Records show that the Delcambre Police officer who was arrested Monday on sex charges has a 1999 simple battery conviction, for which he was fired from the Jeanerette Police Department.
Ernest Billiot, 49, of Delcambre bonded out of jail Thursday night after a state police investigation led to his indictment and arrest on charges of sexual battery and malfeasance in office earlier this week.
The allegations against Billiot surfaced after a female motorist accused him of exhibiting criminal behavior when he stopped her while she was driving through Delcambre in the early-morning hours of Feb. 17, state police spokesman Trooper David Anderson said Thursday.
Billiot also has pending 2005 lawsuit against the city of Jeanerette and Mayor Arthur Verret that claims he was wrongfully terminated from the police department after 10 years of service.
The petition alleges that Verret had a personal vendetta against Billiot for arresting his grandson, Ben Boudreaux, and retaliated by getting him fired.
The petition states that Verret "initiated an evaluation of the Police department of Jeanerette and hired a consultant."
The consultant issued a report and made recommendations to Verret about changes that should be made to the department.
"One of the included recommendations was the terminating of Petitioner Ernest Billiot, due to the fact that Petitioner had a prior of conviction of Simple Battery," the petition states.
It was the opinion of the consultant that Billiot would not be able to carry a firearm to exercise his duties, thus resulting in the termination of Billiot, according to the lawsuit.
Billiot pleaded guilty to simple battery in June 1999.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20081114/NEWS01/811140343/1002
Friday, November 14, 2008
Fraud Trial for Officer Anthony Trabal Begins
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.
A fraud trial has begun for a Springfield police officer accused of making fake disability claims to the city and Liberty Mutual insurance company.
Opening statements were Friday morning in the trial of Anthony Trabal.
Prosecutors say Trabal submitted the claims for wages he lost during six months of unpaid leave that followed an off-duty car accident in 2004.
Liberty Mutual determined the disability certificates submitted to support Trabal's claim were fake, and the case was referred to state insurance fraud investigators.
A fraud trial has begun for a Springfield police officer accused of making fake disability claims to the city and Liberty Mutual insurance company.
Opening statements were Friday morning in the trial of Anthony Trabal.
Prosecutors say Trabal submitted the claims for wages he lost during six months of unpaid leave that followed an off-duty car accident in 2004.
Liberty Mutual determined the disability certificates submitted to support Trabal's claim were fake, and the case was referred to state insurance fraud investigators.
Sgt. David White Arrested for Having Child Pornography
GRETNA, La.
A reserve deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has been arrested and booked with having pornography involving juveniles.
Sgt. David Patrick White was arrested Thursday after an investigation by the state Attorney General's High Technology Crime Unit, the Kenner Police Department and the Sheriff's Office.
Col. John Fortunato, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, says White had pictures of child pornography on an internet account.
White had been a member of the reserve division since July 1999. He was assigned to the 1st District patrol division in Metairie but Fortunato says White's volunteer status was terminated after the investigation.
White was booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
___
Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.timespicayune.com/
A reserve deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has been arrested and booked with having pornography involving juveniles.
Sgt. David Patrick White was arrested Thursday after an investigation by the state Attorney General's High Technology Crime Unit, the Kenner Police Department and the Sheriff's Office.
Col. John Fortunato, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, says White had pictures of child pornography on an internet account.
White had been a member of the reserve division since July 1999. He was assigned to the 1st District patrol division in Metairie but Fortunato says White's volunteer status was terminated after the investigation.
White was booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
___
Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.timespicayune.com/
More Information:
More Information on Officer Ron Jones Under Investigation for Assault
SAND SPRINGS
A city police officer is under investigation for an alleged assault while off duty at a Halloween weekend party west of Sand Springs.
As first reported on tulsaworld.com, Officer Ron Jones, an eight-year veteran of the Police Department, is on paid suspension while the city investigates the matter.
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office is conducting its own investigation.
The Sheriff's Office said Jeffrey Scott Youngblood, 37, of Sand Springs suffered a concussion and a broken nose during a fight at the party and was hospitalized for two days.
The assault is alleged to have taken place about 1 a.m. Nov. 2 at the home of Joseph Christensen, who also is a Sand Springs police officer.
Other officers were at the party, and some of them have come forward as witnesses, officials said.
Authorities said Youngblood might have been intoxicated at the party and might have behaved inappropriately toward Jones' girlfriend and the wife of another officer.
When Jones interceded, a scuffle ensued, and Youngblood apparently was knocked to the floor. He was taken by private car to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa.
Sheriff's Capt. John Bowman said detectives tried to question Youngblood a few days later, but Youngblood was unable to remember what happened.
Sheriff's investigators have not yet questioned Jones.
Once he has been questioned, a report on the incident will be sent to the District Attorney's Office, Bowman said.
Jones' attorney, Scott Wood of Tulsa, said his client was acting in self-defense.
"Mr. Jones regrets the incident but feels justified in taking the action he did," Wood said, adding that he expects Jones to be exonerated.
Assistant Police Chief Mike Carter said the complaint against Jones was filed Nov. 2.
More Information: http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/1108/569439.html
A city police officer is under investigation for an alleged assault while off duty at a Halloween weekend party west of Sand Springs.
As first reported on tulsaworld.com, Officer Ron Jones, an eight-year veteran of the Police Department, is on paid suspension while the city investigates the matter.
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office is conducting its own investigation.
The Sheriff's Office said Jeffrey Scott Youngblood, 37, of Sand Springs suffered a concussion and a broken nose during a fight at the party and was hospitalized for two days.
The assault is alleged to have taken place about 1 a.m. Nov. 2 at the home of Joseph Christensen, who also is a Sand Springs police officer.
Other officers were at the party, and some of them have come forward as witnesses, officials said.
Authorities said Youngblood might have been intoxicated at the party and might have behaved inappropriately toward Jones' girlfriend and the wife of another officer.
When Jones interceded, a scuffle ensued, and Youngblood apparently was knocked to the floor. He was taken by private car to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa.
Sheriff's Capt. John Bowman said detectives tried to question Youngblood a few days later, but Youngblood was unable to remember what happened.
Sheriff's investigators have not yet questioned Jones.
Once he has been questioned, a report on the incident will be sent to the District Attorney's Office, Bowman said.
Jones' attorney, Scott Wood of Tulsa, said his client was acting in self-defense.
"Mr. Jones regrets the incident but feels justified in taking the action he did," Wood said, adding that he expects Jones to be exonerated.
Assistant Police Chief Mike Carter said the complaint against Jones was filed Nov. 2.
More Information: http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/1108/569439.html
Two Officers Fired For Soliciting Sex from Prostitutes
GAINESVILLE, FL
Internal investigations by the Gainesville Police, announced Thursday, have shown that two former officers were having sex with prostitutes while on duty.
The investigation, which began after accusations were made against Cpl. William Billings, who resigned in August, also incriminated officer Dave Reveille, who was fired Wednesday.
The investigation was based on a tip from a former prostitute, said Capt. Lynne Benck, who led the investigation.
“On June 4, a woman in jail called Internal Affairs asking us if we were trying to clear out bad cops,” Benck said at a press conference Thursday. “She told us that she knew Cpl. Billings was one of them.”
A GPD Internal Affairs report stated that 14 women said they had sex with Billings for money while he was in uniform and driving a marked GPD car. Two of the 14 women said they were 13 and 14 years old when they first had sex with Billings for money, the report stated.
After a GPS tracking device was placed on Billings’ car, the investigation also found that he was not reporting to overtime assignments he was being paid for. That pay added up to more than $6,000, Benck said.
During Billings’ investigation, detectives received a tip that Reveille was also having sex with prostitutes while on duty, he said.
One witness reported that Reveille had taken her into custody in his car and told her she would go to jail if she didn’t perform oral sex on him, the report stated.
She also said Reveille had sex with her while she stood over the back of his GPD patrol car, the report stated.
Benck said similar reports against Reveille had been dropped during an investigation in 2005.
The State Attorney’s Office will review the cases before charges are made, GPD spokesman Keith Kameg said.
“The charges can range anywhere from grand theft, to prostitute issues, to sexual battery,” Kameg said.
Benck said at Thursday’s press conference that she wanted to take on the investigation because she didn’t believe the accusation against Billings could be true. After meeting Billings in police academy more than 21 years ago, she said she considered herself friends with both him and his wife.
“I wanted to vindicate him,” she said. “I wanted to prove it wasn’t him.”
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=123775&catid=4
Internal investigations by the Gainesville Police, announced Thursday, have shown that two former officers were having sex with prostitutes while on duty.
The investigation, which began after accusations were made against Cpl. William Billings, who resigned in August, also incriminated officer Dave Reveille, who was fired Wednesday.
The investigation was based on a tip from a former prostitute, said Capt. Lynne Benck, who led the investigation.
“On June 4, a woman in jail called Internal Affairs asking us if we were trying to clear out bad cops,” Benck said at a press conference Thursday. “She told us that she knew Cpl. Billings was one of them.”
A GPD Internal Affairs report stated that 14 women said they had sex with Billings for money while he was in uniform and driving a marked GPD car. Two of the 14 women said they were 13 and 14 years old when they first had sex with Billings for money, the report stated.
After a GPS tracking device was placed on Billings’ car, the investigation also found that he was not reporting to overtime assignments he was being paid for. That pay added up to more than $6,000, Benck said.
During Billings’ investigation, detectives received a tip that Reveille was also having sex with prostitutes while on duty, he said.
One witness reported that Reveille had taken her into custody in his car and told her she would go to jail if she didn’t perform oral sex on him, the report stated.
She also said Reveille had sex with her while she stood over the back of his GPD patrol car, the report stated.
Benck said similar reports against Reveille had been dropped during an investigation in 2005.
The State Attorney’s Office will review the cases before charges are made, GPD spokesman Keith Kameg said.
“The charges can range anywhere from grand theft, to prostitute issues, to sexual battery,” Kameg said.
Benck said at Thursday’s press conference that she wanted to take on the investigation because she didn’t believe the accusation against Billings could be true. After meeting Billings in police academy more than 21 years ago, she said she considered herself friends with both him and his wife.
“I wanted to vindicate him,” she said. “I wanted to prove it wasn’t him.”
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=123775&catid=4
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Chief West Resigns and Capt. Stewart Arrested
HAINES CITY
Indicted on two perjury counts, Haines City police Capt. Mervin Stewart, left, is escorted by Polk County sheriff's Deputy Bryan Mixon to central booking at the Polk County Sheriff's Office in Bartow late this afternoon.
Haines City Police Chief Morris West resigned Wednesday and Capt. Mervin Stewart, the department’s second in command, was indicted Thursday as a lengthy investigation into the department came to a close.
Stewart was indicted and arrested Thursday afternoon on perjury charges stemming from statements he made denying claims of sexual harassment by a female officer as well as not admitting to having had a sexual relationship with a different female officer.
West, who was indicted Oct. 24 on two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution, was given an offer by the State Attorney’s Office to avoid prosecution if he resigned and gave up his police standards. That means he will not be able to serve as a certified law enforcement officer, said Chip Thullbery, a spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office in Bartow.
West’s charges were unrelated to those of Stewart.
Under the agreement, West must notify the State Attorney’s Office of any address change and not violate any federal, state or local law.
The Haines City Police Department has been under the direction of Maj. Mike Pruitt of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, who was appointed by City Manager Ann Toney-Deal after West’s indictment two weeks ago.
Stewart, 43, was arrested around 4 p.m. Thursday after receiving a grand jury indictment on two counts of perjury related to testimony made Nov. 6 before the grand jury. He had been suspended with pay on Nov. 7.
According to the indictment, the first count refers to false statements Stewart made before the grand jury about a sexual harassment complaint filed by Haines City police Officer Nicole Gusaeff. Stewart told the grand jury that he did not, during the evening of April 12, put his arm around Gusaeff at a local bar following the Policeman’s Ball.
In the second count, Stewart is accused of lying under oath about an alleged sexual relationship with Officer Emelynda Hernandez, the indictment states. Hernandez also was suspended with pay on Nov. 7 but she resigned Monday.
Stewart had been with the Haines City Police Department since 1991. Hernandez joined the department in 2003.
Though the indictments for West and Stewart are unrelated, they stemmed from the same investigation the State Attorney’s Office began in August, Thullbery said.
West’s indictment alleges that he solicited 31-year old Kimberly Latrice Willis Ambrose to commit prostitution three times in 2007 between Nov. 22 and Dec. 25. He was not arrested because the charges were misdemeanors.
West had been with the Haines City Police Department since 1985 when he was hired as a patrolman. He served as detective, sergeant and lieutenant before being appointed interim police chief when former Police Chief Tom Wheeler retired. West, a Haines City native, became police chief in August 2003. At the time of his resignation, he was paid an annual salary of $72,519.07.
More Information: http://www.newschief.com/article/20081115/NEWS/811150295/1021/NEWS01?Title=Interim_Haines_City_chief_staying_as_long_as_needed
Officer Glenn Mearls Arrested for DWI
FARMINGTON
An off-duty Farmington Police officer apparently impaired by sleep medications was arrested Wednesday after crashing his truck into two city vehicles parked at the police station, authorities said.
Officer Glenn Mearls, a bomb squad officer and 14-year department veteran, was charged with DWI after the crash, which occurred around 8 a.m., state police Lt. Dan Becker said.
New Mexico State Police officers determined the 43-year-old officer was impaired on prescription medication after conducting field sobriety tests. State police investigated the crash to ensure no conflict of interest between the officer and Farmington Police.
Police are waiting on lab tests to confirm what medication Mearls had taken, but the drug is believed to be a sleep aid, Becker said.
"He was cooperative throughout the whole thing," the state police lieutenant said.
The crash caused moderate damage to a city-owned code compliance officer truck and minor damage to an information technology department vehicle, Assistant City Manager Bob Campbell said.
Damage to the code compliance truck was serious enough that the vehicle had to be taken out of service.
"It's not street worthy any longer," Campbell said. "We will submit those damage claims to the officer's personal vehicle insurer for reimbursement to the city."
Farmington Police have initiated an internal investigation of the impaired-driving crash. In addition to department policy violations, Farmington officials are investigating why Mearls was at the police station parking lot while off-duty.
Farmington Police Chief Jim Runnels said Mearls was scheduled to work an overnight shift Tuesday night before the crash, but Mearls may have taken the day off.
"He should have been at work, but I didn't see him (Tuesday)," Runnels said. "I don't know if he took a vacation day or something like that."
Mearls was scheduled to go back on duty at 4 p.m.Wednesday, but was placed on administrative leave with pay following his arrest.
He was released from custody at the San Juan County Detention Center on $1,000 bond Wednesday.
Mearls was not available for comment. Contact information for the officer is not publicly listed.
The drug-influenced crash is the third DWI-related incident involving a Farmington Police officer in less than a year.
"Even though police officers are held to a higher standard, they are human," Runnels said. "We've got almost 130 officers, so are we any different than any other company that has 130 people as far as employees that have been arrested for DWI? I don't know.
"But I can tell you we're going to certainly take a hard look at it now."
An off-duty Farmington Police officer apparently impaired by sleep medications was arrested Wednesday after crashing his truck into two city vehicles parked at the police station, authorities said.
Officer Glenn Mearls, a bomb squad officer and 14-year department veteran, was charged with DWI after the crash, which occurred around 8 a.m., state police Lt. Dan Becker said.
New Mexico State Police officers determined the 43-year-old officer was impaired on prescription medication after conducting field sobriety tests. State police investigated the crash to ensure no conflict of interest between the officer and Farmington Police.
Police are waiting on lab tests to confirm what medication Mearls had taken, but the drug is believed to be a sleep aid, Becker said.
"He was cooperative throughout the whole thing," the state police lieutenant said.
The crash caused moderate damage to a city-owned code compliance officer truck and minor damage to an information technology department vehicle, Assistant City Manager Bob Campbell said.
Damage to the code compliance truck was serious enough that the vehicle had to be taken out of service.
"It's not street worthy any longer," Campbell said. "We will submit those damage claims to the officer's personal vehicle insurer for reimbursement to the city."
Farmington Police have initiated an internal investigation of the impaired-driving crash. In addition to department policy violations, Farmington officials are investigating why Mearls was at the police station parking lot while off-duty.
Farmington Police Chief Jim Runnels said Mearls was scheduled to work an overnight shift Tuesday night before the crash, but Mearls may have taken the day off.
"He should have been at work, but I didn't see him (Tuesday)," Runnels said. "I don't know if he took a vacation day or something like that."
Mearls was scheduled to go back on duty at 4 p.m.Wednesday, but was placed on administrative leave with pay following his arrest.
He was released from custody at the San Juan County Detention Center on $1,000 bond Wednesday.
Mearls was not available for comment. Contact information for the officer is not publicly listed.
The drug-influenced crash is the third DWI-related incident involving a Farmington Police officer in less than a year.
"Even though police officers are held to a higher standard, they are human," Runnels said. "We've got almost 130 officers, so are we any different than any other company that has 130 people as far as employees that have been arrested for DWI? I don't know.
"But I can tell you we're going to certainly take a hard look at it now."
Officer Ricardo Morrison Charged with Murder Released on Bail
A West Midlands police officer arrested after the murder of a teenage model has been released on bail.
Amy Leigh Barnes, 19, was found stabbed at her home in Farnworth, Bolton, Greater Manchester, on Saturday. She was taken to hospital but later died.
Ricardo Morrison, 21, originally from Birmingham, has been charged with her murder and remanded in custody.
A 49-year-old woman officer arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has now been bailed until 6 January.
She serves with the West Midlands force.
A post-mortem examination concluded that Ms Barnes died as a result of stab wounds.
She had modelled for Cosmopolitan and Nuts Magazine and had appeared in Channel 4 teen soap, Hollyoaks.
More than 2,500 people have joined a Facebook group in tribute to the model and actress.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7728359.stm
Amy Leigh Barnes, 19, was found stabbed at her home in Farnworth, Bolton, Greater Manchester, on Saturday. She was taken to hospital but later died.
Ricardo Morrison, 21, originally from Birmingham, has been charged with her murder and remanded in custody.
A 49-year-old woman officer arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has now been bailed until 6 January.
She serves with the West Midlands force.
A post-mortem examination concluded that Ms Barnes died as a result of stab wounds.
She had modelled for Cosmopolitan and Nuts Magazine and had appeared in Channel 4 teen soap, Hollyoaks.
More than 2,500 people have joined a Facebook group in tribute to the model and actress.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7728359.stm
Officer Ron Jones is Under Investigation for Assault and Battery
SAND SPRINGS
A city police officer is under investigation for an alleged assault and battery while off duty at a Halloween weekend party west of Sand Springs.
The officer, identified as Ron Jones, an eight-year veteran of the Sand Springs Police Department, is now on paid suspension while the city conducts an internal affairs investigation.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, meanwhile, is doing its own criminal investigation into the case and may soon forward its report to the prosecutor’s office for possible action.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Jeffrey Scott Youngblood, 37, of Sand Springs suffered a concussion and a broken nose during the party and required hospitalization for two days.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. Nov. 2 at the 220th W. Avenue home of Joseph Christensen, another Sand Springs police officer.
There were other police officers at the party, and some of them have come forward as witnesses, officials said.
Authorities said there were indications that Youngblood may have been intoxicated at the party and may have have displayed some inappropriate conduct toward Jones’ girlfriend and the wife of another Sand Springs police officer.
When Jones interceded, a scuffle ensued, and Youngblood was apparently knocked to the floor. He was taken by private car to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa.
Sheriff’s Capt. John Bowman said detectives tried questioning Youngblood a few days later, but Youngblood was unable to remember what happened.
Youngblood could not be reached by the Tulsa World for his version of the events. Jones has yet to be questioned by the Sheriff’s Office.
However, once he is questioned, the report on the incident will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office, Bowman said.
Jones’ attorney, Scott Wood of Tulsa, said his client “was acting in self-defense in the altercation with Mr. Youngblood.”
“Mr. Jones regrets the incident, but feels justified in taking the action he did,” Wood said, adding that he expects the officer to be completely exonerated once the investigation is complete.
Assistant Police Chief Mike Carter said the complaint against the officer was filed on Nov. 2 and he was put on suspension with pay, which is a normal routine.
A city police officer is under investigation for an alleged assault and battery while off duty at a Halloween weekend party west of Sand Springs.
The officer, identified as Ron Jones, an eight-year veteran of the Sand Springs Police Department, is now on paid suspension while the city conducts an internal affairs investigation.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, meanwhile, is doing its own criminal investigation into the case and may soon forward its report to the prosecutor’s office for possible action.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Jeffrey Scott Youngblood, 37, of Sand Springs suffered a concussion and a broken nose during the party and required hospitalization for two days.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. Nov. 2 at the 220th W. Avenue home of Joseph Christensen, another Sand Springs police officer.
There were other police officers at the party, and some of them have come forward as witnesses, officials said.
Authorities said there were indications that Youngblood may have been intoxicated at the party and may have have displayed some inappropriate conduct toward Jones’ girlfriend and the wife of another Sand Springs police officer.
When Jones interceded, a scuffle ensued, and Youngblood was apparently knocked to the floor. He was taken by private car to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa.
Sheriff’s Capt. John Bowman said detectives tried questioning Youngblood a few days later, but Youngblood was unable to remember what happened.
Youngblood could not be reached by the Tulsa World for his version of the events. Jones has yet to be questioned by the Sheriff’s Office.
However, once he is questioned, the report on the incident will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office, Bowman said.
Jones’ attorney, Scott Wood of Tulsa, said his client “was acting in self-defense in the altercation with Mr. Youngblood.”
“Mr. Jones regrets the incident, but feels justified in taking the action he did,” Wood said, adding that he expects the officer to be completely exonerated once the investigation is complete.
Assistant Police Chief Mike Carter said the complaint against the officer was filed on Nov. 2 and he was put on suspension with pay, which is a normal routine.
Deputy Stacy Braun Arrested for Drunk Driving
A Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputy is on paid administrative leave after he arrested for suspicion of drunk driving.
According to Wright County officials, Stacy Donald Braun was arrested shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday near the intersection of County Road 29 and Parish Avenue Northeast in Otsego.
Officers say a motorist notified them about Braun driving erratically in the area.
Braun was subsequently arrested and booked into the Wright County Jail. After taking a blood sample, he was then released. His blood-alcohol level has not been released.
Braun has not been formally charged.
According to Lisa Kiava with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department, Braun has been working for the county since 1993. He is currently on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
http://wcco.com/local/deputy.arrested.dwi.2.863689.html
Five Jailers Charged with Forcing Inmates to Fight
SILVER CITY, N.M.
Five jailers at the Grant County Detention Center have been charged with forcing eight inmates to fight in video-recorded boxing matches.
According to a copyright story in Wednesday's Albuquerque Journal that cited Magistrate Court affidavits, one inmate was knocked out and another suffered a broken hand during the fights on Sept. 13 and 14.
Charged in the case were: Tobias Rodriguez, 30, of Bayard; Casey Young, 29, of Hurley; Erika Jimenez, 28, of Hurley; Gabriel Flores, 20, of Silver City; and John Paul Amador, 32, of Silver City.
Each was charged with eight counts of kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and four counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, a second-degree felony.
The five were arraigned Nov. 5 in Magistrate Court. Each was released on an unsecured $60,000 bond.
County Manager Jon Saari said the sheriff's office did an internal investigation into the case. Four of the accused officers are no longer employed by the county, Saari said, and a fifth is on administrative leave.
The inmates were told to fight with boxing gloves in the detention center's sally port but they were not given headgear or mouth guards, according to an affidavit filed by an investigator.
The inmate who suffered a broken hand said he was denied medical attention because officers didn't want anyone to find out how he was injured.
Another inmate told District Attorney's investigator he was forced to fight at least six times on a Saturday night and three more times the next day.
The guards laughed and joked during the matches, then told the inmates not to tell anyone about what had occurred, according to an affidavit.
One inmate reported seeing officers exchange cash before a fight, and another officer told an inmate, "You made me a lot of money."
After the fights, inmates were rewarded with a cigarette.
One of the officers, Jimenez, video-recorded the fights using her cell phone camera, according to court documents. Seventeen video clips of the fights were recovered on her cell phone, a police affidavit says.
Five jailers at the Grant County Detention Center have been charged with forcing eight inmates to fight in video-recorded boxing matches.
According to a copyright story in Wednesday's Albuquerque Journal that cited Magistrate Court affidavits, one inmate was knocked out and another suffered a broken hand during the fights on Sept. 13 and 14.
Charged in the case were: Tobias Rodriguez, 30, of Bayard; Casey Young, 29, of Hurley; Erika Jimenez, 28, of Hurley; Gabriel Flores, 20, of Silver City; and John Paul Amador, 32, of Silver City.
Each was charged with eight counts of kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and four counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, a second-degree felony.
The five were arraigned Nov. 5 in Magistrate Court. Each was released on an unsecured $60,000 bond.
County Manager Jon Saari said the sheriff's office did an internal investigation into the case. Four of the accused officers are no longer employed by the county, Saari said, and a fifth is on administrative leave.
The inmates were told to fight with boxing gloves in the detention center's sally port but they were not given headgear or mouth guards, according to an affidavit filed by an investigator.
The inmate who suffered a broken hand said he was denied medical attention because officers didn't want anyone to find out how he was injured.
Another inmate told District Attorney's investigator he was forced to fight at least six times on a Saturday night and three more times the next day.
The guards laughed and joked during the matches, then told the inmates not to tell anyone about what had occurred, according to an affidavit.
One inmate reported seeing officers exchange cash before a fight, and another officer told an inmate, "You made me a lot of money."
After the fights, inmates were rewarded with a cigarette.
One of the officers, Jimenez, video-recorded the fights using her cell phone camera, according to court documents. Seventeen video clips of the fights were recovered on her cell phone, a police affidavit says.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Officer Marvetia Richardson Files Suit Against Officers who Tasered Her
A San Francisco police inspector has filed a federal civil rights suit against Antioch, arguing that officers in the East County city illegally broke into her home and Tasered her last year during a dispute involving a tenant she was evicting.
Marvetia Lynn Richardson contends the officers' actions represent an Antioch Police Department policy to harass African-American residents to drive them out of certain neighborhoods in the city.
The allegations are denied by the defendants, who include the city, its police department, police Chief James Hyde, Sgt. Thomas Fuhrmann and several named officers. They state in court documents that Richardson was arrested with probable cause and that limited force was used. Antioch's city attorney could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The lawsuit says that two officers responded to Richardson's house on Mokelumne Drive after midnight on June 7, 2007, after a noise complaint by Bridget Reed, who lived with her teenage daughter in Richardson's upstairs bedroom. Richardson had served her with a 30-day eviction notice the week before.
Richardson at the time was entertaining two women friends — also plaintiffs in the suit — a teenager and several children who were excited about a trip to Great America the next day, the suit says.
Richardson asserts that after she invited the officers inside, they were rude and unprofessional, one telling her, "You wish you owned this home," after she identified herself as the homeowner.
The officers left the house and were standing outside when they heard screams and sounds indicating a struggle inside. Reed and her daughter then ran outside, saying that Richardson's teenage guest had threatened to shoot them.
During the conversation with Reed, officers began an audio recording in which they refer to Richardson as the "alleged homeowner" and "supposed homeowner." The lawsuit says that much of what followed was caught on that recording.
The officers then called Fuhrmann to the house, the lawsuit says. When no one answered the door, he ordered the officers to break it down. The teenager and another minor in a bedroom "pretending to be asleep" were immediately on suspicion of resisting arrest, the lawsuit says. The officers confronted Richardson as she stood in a bedroom doorway in her bedclothes.
The lawsuit says that in the audio recording, Richardson sounds irritated but is calmly answering the officers' questions when one suddenly shocks her with a Taser.
"How do you justify that?" the suit says Richardson asked the officers, who then arrested her and her two adult guests on suspicion of resisting arrest.
All charges filed against the women were dismissed this year after Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Charles Treat ruled that the officers entered Richardson's house illegally, according to the suit. The two minors arrested were not prosecuted.
The San Francisco Police Department placed Richardson on unpaid leave after her arrest. She is seeking compensation for lost wages, medical expenses and emotional distress. Her friends also seek compensation for emotional distress, with one asking for lost wages because the arrest prohibited her from obtaining a license to become a day care provider.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in July and is scheduled for jury trial in December 2009.
Marvetia Lynn Richardson contends the officers' actions represent an Antioch Police Department policy to harass African-American residents to drive them out of certain neighborhoods in the city.
The allegations are denied by the defendants, who include the city, its police department, police Chief James Hyde, Sgt. Thomas Fuhrmann and several named officers. They state in court documents that Richardson was arrested with probable cause and that limited force was used. Antioch's city attorney could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The lawsuit says that two officers responded to Richardson's house on Mokelumne Drive after midnight on June 7, 2007, after a noise complaint by Bridget Reed, who lived with her teenage daughter in Richardson's upstairs bedroom. Richardson had served her with a 30-day eviction notice the week before.
Richardson at the time was entertaining two women friends — also plaintiffs in the suit — a teenager and several children who were excited about a trip to Great America the next day, the suit says.
Richardson asserts that after she invited the officers inside, they were rude and unprofessional, one telling her, "You wish you owned this home," after she identified herself as the homeowner.
The officers left the house and were standing outside when they heard screams and sounds indicating a struggle inside. Reed and her daughter then ran outside, saying that Richardson's teenage guest had threatened to shoot them.
During the conversation with Reed, officers began an audio recording in which they refer to Richardson as the "alleged homeowner" and "supposed homeowner." The lawsuit says that much of what followed was caught on that recording.
The officers then called Fuhrmann to the house, the lawsuit says. When no one answered the door, he ordered the officers to break it down. The teenager and another minor in a bedroom "pretending to be asleep" were immediately on suspicion of resisting arrest, the lawsuit says. The officers confronted Richardson as she stood in a bedroom doorway in her bedclothes.
The lawsuit says that in the audio recording, Richardson sounds irritated but is calmly answering the officers' questions when one suddenly shocks her with a Taser.
"How do you justify that?" the suit says Richardson asked the officers, who then arrested her and her two adult guests on suspicion of resisting arrest.
All charges filed against the women were dismissed this year after Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Charles Treat ruled that the officers entered Richardson's house illegally, according to the suit. The two minors arrested were not prosecuted.
The San Francisco Police Department placed Richardson on unpaid leave after her arrest. She is seeking compensation for lost wages, medical expenses and emotional distress. Her friends also seek compensation for emotional distress, with one asking for lost wages because the arrest prohibited her from obtaining a license to become a day care provider.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in July and is scheduled for jury trial in December 2009.
Former Deputy Darrell Thornton Accused of Embezzlement
CLEMMONS, N.C.
A former Yadkin County deputy is being accused of embezzlement and lying about a cancer diagnosis.
A report stats that 33-year-old Darrell Brian Thornton of Clemmons collected $1,800 from a hot dog benefit in April after co-workers and church members were told he had cancer. Investigators say Thornton had changed a doctor’s report to show the diagnosis.
He is also accused of drug possession and taking money from the sheriff’s drug fund.
Thornton is in the Forsyth County jail under a $500,000 bond.
http://www.examiner.com/r-3611341~Deputy_accused_of_embezzlement.html
A former Yadkin County deputy is being accused of embezzlement and lying about a cancer diagnosis.
A report stats that 33-year-old Darrell Brian Thornton of Clemmons collected $1,800 from a hot dog benefit in April after co-workers and church members were told he had cancer. Investigators say Thornton had changed a doctor’s report to show the diagnosis.
He is also accused of drug possession and taking money from the sheriff’s drug fund.
Thornton is in the Forsyth County jail under a $500,000 bond.
http://www.examiner.com/r-3611341~Deputy_accused_of_embezzlement.html
Officer Glen Mearls Arrested for DWI
FARMINGTON, N.M.
State police arrested an off-duty Farmington police officer on charges of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the Farmington Police Department parking lot, state police officials said.
At about 8 a.m. Wednesday Officer Glen Mearls, who was off duty, pulled into the Farmington Police Department parking lot in his privately owned vehicle and struck a parked vehicle.
Supervisors with the Farmington Police Department were notified and came to the scene to investigate. Upon learning that Mearls had possibly been driving under the influence of liquor or drugs and to avoid a conflict of interest, they contacted the State Police to conduct an investigation.
New Mexico State Police officers were called at about 8:30 a.m. by the Farmington Police Department and began a DWI investigation. After administering field sobriety tests, state police officers concluded that Mearls was impaired, possibly under the influence of prescription drugs.
He was placed under arrest on charges of DWI.
Mearls, a 14-year veteran of the Farmington Police Department, was booked into the San Juan County Detention Center.
The Farmington Police Department is conducting a separate internal investigation on the matter and has placed Mearls on paid administrative leave.
State police arrested an off-duty Farmington police officer on charges of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the Farmington Police Department parking lot, state police officials said.
At about 8 a.m. Wednesday Officer Glen Mearls, who was off duty, pulled into the Farmington Police Department parking lot in his privately owned vehicle and struck a parked vehicle.
Supervisors with the Farmington Police Department were notified and came to the scene to investigate. Upon learning that Mearls had possibly been driving under the influence of liquor or drugs and to avoid a conflict of interest, they contacted the State Police to conduct an investigation.
New Mexico State Police officers were called at about 8:30 a.m. by the Farmington Police Department and began a DWI investigation. After administering field sobriety tests, state police officers concluded that Mearls was impaired, possibly under the influence of prescription drugs.
He was placed under arrest on charges of DWI.
Mearls, a 14-year veteran of the Farmington Police Department, was booked into the San Juan County Detention Center.
The Farmington Police Department is conducting a separate internal investigation on the matter and has placed Mearls on paid administrative leave.
Officer Alphonso Sloan Arrested for 'Mutual Physical Domestic'
A Pittsburgh police detective is assigned to desk duty, after he and his girlfriend were arrested for a "mutual physical domestic" at a Hill District apartment early today.
Alphonso Sloan, 37, a 14-year veteran of the department, will work in the Police Bureau's records office in Pittsburgh Municipal Court because of the fight with Yvonne Williams, whose age wasn't available. Department officials took Sloan's service gun.
Police were called to Williams' Elmore Square apartment just after 2 a.m. for a domestic disturbance, according to an arrest affidavit. Officers found Sloan, who was working in the department's graffiti task force, sitting inside the building's entryway with a small cut on his forehead and "noticeable swelling" and redness on his right cheek, the affidavit states.
Sloan of Lawrenceville told officers he had a fight with Williams and she hit him in the head with a cell phone.
Inside the apartment, officers found Williams sitting on the bedroom floor. She had a piece of glass from a broken mirror stuck in her foot and a cut to her upper left forearm, according to the affidavit. She told police she and Sloan came home from a bar and began arguing because she was "talking to some girls," the affidavit states.
Williams, who appeared visibly intoxicated, repeatedly told police Sloan pushed her into the mirror, according to the affidavit.
Sloan told investigators he and Williams came home and she "started trippin' " when he was in the kitchen eating a hoagie. He said she started punching him and then threw the mirror at him. He left the apartment for a few minutes and when he returned, she threw the cell phone at him, Sloan told police.
Officers weren't able to determine who started the fight and arrested both, according to the affidavit.
Medics treated Williams at the scene but Sloan refused treatment. Both were taken to jail and given information on victim's services, police said. Several police supervisors were notified.
Bond information for Sloan and Williams wasn't immediately available.
Sloan will remain on desk duty "pending the outcome of the investigation," police department spokeswoman Diane Richard said. Richard said the department's policies on domestic violence incidents involving police officers were followed.
Changes were made to the department's policies after women's groups and others protested the promotions of three Pittsburgh police officers who had a history of domestic violence arrests.
Alphonso Sloan, 37, a 14-year veteran of the department, will work in the Police Bureau's records office in Pittsburgh Municipal Court because of the fight with Yvonne Williams, whose age wasn't available. Department officials took Sloan's service gun.
Police were called to Williams' Elmore Square apartment just after 2 a.m. for a domestic disturbance, according to an arrest affidavit. Officers found Sloan, who was working in the department's graffiti task force, sitting inside the building's entryway with a small cut on his forehead and "noticeable swelling" and redness on his right cheek, the affidavit states.
Sloan of Lawrenceville told officers he had a fight with Williams and she hit him in the head with a cell phone.
Inside the apartment, officers found Williams sitting on the bedroom floor. She had a piece of glass from a broken mirror stuck in her foot and a cut to her upper left forearm, according to the affidavit. She told police she and Sloan came home from a bar and began arguing because she was "talking to some girls," the affidavit states.
Williams, who appeared visibly intoxicated, repeatedly told police Sloan pushed her into the mirror, according to the affidavit.
Sloan told investigators he and Williams came home and she "started trippin' " when he was in the kitchen eating a hoagie. He said she started punching him and then threw the mirror at him. He left the apartment for a few minutes and when he returned, she threw the cell phone at him, Sloan told police.
Officers weren't able to determine who started the fight and arrested both, according to the affidavit.
Medics treated Williams at the scene but Sloan refused treatment. Both were taken to jail and given information on victim's services, police said. Several police supervisors were notified.
Bond information for Sloan and Williams wasn't immediately available.
Sloan will remain on desk duty "pending the outcome of the investigation," police department spokeswoman Diane Richard said. Richard said the department's policies on domestic violence incidents involving police officers were followed.
Changes were made to the department's policies after women's groups and others protested the promotions of three Pittsburgh police officers who had a history of domestic violence arrests.
Corrections Officer Leah Fragua Arrested for Smuggling Drugs into Jail
A corrections officer has been arrested for smuggling drugs into the Santa Fe County jail.
Investigators say the jail guard used a pack of cigarettes to smuggle in cocaine and marijuana.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office says Leah Fragua, a 21-year-old rookie guard, was getting the drugs from the wife of an inmate, 25-year-old Alishia Marquez.
Detectives say the two women would meet at a local bank to exchange the drugs before Fragua would smuggle them inside the jail.
Correction officials were tipped off after listening in on an inmate's phone calls.
The sheriff says because Fragua worked at the jail, she was not locked up with the inmates she once guarded.
Investigators say the jail guard used a pack of cigarettes to smuggle in cocaine and marijuana.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office says Leah Fragua, a 21-year-old rookie guard, was getting the drugs from the wife of an inmate, 25-year-old Alishia Marquez.
Detectives say the two women would meet at a local bank to exchange the drugs before Fragua would smuggle them inside the jail.
Correction officials were tipped off after listening in on an inmate's phone calls.
The sheriff says because Fragua worked at the jail, she was not locked up with the inmates she once guarded.
Grand Jury Hearing Evidence in Inmates Death
UPPER MARLBORO, Md
We could be very close to learning whether any charges will be filed in the jail-cell death of Ronnie White, an accused cop killer.
According to several sources, prosecutors have begun presenting evidence about White's jailhouse death to a grand jury. The sources say at least one of the prison guards considered a focus of the investigation has already testified; another has been subpoenaed to appear next week. The sources say they believe the Maryland State Police homicide division has finished its investigation and delivered its report to Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey.
What cannot be known at this point is what the outcome of the grand jury proceedings will be. Generally speaking, prosecutors present evidence in hopes of gaining indictments. But a grand jury can also decline to indict if the evidence isn't compelling enough.
Ronnie White was found dead in his jail cell back in June. The prison guard who admits to finding him says it was a suicide.
The state medical examiner, however, after an exhaustive investigation of his own, ruled the death a homicide by strangulation.
White was accused of killing Prince George's County police Sgt. Richard Findley.
We could be very close to learning whether any charges will be filed in the jail-cell death of Ronnie White, an accused cop killer.
According to several sources, prosecutors have begun presenting evidence about White's jailhouse death to a grand jury. The sources say at least one of the prison guards considered a focus of the investigation has already testified; another has been subpoenaed to appear next week. The sources say they believe the Maryland State Police homicide division has finished its investigation and delivered its report to Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey.
What cannot be known at this point is what the outcome of the grand jury proceedings will be. Generally speaking, prosecutors present evidence in hopes of gaining indictments. But a grand jury can also decline to indict if the evidence isn't compelling enough.
Ronnie White was found dead in his jail cell back in June. The prison guard who admits to finding him says it was a suicide.
The state medical examiner, however, after an exhaustive investigation of his own, ruled the death a homicide by strangulation.
White was accused of killing Prince George's County police Sgt. Richard Findley.
Corrections Officer Juan Nunez Arrested for trying to Bring Cocaine into Prison
A 39-year-old Coolidge man was arrested last week by the FBI on charges of trying to bring cocaine into a Corrections Corporation of America prison here.
Juan Nunez was charged with attempted provision of a prohibited object to an inmate and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Nunez has been a corrections officer at CCA's Central Arizona Detention Center. The CCA facility houses inmates for the federal government.
The criminal complaint alleges that since Oct. 30, Nunez had been negotiating with an inmate to bring cocaine into the prison from an outside source on the inmate's behalf.
On Nov. 6 he met with an undercover FBI agent acting as the outside source. During the meeting, Nunez accepted half an ounce of cocaine for the inmate and a $1,600 payment for agreeing to smuggle the cocaine into the facility.
Nunez was arrested after he took the cocaine and money. At his initial appearance Friday in federal court in Phoenix, Nunez was held over for a detention hearing set for Monday.
A conviction for trying to bring a prohibited object to an inmate in this case carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both, and a conviction for possession of cocaine for sale carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine or both.
In determining an actual sentence, the judge ultimately assigned to the case will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, but is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Marana Police Department, the Tucson Police Department and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Frederick Battista, an assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, is the prosecutor.
Juan Nunez was charged with attempted provision of a prohibited object to an inmate and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Nunez has been a corrections officer at CCA's Central Arizona Detention Center. The CCA facility houses inmates for the federal government.
The criminal complaint alleges that since Oct. 30, Nunez had been negotiating with an inmate to bring cocaine into the prison from an outside source on the inmate's behalf.
On Nov. 6 he met with an undercover FBI agent acting as the outside source. During the meeting, Nunez accepted half an ounce of cocaine for the inmate and a $1,600 payment for agreeing to smuggle the cocaine into the facility.
Nunez was arrested after he took the cocaine and money. At his initial appearance Friday in federal court in Phoenix, Nunez was held over for a detention hearing set for Monday.
A conviction for trying to bring a prohibited object to an inmate in this case carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both, and a conviction for possession of cocaine for sale carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine or both.
In determining an actual sentence, the judge ultimately assigned to the case will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, but is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Marana Police Department, the Tucson Police Department and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Frederick Battista, an assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, is the prosecutor.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Officer Jose Ramirez Arrested for Public Intoxication
An off-duty Galt police officer was arrested in Lodi on suspicion of public intoxication this weekend, according to Lodi police officials.
Jose Jesus Ramirez, 22, of Lodi, was arrested shortly after 5:30 p.m. near a School Street bar in Downtown Lodi, Lt. Virgil Monroe said.
Ramirez, who allegedly flashed his badge at two teens during a verbal dispute regarding a seat on a bench, spent several hours in the jail's drunk tank. He and a 21-year-old friend, who was also arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, were both released from custody after sobering up.
Galt police officials have started an internal affairs investigation but had not seen Lodi reports on the matter by Monday afternoon, said Chief Loren Cattolico, who hired Ramirez last year.
"The fact that any police officer that works for me is arrested is disappointing," he said.
Ramirez was hired Dec. 19, meaning that he is still within the standard 18-month probationary period, a time when officers may be terminated for any reason.
For the full story, please see Tuesday's News-Sentinel
Jose Jesus Ramirez, 22, of Lodi, was arrested shortly after 5:30 p.m. near a School Street bar in Downtown Lodi, Lt. Virgil Monroe said.
Ramirez, who allegedly flashed his badge at two teens during a verbal dispute regarding a seat on a bench, spent several hours in the jail's drunk tank. He and a 21-year-old friend, who was also arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, were both released from custody after sobering up.
Galt police officials have started an internal affairs investigation but had not seen Lodi reports on the matter by Monday afternoon, said Chief Loren Cattolico, who hired Ramirez last year.
"The fact that any police officer that works for me is arrested is disappointing," he said.
Ramirez was hired Dec. 19, meaning that he is still within the standard 18-month probationary period, a time when officers may be terminated for any reason.
For the full story, please see Tuesday's News-Sentinel
Judge Elizabeth Berry Arrested for Drunk Driving
FORT WORTH, Texas
A judge was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving by a police officer patrolling an interstate highway, authorities said.
State District Judge Elizabeth Berry was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Saturday afternoon on a probable cause warrant by Alvarado police after being arrested in Interstate 35W south of Fort Worth, said sheriff's Lt. Tim Jones. She was booked and then released on a personal recognizance bond, he said.
In a statement released through her attorney Mark Daniel, Berry said it was premature to discuss the allegations.
"There are a number of factual and legal issues before I can make any statement," she said. "In the meantime, it's my duty to preside over my court in an efficient manner and this matter will have no effect on my decisions."
Daniel said it is too soon to discuss specifics, including why police stopped Berry and whether her blood-alcohol level was tested, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in Tuesday editions.
"Judge Berry is a very highly respected judge," he said. "We are presently doing our own work and investigation. It is my belief that when all the dust settles this will likely be unfounded."
The Johnson County Attorney's Office, which prosecutes misdemeanor drunken-driving cases, probably will not get the case for two weeks, a representative said.
This summer Berry presided over the trial of Samuel Lee Hilburn, who was convicted of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years in prison for the 2006 death of Fort Worth police Officer Dwayne Freeto.
The officer had stopped on an interstate shoulder to help a motorist with a flat tire when Hilburn slammed into the back of the patrol car, causing it to burst into flames as Freeto was pinned inside.
A judge was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving by a police officer patrolling an interstate highway, authorities said.
State District Judge Elizabeth Berry was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Saturday afternoon on a probable cause warrant by Alvarado police after being arrested in Interstate 35W south of Fort Worth, said sheriff's Lt. Tim Jones. She was booked and then released on a personal recognizance bond, he said.
In a statement released through her attorney Mark Daniel, Berry said it was premature to discuss the allegations.
"There are a number of factual and legal issues before I can make any statement," she said. "In the meantime, it's my duty to preside over my court in an efficient manner and this matter will have no effect on my decisions."
Daniel said it is too soon to discuss specifics, including why police stopped Berry and whether her blood-alcohol level was tested, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in Tuesday editions.
"Judge Berry is a very highly respected judge," he said. "We are presently doing our own work and investigation. It is my belief that when all the dust settles this will likely be unfounded."
The Johnson County Attorney's Office, which prosecutes misdemeanor drunken-driving cases, probably will not get the case for two weeks, a representative said.
This summer Berry presided over the trial of Samuel Lee Hilburn, who was convicted of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years in prison for the 2006 death of Fort Worth police Officer Dwayne Freeto.
The officer had stopped on an interstate shoulder to help a motorist with a flat tire when Hilburn slammed into the back of the patrol car, causing it to burst into flames as Freeto was pinned inside.
More Information on Officer John W. Lewis Arrested for the Third Time
SCHENECTADY
Schenectady Police Officer John W. Lewis was arrested Monday for the third time in seven months, this time accused of threatening to kill his ex-wife.
Lewis, 39, of Oregon Avenue, was charged with third-degree stalking and second-degree aggravated harassment, both misdemeanors. He is accused of threatening Allison Fitz Lewis, his former wife, three times last week and a fourth time in August, each alleged incident spelled out in court papers.
In a telephone conversation with his ex-wife Saturday, Lewis allegedly told her he would be at her house every night and, if she were not there, he would go looking for her.
“He further stated that if he found her with someone, he was going to kill whoever she was with and kill her,” the court paperwork reads.
Each of Lewis’ three arrests since April have come as his marriage dissolved. The divorce was final in September, county records show.
After each arrest, he has been suspended without pay for 30 days, as he was Monday. Between the suspensions he returned to the payroll, but not to work.
Lewis was arraigned Monday and released to return to court Nov. 24. His listed attorney, Michael Horan, did not return a call for comment. Police union President Lt. Robert Hamilton also did not return a call.
Lewis was first charged in April, accused of the violation of harassment of his estranged wife. The case stemmed from allegations that he grabbed and pushed his wife during a dispute over their child. He was acquitted of that in June in a City Court trial.
In the meantime, however, he was also charged with a more serious count of criminal contempt, accused of violating an order of protection issued in the harassment case. In that case, he is accused of phoning the woman several times, driving by her and going to her work. The contempt case remains pending.
The latest allegations are more explicit, including direct threats. Papers reference four separate alleged incidents, one each Nov. 4, 7, and 8 and one Aug. 13.
In the August incident, Lewis allegedly told his ex-wife he was coming to her new boyfriend’s house to talk to her. Lewis also allegedly told her he would never let her be with anyone else.
The divorce was final in late September.
On Nov. 4, Lewis allegedly told his ex-wife personal items from her e-mail. Three days later, at about 4:30 a.m., Lewis repeatedly rang her door bell, asking whom she was with, according to papers.
It was on Saturday that Lewis allegedly told her he would keep coming over to her house, and then threatened to kill her.
Monday’s charges did not include a new contempt charge. The previous order of protection expired with the June acquittal. A new order, however, was issued Monday.
Lewis in July filed a notice of claim against the city, alleging that the city Police Department worked with his ex-wife to force him from his job, publicly embarrass him and create a hostile work environment, according to the notice.
He also alleged that police refused to accept an application for a warrant in which Lewis was the victim and to acknowledge his status as a victim of his ex-wife and another woman.
City officials tried to get Lewis fired 10 years ago over accusations that he used a racial slur during an off-duty incident on Feb. 27, 1998, behind the city police headquarters on Liberty Street. Several people overheard the remark.
Lewis kept his job after an arbitrator ruled that the city was “unduly harsh” in firing him.
Kevin Luibrand, Lewis’ attorney in the claim against the city, said Monday his client has since gone on disability for an undisclosed ailment. Nothing new has happened with the possible lawsuit, Luibrand said. He said it would be inappropriate for him to comment further.
Sheriff Lee Baca Plans to BAN Deputies from Carrying Guns when they've Been Drinking
LOS ANGELES
The nation's largest sheriff's department plans to ban deputies from carrying guns if they've been drinking, saying there have been too many arrests of tipsy deputies for drunken driving, brandishing weapons, shooting people and other crimes.
At least 61 Los Angeles County deputies have been arrested this year on alcohol-related charges while off duty, including 39 for driving under the influence. In April 2006, a rookie deputy who had at least 11 drinks while celebrating his return from Marine duty in Iraq shot and killed a friend.
An increase in arrests prompted Sheriff Lee Baca to consider the ban about a year ago, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday.
It was unclear what caused that increase, although Whitmore noted that the number of sworn deputies in the department has increased to more than 10,000. It also may be that other police agencies are making more arrests of intoxicated deputies instead of covering for them as in decades past.
"Thirty, 40 years ago, perhaps they would drive (deputies) home," Whitmore said.
He said the policy could be in place as early as January.
"It's been revised, finalized, the union has been conferred with and the sheriff is prepared to move forward," Whitmore said.
The union is arguing, however, that the policy could put deputies at risk by emboldening people who know they would be unarmed at certain times.
"What should a deputy do when he is with his family and runs into a violent offender he incarcerated?" asked Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Baca dismissed the criticism.
"What the union wants is to convince the public that alcohol use by deputies is of no consequence to public safety," Baca said, adding he was not asking his deputies to take any action he wouldn't take himself.
The policy would be among the more restrictive among law enforcement agencies. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department do not have specific policies about drinking and carrying weapons.
Baca's policy would bar Sheriff's Department employees from carrying or handling weapons if they have used alcohol, medications or controlled substances to the point where they are "unable to exercise reasonable care and control of the firearm."
Since 2004, more than a dozen deputies have been accused of brandishing or shooting guns while under the influence. One deputy was placed on leave after he accidentally shot a man in the leg after drinking at a New Year's party.
Another deputy, Chris Sullivan of Upland, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of his friend in April 2006.
San Bernardino County prosecutors contend that after a night of drinking to celebrate his return from Iraq, the U.S. Marine reservist pulled his service-issued Beretta, put it in Cesar Valdez's mouth and pulled the trigger.
Sullivan's attorney argued that the gun went off by accident as Valdez tried to wrestle it away from Sullivan.
"This tragedy could have been prevented," Baca said. "Alcohol and guns don't mix."
More Information: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-influence11-2008nov11,0,235730.story
The nation's largest sheriff's department plans to ban deputies from carrying guns if they've been drinking, saying there have been too many arrests of tipsy deputies for drunken driving, brandishing weapons, shooting people and other crimes.
At least 61 Los Angeles County deputies have been arrested this year on alcohol-related charges while off duty, including 39 for driving under the influence. In April 2006, a rookie deputy who had at least 11 drinks while celebrating his return from Marine duty in Iraq shot and killed a friend.
An increase in arrests prompted Sheriff Lee Baca to consider the ban about a year ago, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday.
It was unclear what caused that increase, although Whitmore noted that the number of sworn deputies in the department has increased to more than 10,000. It also may be that other police agencies are making more arrests of intoxicated deputies instead of covering for them as in decades past.
"Thirty, 40 years ago, perhaps they would drive (deputies) home," Whitmore said.
He said the policy could be in place as early as January.
"It's been revised, finalized, the union has been conferred with and the sheriff is prepared to move forward," Whitmore said.
The union is arguing, however, that the policy could put deputies at risk by emboldening people who know they would be unarmed at certain times.
"What should a deputy do when he is with his family and runs into a violent offender he incarcerated?" asked Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Baca dismissed the criticism.
"What the union wants is to convince the public that alcohol use by deputies is of no consequence to public safety," Baca said, adding he was not asking his deputies to take any action he wouldn't take himself.
The policy would be among the more restrictive among law enforcement agencies. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department do not have specific policies about drinking and carrying weapons.
Baca's policy would bar Sheriff's Department employees from carrying or handling weapons if they have used alcohol, medications or controlled substances to the point where they are "unable to exercise reasonable care and control of the firearm."
Since 2004, more than a dozen deputies have been accused of brandishing or shooting guns while under the influence. One deputy was placed on leave after he accidentally shot a man in the leg after drinking at a New Year's party.
Another deputy, Chris Sullivan of Upland, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of his friend in April 2006.
San Bernardino County prosecutors contend that after a night of drinking to celebrate his return from Iraq, the U.S. Marine reservist pulled his service-issued Beretta, put it in Cesar Valdez's mouth and pulled the trigger.
Sullivan's attorney argued that the gun went off by accident as Valdez tried to wrestle it away from Sullivan.
"This tragedy could have been prevented," Baca said. "Alcohol and guns don't mix."
More Information: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-influence11-2008nov11,0,235730.story
Officer Robs Migrant
An Athens policeman has been suspended after allegedly stealing 600 euros from a Bangladeshi immigrant during a routine identity check on central Patission Avenue early yesterday.
The 22-year-old officer is alleged to have removed the cash from the wallet of the 30-year-old migrant, which he had taken to check the man’s identity card.
The migrant, who had been on his way home from the restaurant where he works, said he realized the cash was missing from his wallet after the policeman and his colleague had driven off in their patrol car. The 30-year-old said he then approached an officer in another patrol car parked further along the same street and told him what had happened. The officers traced the 22-year-old, determined that it was he who had questioned the migrant and reportedly found the cash on him.
Migrant support groups often accuse police of seizing money from immigrants, but it is the first time that an officer has been charged with doing this.
The development came as a study commissioned by the British Council revealed that immigrants account for 17 percent of the population in the Greek capital. According to the study, nearly half (42.8 percent) of migrants who come to Greece live in Athens, but only over one-third (37 percent) have valid residents’ permits.
According to a study by Public Issue and the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute, 48 percent of Greeks believe migrants are threatening the country’s national identity, while nearly three quarters of those asked (71 percent) think migrants are to blame for a rise in crime.
The 22-year-old officer is alleged to have removed the cash from the wallet of the 30-year-old migrant, which he had taken to check the man’s identity card.
The migrant, who had been on his way home from the restaurant where he works, said he realized the cash was missing from his wallet after the policeman and his colleague had driven off in their patrol car. The 30-year-old said he then approached an officer in another patrol car parked further along the same street and told him what had happened. The officers traced the 22-year-old, determined that it was he who had questioned the migrant and reportedly found the cash on him.
Migrant support groups often accuse police of seizing money from immigrants, but it is the first time that an officer has been charged with doing this.
The development came as a study commissioned by the British Council revealed that immigrants account for 17 percent of the population in the Greek capital. According to the study, nearly half (42.8 percent) of migrants who come to Greece live in Athens, but only over one-third (37 percent) have valid residents’ permits.
According to a study by Public Issue and the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute, 48 percent of Greeks believe migrants are threatening the country’s national identity, while nearly three quarters of those asked (71 percent) think migrants are to blame for a rise in crime.
Deputy Louis Hamm Arrested for DUI
HERNANDO, MS
A DeSoto County sheriff's deputy is out on bond after he was arrested over the weekend for refusing to take a DUI test.
Early Sunday morning in Walls, the off-duty deputy was involved in an accident that left a woman injured.
"A female was going southbound and our deputy was turning off of 61 onto Delta View," DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco said. "He made a turn in front of her and she hit him on the passengers side."
Rasco said Louis Jerome Hamm was arrested and charged with DUI refusal and having no tag or proof of insurance. An internal investigation is underway.
"We'll be through with the investigation by this time next week," Rasco said. "He has been relieved from duty without pay."
Rasco said the woman driving the other car was heading to work at one of the casinos when the accident occurred. She has a broken leg.
Highway 61 is a very busy stretch of road. which keeps officers busy.
"With the casinos just to the south of us, you know, people go down there, spend their money, gamble, and get free alcohol," he said.
Hamm is the second DeSoto County deputy arrested on DUI-related charges since Rasco took office in January. The other deputy was fired. Rasco said such behavior will not be tolerated.
"I don't drink. I don't put up with drinking and driving," he said. "If they're going to drink and drive - and get caught - they wouldn't have a job."
Rasco said the victim is still recovering at The MED. She has undergone two operations on her leg so far, and might have to have one more.
A DeSoto County sheriff's deputy is out on bond after he was arrested over the weekend for refusing to take a DUI test.
Early Sunday morning in Walls, the off-duty deputy was involved in an accident that left a woman injured.
"A female was going southbound and our deputy was turning off of 61 onto Delta View," DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco said. "He made a turn in front of her and she hit him on the passengers side."
Rasco said Louis Jerome Hamm was arrested and charged with DUI refusal and having no tag or proof of insurance. An internal investigation is underway.
"We'll be through with the investigation by this time next week," Rasco said. "He has been relieved from duty without pay."
Rasco said the woman driving the other car was heading to work at one of the casinos when the accident occurred. She has a broken leg.
Highway 61 is a very busy stretch of road. which keeps officers busy.
"With the casinos just to the south of us, you know, people go down there, spend their money, gamble, and get free alcohol," he said.
Hamm is the second DeSoto County deputy arrested on DUI-related charges since Rasco took office in January. The other deputy was fired. Rasco said such behavior will not be tolerated.
"I don't drink. I don't put up with drinking and driving," he said. "If they're going to drink and drive - and get caught - they wouldn't have a job."
Rasco said the victim is still recovering at The MED. She has undergone two operations on her leg so far, and might have to have one more.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Const. Sheldon Cook Pleads Not Guilty to Stealing Fake Cocaine
A veteran Peel police officer has pleaded not guilty in a bizarre case that saw 15 kilograms of fake cocaine disappear from an RCMP sting operation.
Police say they found the white powder in a storage area in the Cambridge, Ont., home of Const. Sheldon Cook, along with marijuana and 21 MP3 players. He was arrested in November 2005 and accused of removing the fake cocaine from a truck being used in an RCMP sting.
The truck with fake drugs hidden in its cargo was on its way to a Mississauga warehouse when the driver, who was not involved in the controlled RCMP drug investigation, became suspicious of the cargo he was carrying.
The truck driver called Peel police and Cook allegedly responded, meeting the truck before it made it to the warehouse. Cook then allegedly removed the fake cocaine, which had a GPS tracking device hidden inside.
That equivalent amount of real cocaine was valued at $500,000.
The seven charges against Cook, 40, include an attempt to possess a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking; possession of stolen property from a police investigation; and breach of trust as a police officer in connection with the other offences. Cook, a 14-year veteran, remains suspended with pay by the Peel force until his case is dealt with through the courts.
As a result of the arrest, the federal justice department decided not to prosecute at least six drug cases involving Cook as the arresting officer.
A month after he was charged, a Peel judge acquitted former Toronto Argonaut Orlando Bowen of drug charges and charges of assaulting police that had been laid by Cook and another officer.
Police say they found the white powder in a storage area in the Cambridge, Ont., home of Const. Sheldon Cook, along with marijuana and 21 MP3 players. He was arrested in November 2005 and accused of removing the fake cocaine from a truck being used in an RCMP sting.
The truck with fake drugs hidden in its cargo was on its way to a Mississauga warehouse when the driver, who was not involved in the controlled RCMP drug investigation, became suspicious of the cargo he was carrying.
The truck driver called Peel police and Cook allegedly responded, meeting the truck before it made it to the warehouse. Cook then allegedly removed the fake cocaine, which had a GPS tracking device hidden inside.
That equivalent amount of real cocaine was valued at $500,000.
The seven charges against Cook, 40, include an attempt to possess a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking; possession of stolen property from a police investigation; and breach of trust as a police officer in connection with the other offences. Cook, a 14-year veteran, remains suspended with pay by the Peel force until his case is dealt with through the courts.
As a result of the arrest, the federal justice department decided not to prosecute at least six drug cases involving Cook as the arresting officer.
A month after he was charged, a Peel judge acquitted former Toronto Argonaut Orlando Bowen of drug charges and charges of assaulting police that had been laid by Cook and another officer.
Const. Sheldon Cook Pleads Not Guilty to Stealing Fake Cocaine
A veteran Peel police officer has pleaded not guilty in a bizarre case that saw 15 kilograms of fake cocaine disappear from an RCMP sting operation.
Police say they found the white powder in a storage area in the Cambridge, Ont., home of Const. Sheldon Cook, along with marijuana and 21 MP3 players. He was arrested in November 2005 and accused of removing the fake cocaine from a truck being used in an RCMP sting.
The truck with fake drugs hidden in its cargo was on its way to a Mississauga warehouse when the driver, who was not involved in the controlled RCMP drug investigation, became suspicious of the cargo he was carrying.
The truck driver called Peel police and Cook allegedly responded, meeting the truck before it made it to the warehouse. Cook then allegedly removed the fake cocaine, which had a GPS tracking device hidden inside.
That equivalent amount of real cocaine was valued at $500,000.
The seven charges against Cook, 40, include an attempt to possess a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking; possession of stolen property from a police investigation; and breach of trust as a police officer in connection with the other offences. Cook, a 14-year veteran, remains suspended with pay by the Peel force until his case is dealt with through the courts.
As a result of the arrest, the federal justice department decided not to prosecute at least six drug cases involving Cook as the arresting officer.
A month after he was charged, a Peel judge acquitted former Toronto Argonaut Orlando Bowen of drug charges and charges of assaulting police that had been laid by Cook and another officer.
Police say they found the white powder in a storage area in the Cambridge, Ont., home of Const. Sheldon Cook, along with marijuana and 21 MP3 players. He was arrested in November 2005 and accused of removing the fake cocaine from a truck being used in an RCMP sting.
The truck with fake drugs hidden in its cargo was on its way to a Mississauga warehouse when the driver, who was not involved in the controlled RCMP drug investigation, became suspicious of the cargo he was carrying.
The truck driver called Peel police and Cook allegedly responded, meeting the truck before it made it to the warehouse. Cook then allegedly removed the fake cocaine, which had a GPS tracking device hidden inside.
That equivalent amount of real cocaine was valued at $500,000.
The seven charges against Cook, 40, include an attempt to possess a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking; possession of stolen property from a police investigation; and breach of trust as a police officer in connection with the other offences. Cook, a 14-year veteran, remains suspended with pay by the Peel force until his case is dealt with through the courts.
As a result of the arrest, the federal justice department decided not to prosecute at least six drug cases involving Cook as the arresting officer.
A month after he was charged, a Peel judge acquitted former Toronto Argonaut Orlando Bowen of drug charges and charges of assaulting police that had been laid by Cook and another officer.
Secret Service Officer Arrested in Prostitution Sting
A United States Secret Service officer has been arrested in Washington, D.C. after allegedly soliciting a prostitute for sex. The prostitute turned out to be an undercover D.C. police officer. The Secret Service officer was using his official Secret Service patrol car, which was marked, and was also in full uniform at the time of the arrest.
The unnamed Secret Service officer, a sergeant, was arrested after allegedly agreeing to pay the undercover police officer US $20 to receive oral sex. After agreeing on a price, the undercover officer told the Secret Service officer to drive around the corner, where the sex act would take place. When he stopped his car, he was arrested by police officers.
Police say they were performing a normal sting when the Secret Service officer pulled up. The unnamed officer thought the Secret Service officer was going to tell her to get off the streets, but instead told the officer that she had "nice thighs".
In D.C., soliciting a prostitute for sex holds a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail. The Secret Service officer was released pending charges and was suspended from his job pending an internal investigation.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/11/secret-service.html
The unnamed Secret Service officer, a sergeant, was arrested after allegedly agreeing to pay the undercover police officer US $20 to receive oral sex. After agreeing on a price, the undercover officer told the Secret Service officer to drive around the corner, where the sex act would take place. When he stopped his car, he was arrested by police officers.
Police say they were performing a normal sting when the Secret Service officer pulled up. The unnamed officer thought the Secret Service officer was going to tell her to get off the streets, but instead told the officer that she had "nice thighs".
In D.C., soliciting a prostitute for sex holds a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail. The Secret Service officer was released pending charges and was suspended from his job pending an internal investigation.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/11/secret-service.html
Sgt. Christopher Fisher Arrested on Drug Charges
A Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office sergeant was arrested today on drug charges.
Sgt. Christopher T. Fisher was booked with illegally obtaining a controlled dangerous substance.
Col. John Fortunato, JPSO spokesman, said the sergeant had been "doctor shopping" for such drugs as hydrocodone, oxycodone and Lunesta and was seeing several different physicians to get prescriptions for the drugs.
JPSO had been investigating Fisher for the past month, Fortunato said.
Fisher has been a member of the Sheriff's Office for 12 years and was assigned to the Land, Air, and Sea Emergency Rescue Division, Fortunato said.
Judge Elizabeth Berry Arrested for DWI
A Tarrant County felony court judge was arrested Saturday afternoon on suspicion of driving while intoxicated by Alvarado police patrolling Interstate 35W.
State District Judge Elizabeth Berry was booked into the Johnson County Jail about 4:25 p.m. Saturday on a probable cause warrant by Alvarado police, said sheriff’s Lt. Tim Jones.
Jones said the warrant indicated that Berry was arrested on northbound I-35W in Alvarado. She was booked, then released on a personal recognizance bond, he said.
The sheriff’s spokesman said he had no more information on the arrest. Alvarado Police Chief John Allen, the only person authorized to speak for his department, could not be reached for comment Monday night.
In a statement released through her attorney, Mark Daniel, Berry declined to discuss details of the DWI allegations.
"It is premature to discuss the accusation at this time," said Berry, who has presided over Criminal District Court No. 3 since 2003. "There are a number of factual and legal issues before I can make any statement.
"In the meantime, it’s my duty to preside over my court in an efficient manner and this matter will have no effect on my decisions."
Daniel said it is premature to discuss specifics including why police stopped Berry and whether she took a blood test.
"Judge Berry is a very highly respected judge," he said. "We are presently doing our own work and investigation. It is my belief that when all the dust settles this will likely be unfounded."
The Johnson County attorney’s office, which prosecutes misdemeanor DWI cases, probably won’t get the case for two weeks, a representative said.
In March, two African-American defense attorneys sought Berry’s removal from their clients’ cases. They cited a racist e-mail purportedly written by Berry to her court reporter about an African-American court reporter.
During a hearing conducted by a Dallas County judge, the Tarrant County district attorney’s office presented evidence that the e-mail was a fake and did not come from Berry’s computer. Attorney Lesa Pamplin then dropped her recusal motion. The Dallas judge also said there was no evidence that Berry had written the e-mail.
State District Judge Elizabeth Berry was booked into the Johnson County Jail about 4:25 p.m. Saturday on a probable cause warrant by Alvarado police, said sheriff’s Lt. Tim Jones.
Jones said the warrant indicated that Berry was arrested on northbound I-35W in Alvarado. She was booked, then released on a personal recognizance bond, he said.
The sheriff’s spokesman said he had no more information on the arrest. Alvarado Police Chief John Allen, the only person authorized to speak for his department, could not be reached for comment Monday night.
In a statement released through her attorney, Mark Daniel, Berry declined to discuss details of the DWI allegations.
"It is premature to discuss the accusation at this time," said Berry, who has presided over Criminal District Court No. 3 since 2003. "There are a number of factual and legal issues before I can make any statement.
"In the meantime, it’s my duty to preside over my court in an efficient manner and this matter will have no effect on my decisions."
Daniel said it is premature to discuss specifics including why police stopped Berry and whether she took a blood test.
"Judge Berry is a very highly respected judge," he said. "We are presently doing our own work and investigation. It is my belief that when all the dust settles this will likely be unfounded."
The Johnson County attorney’s office, which prosecutes misdemeanor DWI cases, probably won’t get the case for two weeks, a representative said.
In March, two African-American defense attorneys sought Berry’s removal from their clients’ cases. They cited a racist e-mail purportedly written by Berry to her court reporter about an African-American court reporter.
During a hearing conducted by a Dallas County judge, the Tarrant County district attorney’s office presented evidence that the e-mail was a fake and did not come from Berry’s computer. Attorney Lesa Pamplin then dropped her recusal motion. The Dallas judge also said there was no evidence that Berry had written the e-mail.
National Guard Briana Caldwell Accused of Stealing Computer Equipment
Raleigh, N.C.
A National Guard soldier is facing charges in Wake County.
Briana Caldwell, 22, is accused of stealing more than $10,000 worth of computer equipment from the National Guard while on duty.
A spokesperson for the National Guard says Caldwell stole the computers then sold the equipment for cash.
The computers and money have been recovered, the spokesperson said.
Caldwell was out of jail Monday evening on $3,000 bond.
Her rank in the Guard was not immediately available.
A National Guard soldier is facing charges in Wake County.
Briana Caldwell, 22, is accused of stealing more than $10,000 worth of computer equipment from the National Guard while on duty.
A spokesperson for the National Guard says Caldwell stole the computers then sold the equipment for cash.
The computers and money have been recovered, the spokesperson said.
Caldwell was out of jail Monday evening on $3,000 bond.
Her rank in the Guard was not immediately available.
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