charges.
Schultz was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon at her office, and her home telephone number is not published. Meantime, the administrative office at the state police post was closed for the day.
Steenland's attorney, Stephen Rabaut, described her as a respected judge.
"I can tell you she's respected by judges, attorneys and litigants alike. She has an unblemished record. She intends to address this matter immediately and resolve it as soon as possible," Rabaut said. He declined to elaborate or comment on the allegations.
Misdemeanor drunken driving is punishable by up to 93 days in jail, but incarceration of that length is uncommon for first offenders. Steenland has no prior offenses on her current driving record, according to the Michigan Secretary of State.
The offense also carries a fine ranging from $100 to $500, up to 360 hours of community service and licensing sanctions.
Voters in Roseville and Fraser first elected Steenland to the 39th District Court in 2002. She ran unopposed for re-election to a 6-year term in November 2004.
Her husband, Richard Steenland, is Roseville's city clerk and a former councilman. Her father-in-law, Joseph Steenland, is the longtime president of the Roseville Public Schools Board of Education.
Catherine Steenland graduated from Detroit College of Law. In May 2006, she and the court's other judges, magistrate and chief probation officer were honored by the Roseville Optimist Club as part of the club's Respect for Law/Non-Violent Day, designed to influence and impress children.
As part of her statement in The Macomb Daily Voter's Guide in 2004, Steenland said: "I will stand by my pledge to administer justice fairly and diligently to keep our communities safe."
Steenland is the second judicial official from Macomb County arrested this year on suspicion of drunken driving. In January, Warren police arrested 37th District Court Administrator James Conrad. Conrad refused to take breath tests and was released by Warren police less than an hour later when Chief 37th District Judge Walter Jakubowski Jr. set a personal recognizance bond.
In April, Jakubowski rejected a request by a law firm serving as special prosecutor on behalf of the Warren City Attorney's Office, for a warrant charging Conrad with misdemeanor drunken driving. Conrad no longer serves as a magistrate in the Warren-Center Line district court, but remains the administrator of Macomb County's busiest district court.
Guards Accused of Passing Contraband to Inmate
Two Rikers Island correction officers were fired on Wednesday after they were accused of smuggling marijuana, alcohol and tobacco to an inmate who is awaiting trial in the death of a police officer last July, officials said.
Stephen J. Morello, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Correction, said it was not yet clear exactly when the two officers, Auguste Durand, 31, and Michael Santiago, 24, smuggled the contraband to the inmate, Lee Woods. Mr. Woods is housed in the punitive segregation unit of the George R. Vierno Center at Rikers Island. On Tuesday, jail officials were tipped off about the smuggling, and they discovered the items during a search on Tuesday night, Mr. Morello said.
Officers Durand and Santiago had worked in the Correction Department since August, and they were still in a probationary period, Mr. Morello said. Their dismissal was reported on Wednesday by The New York Post. A representative from the correction officers’ union did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
On Wednesday, Mr. Woods was prevented from attending a court hearing while prison officials tried to determine whether he possessed other illegal items, including a weapon, Mr. Morello said. On Thursday morning, Mr. Woods failed a magnetometer test, a search for metal on or inside a person. Officers did not find any visible sign of metal on Mr. Woods, and he was allowed to attend a court hearing but was required to wear mitts and remain shackled, according to a spokesman for Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney.
Mr. Woods, Dexter Bostic and Robert Ellis are charged with firing from a car at Officers Russel Timoshenko and Herman Yan on July 9 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn. Officer Timoshenko died five days later.
Also on Thursday, Mr. Bostic was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center after complaining that he had fallen in the shower at the jail. He was treated and returned to custody.
Stephen J. Morello, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Correction, said it was not yet clear exactly when the two officers, Auguste Durand, 31, and Michael Santiago, 24, smuggled the contraband to the inmate, Lee Woods. Mr. Woods is housed in the punitive segregation unit of the George R. Vierno Center at Rikers Island. On Tuesday, jail officials were tipped off about the smuggling, and they discovered the items during a search on Tuesday night, Mr. Morello said.
Officers Durand and Santiago had worked in the Correction Department since August, and they were still in a probationary period, Mr. Morello said. Their dismissal was reported on Wednesday by The New York Post. A representative from the correction officers’ union did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
On Wednesday, Mr. Woods was prevented from attending a court hearing while prison officials tried to determine whether he possessed other illegal items, including a weapon, Mr. Morello said. On Thursday morning, Mr. Woods failed a magnetometer test, a search for metal on or inside a person. Officers did not find any visible sign of metal on Mr. Woods, and he was allowed to attend a court hearing but was required to wear mitts and remain shackled, according to a spokesman for Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney.
Mr. Woods, Dexter Bostic and Robert Ellis are charged with firing from a car at Officers Russel Timoshenko and Herman Yan on July 9 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn. Officer Timoshenko died five days later.
Also on Thursday, Mr. Bostic was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center after complaining that he had fallen in the shower at the jail. He was treated and returned to custody.
Officer Arrested on Drug Charges
A former Oak Lawn police officer accused of misconduct for allegedly extorting money from motorists during traffic stops is in trouble with the law again after a recent drug arrest.
Steven Harrison, 26, was arrested June 20 when a Chicago police officer allegedly witnessed him exchanging cash for several packets of heroin on the street.
The arrest happened around 7:40 p.m. in the 4700 block of West Lake Street, a police source said.
Harrison was charged with possession of a controlled substance and was held on $55,000 bail, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office. On Friday, Judge Rosemary Higgins tacked on another $5,000 for violating a $100,000 bail in the misconduct case.
If Harrison posts bail, the judge ordered him to seek treatment immediately for drug abuse.
Harrison's attorney, Brian Barrett, declined to comment about his client's drug use or if it might have contributed to the misconduct case.
"We're dealing with any issues he has," Barrett said after Friday's hearing.
In the extortion case, Harrison was charged with 23 counts of official misconduct, five counts of theft by deception and three counts of intimidation in connection with a series of traffic stops he made in September. Harrison pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Harrison is accused of pulling over five drivers and telling them they had committed traffic offenses such as driving without a valid license or not having insurance, prosecutors said.
Harrison would then allegedly threaten the motorists, some of whom spoke limited English, with fines or jail if they did not pay him.
In one case, Harrison is accused of telling a man that he needed to pay him $160 because he was driving without a license or insurance. The man said he did not have the money, and Harrison told him to call friends and relatives to bring him the money, officials said.
When that failed, Harrison told the driver to go home, get the money and bring it to him at the Oak Lawn police station or else an arrest warrant would be issued, officials said.
Authorities said that after the driver returned with the money, Harrison gave him a pink ticket sheet with "$160" written on it. According to officials, when the motorist asked if it was a ticket, Harrison responded, "That's the way we do it in the suburbs."
In another case, Harrison is accused of telling a driver he had "two options: Go to jail or pay $100," prosecutors said.
All five motorists identified Harrison in a police lineup, prosecutors said. The beginning of two of the traffic stops was captured by Harrison's squad car camera, prosecutors said.
Steven Harrison, 26, was arrested June 20 when a Chicago police officer allegedly witnessed him exchanging cash for several packets of heroin on the street.
The arrest happened around 7:40 p.m. in the 4700 block of West Lake Street, a police source said.
Harrison was charged with possession of a controlled substance and was held on $55,000 bail, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office. On Friday, Judge Rosemary Higgins tacked on another $5,000 for violating a $100,000 bail in the misconduct case.
If Harrison posts bail, the judge ordered him to seek treatment immediately for drug abuse.
Harrison's attorney, Brian Barrett, declined to comment about his client's drug use or if it might have contributed to the misconduct case.
"We're dealing with any issues he has," Barrett said after Friday's hearing.
In the extortion case, Harrison was charged with 23 counts of official misconduct, five counts of theft by deception and three counts of intimidation in connection with a series of traffic stops he made in September. Harrison pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Harrison is accused of pulling over five drivers and telling them they had committed traffic offenses such as driving without a valid license or not having insurance, prosecutors said.
Harrison would then allegedly threaten the motorists, some of whom spoke limited English, with fines or jail if they did not pay him.
In one case, Harrison is accused of telling a man that he needed to pay him $160 because he was driving without a license or insurance. The man said he did not have the money, and Harrison told him to call friends and relatives to bring him the money, officials said.
When that failed, Harrison told the driver to go home, get the money and bring it to him at the Oak Lawn police station or else an arrest warrant would be issued, officials said.
Authorities said that after the driver returned with the money, Harrison gave him a pink ticket sheet with "$160" written on it. According to officials, when the motorist asked if it was a ticket, Harrison responded, "That's the way we do it in the suburbs."
In another case, Harrison is accused of telling a driver he had "two options: Go to jail or pay $100," prosecutors said.
All five motorists identified Harrison in a police lineup, prosecutors said. The beginning of two of the traffic stops was captured by Harrison's squad car camera, prosecutors said.
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