Telfair County Sheriff Jimmie W. Williamson has been charged with “honest services fraud” in connection with allegations he embezzled county money and accepted bribes, according to federal court documents.
Williamson, 48, is accused of embezzling fine and bond money paid by people arrested in Telfair County and using the money for his personal use instead of turning the money over to the county court system, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Southern District of Georgia.
He also is accused of accepting bribes from people arrested in Telfair County in exchange for reducing or dismissing pending charges and for granting special privileges for people housed in the county jail, according to the release.
Williamson also is accused of using sheriff’s office money to buy items for his personal use, including an all-terrain vehicle, according to a document filed Monday in federal court. That document was filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges against an individual in lieu of an indictment or arrest, said Edmund A. Booth Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
On Dec. 2, 2005, Williamson mailed a letter from the Telfair County Sheriff’s Office to Lendmark Financial Services with a check drawn from the sheriff’s office’s inmate account fund to make a monthly payment on a loan for the all-terrain vehicle, according to the court records.
Ashley McLaughlin, Williamson’s attorney, said the sheriff has cooperated with investigators.
“He’s been straight with them since day one,” he said.
McLaughlin said the sheriff is guilty of “ignorance, not malice.”
He explained that the sheriff’s office didn’t utilize a “lock box” until the past couple of years. When a fine was paid to the sheriff’s office, the money was clipped to the back of the citation.
“There were times when anybody could have access to (the money),” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said the sheriff denies accepting any bribes.
With no money in the budget for an all-terrain vehicle, Williamson purchased one with his own funds with the thought that the county would pay him back when funds became available, McLaughlin said.
“He thought that was OK,” McLaughlin said.
The four-wheeler always was used for sheriff’s office purposes, commonly when deputies searched for marijuana fields, he said.
Booth said Williamson has not been arrested and doesn’t anticipate the sheriff will be arrested. Instead, Booth said Williamson will be summoned to appear in court in January for an initial appearance and arraignment.
The GBI launched an investigation into allegations of fraud and financial impropriety against Williamson in May following a request from the Oconee Circuit District Attorney’s Office. A search warrant was served at Williamson’s home in November.
At the time of the search warrant, GBI agents said they couldn’t estimate how much money was involved or what time span during which the alleged thefts occurred.
The federal court documents filed Monday indicate the alleged embezzlement, bribery and improper purchases began in January 2004.
If convicted, Williamson faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years on supervised release, according to court records.
Williamson, a two-term sheriff, did not run for re-election this year because of the county’s two-term limit.
Johnny O. Smith, the incoming sheriff, said he plans to bring credibility back to the sheriff’s office once he takes office in January.
“We’re going to work hard to make the people proud of us,” he said.
Information from The Telegraph’s archives was included in this report.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Deputy Michael McCroskey Accused of Domestic Violence Fired Today
CANTON
Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson today fired a deputy who is accused of domestic violence.
Swanson said Michael D. McCroskey, 34, can appeal his decision. “But, as of this morning, I gave him his letter, and he’s done,” he said.
Swanson declined further comment.
McCroskey has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor counts of domestic violence and unlawful restraint.
The charges stem from a Dec. 5 incident in Jackson Township. His next court date is Dec. 30 in Massillon Municipal Court.
According to court documents, McCroskey pushed a woman while she was holding their infant son, then threatened to kill her and commit suicide.
McCroskey had been employed with the Sheriff’s Department since April 19, 2007, working in the county jail.
McCroskey also was arrested for domestic violence involving the same woman Aug. 25,. He was found guilty on a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
A disciplinary hearing was held Monday.
Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson today fired a deputy who is accused of domestic violence.
Swanson said Michael D. McCroskey, 34, can appeal his decision. “But, as of this morning, I gave him his letter, and he’s done,” he said.
Swanson declined further comment.
McCroskey has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor counts of domestic violence and unlawful restraint.
The charges stem from a Dec. 5 incident in Jackson Township. His next court date is Dec. 30 in Massillon Municipal Court.
According to court documents, McCroskey pushed a woman while she was holding their infant son, then threatened to kill her and commit suicide.
McCroskey had been employed with the Sheriff’s Department since April 19, 2007, working in the county jail.
McCroskey also was arrested for domestic violence involving the same woman Aug. 25,. He was found guilty on a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
A disciplinary hearing was held Monday.
Officer Randi Hieb Arrested for Firing Her Weapon at House
ASHLAND, Neb.
An Ashland police officer has been arrested for allegedly firing her weapon at her home.
Saunders County Attorney Scott Tingelhoff says the officer was arrested Sunday on two felony weapons charges.
He says the woman and her boyfriend got into a fight in Omaha. When they returned to their home in Ashland, she fired a gun and hit the house. Tingelhoff says the gun was her off-duty back-up weapon.
The officer has been with the Ashland Police Department for two years.
Information from: KETV-TV, http://www.ketv.com
More Information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28370224/
An Ashland police officer has been arrested for allegedly firing her weapon at her home.
Saunders County Attorney Scott Tingelhoff says the officer was arrested Sunday on two felony weapons charges.
He says the woman and her boyfriend got into a fight in Omaha. When they returned to their home in Ashland, she fired a gun and hit the house. Tingelhoff says the gun was her off-duty back-up weapon.
The officer has been with the Ashland Police Department for two years.
Information from: KETV-TV, http://www.ketv.com
More Information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28370224/
Officer Royderick Oliver Charged with Raping 14-year-old
A 20-year veteran of the UAB Police Department has been charged in connection with the rape of a 14-year-old girl, according to Homewood police.
Royderick Undray Oliver, 45, was arrested this morning on two counts of rape second degree and one count enticing a minor for immoral purposes.
Oliver, a resident of the Mayfair apartments in Homewood, was arrested after a joint investigation by the Homewood and UAB police departments. He had been held on $45,000 in bonds and has now been released.
Homewood police arrested Oliver at 1 a.m. at his residence, said Sgt. Andrew Didcoct. A victim's relative contacted police about the allegations last week. The victim is not related to Oliver.
Oliver met the victim in an online chatroom, Didcoct said.
Officer James Clayton Arrested on 5 Counts of Misconduct
North Las Vegas Police Detectives arrested 40-year-old James Vernon Clayton Tuesday morning.
Clayton has over three years of service with the North Las Vegas Police Department.
He was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on five counts of misconduct of a public officer (felony), two counts of oppression under color of office (felony), and one count of open and gross lewdness (gross misdemeanor).
Clayton was arrested on a warrant obtained after a five month investigation conducted by North Las Vegas Police Department Investigators.
That investigation was prompted by third party allegations of misconduct on Clayton's part while he was on duty as a patrol officer for the department.
Clayton has been on paid administrative leave during the investigation and remains in that status.
More Information: http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11309109?nclick_check=1
Couple Suing Police for Beating their 12-year-old Daughter
A Galveston couple is suing three police officers who they say arrested and beat their 12-year-old daughter after mistaking her for a prostitute.
The officers have filed documents saying their conduct was reasonable in light of the facts they had at the time. Named as defendants are Galveston Police Sgt. Gilbert Gomez and Officers David Roark and Sean Stewart.
Bill Helfand, an attorney for the officers, stressed that the lawsuit allegations have yet to be proven.
"If you go to the courthouse and read any complaint, the allegations are always bombastic," Helfand said. "There's nothing about the allegations that makes them true, just because they've been made."
The suit was filed against the officers individually, not the city of Galveston or the Police Department, on August 22, the last day to file before the statute of limitations ran out.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Galveston, Dymond Larae Milburn went outside her home in the 2000 block of 24th to flip a circuit breaker about 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2006.
Responding to a call that three white prostitutes were soliciting in the neighborhood, the plainsclothes officers jumped out of an unmarked van on Gomez's orders and one of them grabbed the girl, who is black, the lawsuit states.
The girl contends that the officers did not identify themselves as police and that the officer who grabbed her, later identified as Roark, told her, "You're a prostitute. You're coming with me."
Her parents, Wilfred and Emily Milburn, heard her cries for help and came outside to see the hysterical girl hanging on to a tree and screaming "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" while two officers hit her in the head, face and throat, the family alleges.
One officer hit the girl in the back of the head with a flashlight during the incident, the lawsuit alleges. The police then left the scene.
Two hours later, Dymond Milburn was examined at the University of Texas Medical Branch emergency room and doctors found she had a sprained wrist, two black eyes, a bloody nose and blood in an ear, according to the lawsuit.
Weeks later, the girl was arrested during classes at Austin Middle School, where she was an honors student, the lawsuit states. She was tried a year later on a charge of resisting arrest, but the judge declared a mistrial on the first day, according to the lawsuit.
Anthony Griffin, the attorney for the Milburns, said the mistrial stemmed from a remark by an officer on the witness stand. A new trial is scheduled for February.
Wilfred Milburn was arrested the next day for interfering with police and assaulting an officer in connection with the incident involving his daughter. Police also found drugs in Milburn's car, Griffin said. He said Milburn pleaded guilty to possession of drugs in exchange for having the other charges dropped.
The Milburn family is asking for unspecified damages for physical injuries and emotional problems.
Helfand said the actions were justifiable, given what the officers knew at the time.
Because the Milburn family never filed any complaint with the police department, the incident was not investigated. The officers remain on the force, a spokesman said.
The officers have filed documents saying their conduct was reasonable in light of the facts they had at the time. Named as defendants are Galveston Police Sgt. Gilbert Gomez and Officers David Roark and Sean Stewart.
Bill Helfand, an attorney for the officers, stressed that the lawsuit allegations have yet to be proven.
"If you go to the courthouse and read any complaint, the allegations are always bombastic," Helfand said. "There's nothing about the allegations that makes them true, just because they've been made."
The suit was filed against the officers individually, not the city of Galveston or the Police Department, on August 22, the last day to file before the statute of limitations ran out.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Galveston, Dymond Larae Milburn went outside her home in the 2000 block of 24th to flip a circuit breaker about 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2006.
Responding to a call that three white prostitutes were soliciting in the neighborhood, the plainsclothes officers jumped out of an unmarked van on Gomez's orders and one of them grabbed the girl, who is black, the lawsuit states.
The girl contends that the officers did not identify themselves as police and that the officer who grabbed her, later identified as Roark, told her, "You're a prostitute. You're coming with me."
Her parents, Wilfred and Emily Milburn, heard her cries for help and came outside to see the hysterical girl hanging on to a tree and screaming "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" while two officers hit her in the head, face and throat, the family alleges.
One officer hit the girl in the back of the head with a flashlight during the incident, the lawsuit alleges. The police then left the scene.
Two hours later, Dymond Milburn was examined at the University of Texas Medical Branch emergency room and doctors found she had a sprained wrist, two black eyes, a bloody nose and blood in an ear, according to the lawsuit.
Weeks later, the girl was arrested during classes at Austin Middle School, where she was an honors student, the lawsuit states. She was tried a year later on a charge of resisting arrest, but the judge declared a mistrial on the first day, according to the lawsuit.
Anthony Griffin, the attorney for the Milburns, said the mistrial stemmed from a remark by an officer on the witness stand. A new trial is scheduled for February.
Wilfred Milburn was arrested the next day for interfering with police and assaulting an officer in connection with the incident involving his daughter. Police also found drugs in Milburn's car, Griffin said. He said Milburn pleaded guilty to possession of drugs in exchange for having the other charges dropped.
The Milburn family is asking for unspecified damages for physical injuries and emotional problems.
Helfand said the actions were justifiable, given what the officers knew at the time.
Because the Milburn family never filed any complaint with the police department, the incident was not investigated. The officers remain on the force, a spokesman said.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Former Officer Michael Johnson Accused of Raping Woman Takes His Own Life
A Pennsylvania municipal official accused of raping a woman in Baltimore was found dead yesterday after an apparent suicide in upstate New York, authorities said.
Michael L. Johnson Jr., 40, of York, Pa., shot himself in the head and chest after fleeing U.S. marshals and hiding in the closet of an apartment in Cohoes, N.Y., law enforcement officials said.
Federal authorities and local police were closing in on Johnson when they heard gunshots come from a room the fugitive had locked himself into, according to Gary Mattison, supervisor of the Albany, N.Y., division of the U.S. Marshals Service.
About an hour later, officers knocked down the door and found Johnson, Mattison said. He is believed to have died at the scene, authorities said.
Johnson, president of the Penn Township Board of Commissioners, disappeared about two weeks ago after he was released on $100,000 bail after being charged with raping a Baltimore woman. Police eventually linked Johnson to two other rapes in York, where he had served as a police officer. In each incident, he is accused of posing as a police officer and raping a woman in a minivan.
According to court documents, Johnson, a York police officer from 1994 to 1999, was born in Baltimore and was an Army veteran. He was also a married father of two who ran for Congress in 2002.
Police said Johnson picked up a 21-year-old woman in the Baltimore Highlands area Nov. 2 and told her he was arresting her for prostitution as part of a sting operation. According to court records, he handcuffed her to the back seat of a minivan, drove her to an industrial area in the rear of the 4400 block of E. Monument St. and sexually assaulted her.
The victim gave investigators a license plate number and a description of the silver van, information that led to Johnson's arrest after a two-hour standoff. Although he was released on bail, Johnson was to turn himself in after allegations of the two other rapes. But he failed to do so and had been on the run since.
Mattison said police didn't know why Johnson was in New York.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/12/former-officer-michael-johnson-charged.html
http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/12/former-officer-michael-johnson-still.html
Michael L. Johnson Jr., 40, of York, Pa., shot himself in the head and chest after fleeing U.S. marshals and hiding in the closet of an apartment in Cohoes, N.Y., law enforcement officials said.
Federal authorities and local police were closing in on Johnson when they heard gunshots come from a room the fugitive had locked himself into, according to Gary Mattison, supervisor of the Albany, N.Y., division of the U.S. Marshals Service.
About an hour later, officers knocked down the door and found Johnson, Mattison said. He is believed to have died at the scene, authorities said.
Johnson, president of the Penn Township Board of Commissioners, disappeared about two weeks ago after he was released on $100,000 bail after being charged with raping a Baltimore woman. Police eventually linked Johnson to two other rapes in York, where he had served as a police officer. In each incident, he is accused of posing as a police officer and raping a woman in a minivan.
According to court documents, Johnson, a York police officer from 1994 to 1999, was born in Baltimore and was an Army veteran. He was also a married father of two who ran for Congress in 2002.
Police said Johnson picked up a 21-year-old woman in the Baltimore Highlands area Nov. 2 and told her he was arresting her for prostitution as part of a sting operation. According to court records, he handcuffed her to the back seat of a minivan, drove her to an industrial area in the rear of the 4400 block of E. Monument St. and sexually assaulted her.
The victim gave investigators a license plate number and a description of the silver van, information that led to Johnson's arrest after a two-hour standoff. Although he was released on bail, Johnson was to turn himself in after allegations of the two other rapes. But he failed to do so and had been on the run since.
Mattison said police didn't know why Johnson was in New York.
Previous Post: http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/12/former-officer-michael-johnson-charged.html
http://whathappenedtoprotectandserve.blogspot.com/2008/12/former-officer-michael-johnson-still.html
Nathan Vaughn Dies After Being Tasered
A man died Saturday after a Sonoma County sheriff's deputy responding to a violent attack in a Santa Rosa home stunned him three times with a Taser, according to the sheriff's office.
Nathan Vaughn, 39, was throwing and breaking things in a home on Brighton Drive when the deputy arrived at the house, the sheriff's office said in a statement Sunday. The deputy stunned Vaughn once, then hit him twice more when Vaughn continued to fight.
The deputy, who has not been named, was able to handcuff Vaughn, but shortly thereafter Vaughn showed signs of medical problems, according to the sheriff's office. An ambulance crew already on the scene treated Vaughn and took him to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The incident started at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday when Vaughn's mother, Doris Vaughn, called 911 and told a dispatcher that her son was very violent and was destroying the house and hitting his dad, according to the sheriff's department.
Vaughn's father, Ronald Vaughn, suffered multiple cuts and bruises in the incident, none of which required immediate medical attention, according to the sheriff's department.
Investigators later learned that deputies had responded to another disturbance at the same house at 4:30 a.m. Friday. No one was arrested in that incident, but Nathan Vaughn was taken from the home to stay with friends.
Shortly after deputies left Vaughn, he went to a pay phone and made several calls to 911 but hung up on dispatchers, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies then arrested Vaughn for making repeated, unnecessary emergency calls. Vaughn was cited and released from Sonoma County Jail at about 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Vaughn had an extensive history of arrests and convictions in a 15-page criminal history report, according to the sheriff's office. He had been convicted multiple times for drug possession and being under the influence. He also had several theft-related convictions and had served time in state prison for burglary, according to the sheriff's office.
Because Vaughn's death happened while he was in custody of the sheriff's department, the incident is being handled by another law enforcement agency, the Petaluma Police Department.
Nathan Vaughn, 39, was throwing and breaking things in a home on Brighton Drive when the deputy arrived at the house, the sheriff's office said in a statement Sunday. The deputy stunned Vaughn once, then hit him twice more when Vaughn continued to fight.
The deputy, who has not been named, was able to handcuff Vaughn, but shortly thereafter Vaughn showed signs of medical problems, according to the sheriff's office. An ambulance crew already on the scene treated Vaughn and took him to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The incident started at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday when Vaughn's mother, Doris Vaughn, called 911 and told a dispatcher that her son was very violent and was destroying the house and hitting his dad, according to the sheriff's department.
Vaughn's father, Ronald Vaughn, suffered multiple cuts and bruises in the incident, none of which required immediate medical attention, according to the sheriff's department.
Investigators later learned that deputies had responded to another disturbance at the same house at 4:30 a.m. Friday. No one was arrested in that incident, but Nathan Vaughn was taken from the home to stay with friends.
Shortly after deputies left Vaughn, he went to a pay phone and made several calls to 911 but hung up on dispatchers, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies then arrested Vaughn for making repeated, unnecessary emergency calls. Vaughn was cited and released from Sonoma County Jail at about 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Vaughn had an extensive history of arrests and convictions in a 15-page criminal history report, according to the sheriff's office. He had been convicted multiple times for drug possession and being under the influence. He also had several theft-related convictions and had served time in state prison for burglary, according to the sheriff's office.
Because Vaughn's death happened while he was in custody of the sheriff's department, the incident is being handled by another law enforcement agency, the Petaluma Police Department.
Former Trooper Jesus Larrazolo Relatives Offering to Post His Bond
BROWNSVILLE
Relatives of a now former state trooper arrested last month on allegations of trying to distribute cocaine are offering to use personal property as collateral to post his $500,000 bond.
According to court documents, Jesus Rafael Larrazolo's aunt and uncle said they were willing to pledge land valued at $454,842 as collateral for his release.
Larrazolo, 35, the now former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, is set to be arraigned next month on a count of possession with intent to distribute following his Dec. 18 indictment by a federal grand jury.
According to the indictment, the violation involved five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
Larrazolo was arrested Nov. 21 in the parking lot of Best Buy in Brownsville as he was loading his car with cocaine. He had just received the cocaine from another man, who fled the scene, Brownsville police said.
Brownsville police were conducting an unrelated surveillance when they saw Larrazolo with suspicious suitcases that carried the cocaine, according to police.
Larrazolo's relatives, Jorge Emilio Larrazolo Rubio and Concepcion Elisa Martinez Islas said they would not pledge their property if they believed their nephew was a flight risk, according to court documents.
The real estate property is the only U.S. assets the aunt and uncle have, court documents state.
"Mr. and Mrs. Larrazolo would not pledge their property to post defendant's bond unless they were absolutely sure the defendant will present himself in court to answer the charges that are pending against him," the document reads.
As of Dec. 15, Larrazolo's family had raised $5,000 in bond money.
The motion to reconsider bond was filed before U.S. Magistrate Felix Recio. As of Monday, Recio had not ruled on the motion.
Although pre-trial services during a Nov. 26, detention hearing recommended Jesus Rafael Larrazolo's bond be set at $100,000, Recio declined the recommendation and set the $500,000 bond.
During that hearing, assistant U.S. Attorney James Lancaster asked that the former trooper be held without bond because of fears he would flee to Mexico.
FBI authorities earlier said that Jesus Rafael Larrazolo's family ties in Mexico are powerful and wealthy enough that they would allow him to disappear.
Relatives of a now former state trooper arrested last month on allegations of trying to distribute cocaine are offering to use personal property as collateral to post his $500,000 bond.
According to court documents, Jesus Rafael Larrazolo's aunt and uncle said they were willing to pledge land valued at $454,842 as collateral for his release.
Larrazolo, 35, the now former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, is set to be arraigned next month on a count of possession with intent to distribute following his Dec. 18 indictment by a federal grand jury.
According to the indictment, the violation involved five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
Larrazolo was arrested Nov. 21 in the parking lot of Best Buy in Brownsville as he was loading his car with cocaine. He had just received the cocaine from another man, who fled the scene, Brownsville police said.
Brownsville police were conducting an unrelated surveillance when they saw Larrazolo with suspicious suitcases that carried the cocaine, according to police.
Larrazolo's relatives, Jorge Emilio Larrazolo Rubio and Concepcion Elisa Martinez Islas said they would not pledge their property if they believed their nephew was a flight risk, according to court documents.
The real estate property is the only U.S. assets the aunt and uncle have, court documents state.
"Mr. and Mrs. Larrazolo would not pledge their property to post defendant's bond unless they were absolutely sure the defendant will present himself in court to answer the charges that are pending against him," the document reads.
As of Dec. 15, Larrazolo's family had raised $5,000 in bond money.
The motion to reconsider bond was filed before U.S. Magistrate Felix Recio. As of Monday, Recio had not ruled on the motion.
Although pre-trial services during a Nov. 26, detention hearing recommended Jesus Rafael Larrazolo's bond be set at $100,000, Recio declined the recommendation and set the $500,000 bond.
During that hearing, assistant U.S. Attorney James Lancaster asked that the former trooper be held without bond because of fears he would flee to Mexico.
FBI authorities earlier said that Jesus Rafael Larrazolo's family ties in Mexico are powerful and wealthy enough that they would allow him to disappear.
Trooper Bruce Wrzosek Arrested for Abducting Man & DUI
Baltimore County Police have arrested a Maryland State trooper for allegedly abducting a man and driving while intoxicated.
Police say Trooper Bruce Wrzosek abducted a man at a Taco Bell in Towson early Saturday morning. When police caught up with the trooper near his home, police say he had alcohol on his breath.
The county's investigation showed there was no reason for Wrzosek to force the 20-year-old man into his car at the restaurant's parking lot. The trooper is charged with DUI, false imprisonment and eluding police.
State police spokesman Greg Shipley says Wrzosek has been fired.
During the incident, police say Wrzosek was dressed in plain clothes but was driving his police car.
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Information from: WBAL-AM, http://www.wbal.com
More Information: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.trooper23dec23,0,6065350.story
Police say Trooper Bruce Wrzosek abducted a man at a Taco Bell in Towson early Saturday morning. When police caught up with the trooper near his home, police say he had alcohol on his breath.
The county's investigation showed there was no reason for Wrzosek to force the 20-year-old man into his car at the restaurant's parking lot. The trooper is charged with DUI, false imprisonment and eluding police.
State police spokesman Greg Shipley says Wrzosek has been fired.
During the incident, police say Wrzosek was dressed in plain clothes but was driving his police car.
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Information from: WBAL-AM, http://www.wbal.com
More Information: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.trooper23dec23,0,6065350.story
Former Officer Kam Ng Faces Federal Charges
COLUMBUS, Ohio
A former Columbus police officer faces charges after a federal investigation uncovered alleged schemes to rob armored trucks and restaurants.
According to the FBI, investigators had been watching Kam Ng for more than a month after receiving tips from informants.
An informant told investigators that Ng, 53, had said that he wanted to rob a restaurant before Christmas to "spread some holiday cheer," Kocot reported. Ng also allegedly told the informant that his "training as a police officer" would give him a "big advantage."
Ng worked as an officer with the Columbus Division of Police until 1985.
The FBI said that Ng was plotting to hold up armored cars because he knew the best time and day to strike "when police presence is light," Kocot reported.
Federal agents also claimed that Ng conducted surveillance at nearly half-dozen Asian restaurants and wanted to obtain a .22-caliber pistol with a silencer. Court records allege that Ng told an informant that he would use a weapon if robbery victims failed to follow his orders.
Ng was arrested Saturday outside a Columbus restaurant. The FBI said he was in possession of a loaded handgun, a ski mask and a stun gun at the time of his arrest, Kocot reported.
Agents said that Ng told them that the alleged scheme was nothing more than a "big joke." An informant said that Ng said he was broke and needed money, according to the FBI.
Ng remained in custody Monday and faces federal charges of attempted armed robbery.
More information: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/23/robbery_foiled.ART_ART_12-23-08_A1_0FCALAJ.html?sid=101
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Former Deputy Russell Burton Accused of Engaging in Sexual Acts with Daughter
A former Kentucky sheriff's deputy accused of engaging in sexual acts with his daughter pleads not guilty to the charges.
Forty-four-year-old Russell Burton appeared in Pulaski Circuit Court Thursday.
In October, Burton was indicted on ten counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of sodomy, and turned himself in.
The Commonwealth Journal reports the complaint also alleges the girl was under 12 years old when the incidents took place.
Burton retired from the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department three years ago.
Forty-four-year-old Russell Burton appeared in Pulaski Circuit Court Thursday.
In October, Burton was indicted on ten counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of sodomy, and turned himself in.
The Commonwealth Journal reports the complaint also alleges the girl was under 12 years old when the incidents took place.
Burton retired from the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department three years ago.
Sheriff Robert Chavez Charged with Aggravated DWI
Santa Rosa
State Police arrested Robert G. Chavez Sheriff of Guadalupe County for charges of Aggravated DWI.
Early Friday morning Officers from the New Mexico State Police were advised of a 911 report of a possible drunk driver in a blue Chevy pick-up in the Santa Rosa area, Officer White while patrolling Old Route 66 just after 2:00 AM observed the reported vehicle with New Mexico license plate GGD460.
After the officer made contact with the reported vehicle the driver was observed violating a couple traffic infractions. The officer initiated a traffic stop and the driver was positively identified as Robert G. Chavez.
Officer White had Mr. Chavez perform a few standardized field sobriety tests and subsequently arrested Mr. Chavez for the following;
- Aggravated driving while under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug 1st offense.
- Failure to stop at a posted stop sign
- Open containers
- Failure to wear a seatbelt.
Mr. Chavez was transported to the De Baca County jail in Fort Sumner, NM where he was booked into jail.
State Police arrested Robert G. Chavez Sheriff of Guadalupe County for charges of Aggravated DWI.
Early Friday morning Officers from the New Mexico State Police were advised of a 911 report of a possible drunk driver in a blue Chevy pick-up in the Santa Rosa area, Officer White while patrolling Old Route 66 just after 2:00 AM observed the reported vehicle with New Mexico license plate GGD460.
After the officer made contact with the reported vehicle the driver was observed violating a couple traffic infractions. The officer initiated a traffic stop and the driver was positively identified as Robert G. Chavez.
Officer White had Mr. Chavez perform a few standardized field sobriety tests and subsequently arrested Mr. Chavez for the following;
- Aggravated driving while under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug 1st offense.
- Failure to stop at a posted stop sign
- Open containers
- Failure to wear a seatbelt.
Mr. Chavez was transported to the De Baca County jail in Fort Sumner, NM where he was booked into jail.
Officer Johnny Baltazar Investigated for Smuggling Handguns
A department veteran allegedly bought guns at the Police Academy and sent them to Belize, where he runs a security firm.
A veteran Los Angeles police officer who operates a security company in Belize is under federal investigation for allegedly smuggling handguns into the Central American nation, according to law enforcement sources and internal LAPD documents.
Officer Johnny Baltazar is accused of purchasing eight .40-caliber Glocks from the LAPD Academy store and secretly shipping them, along with two other guns and 1,530 rounds of ammunition, to Belize where he runs a company called Elite Security, according to documents obtained by The Times.
Baltazar, 49, who was assigned to the West Los Angeles Division, has been accused administratively by the LAPD with exporting firearms without a license, failing to declare firearms he exported and failing to notify his LAPD superiors that he was under federal investigation, documents show. He has been suspended with pay pending a disciplinary hearing that could result in his firing.
Such hearings, which were open to the public for decades, have been conducted in secret since a 2006 state Supreme Court ruling that limited access to police personnel information.
Baltazar, who serves on the board of directors of the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation, an association of African American employees of the Los Angeles Police Department, could not be reached for comment.
Beyond the current charges, LAPD officials are also seeking additional information about his security company and specifically what it does.
"The question is what was he doing in Belize?" said one police official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the confidential nature of the investigation. The official said Baltazar did not have a department-issued off-duty work permit, which is required for officers who work second jobs.
The official added that Baltazar had been working a compressed work schedule in which officers work either 10 or 12 hours a day, three or four days a week, and that he told fellow officers he had been traveling to Belize.
Michael Gennaco, head of the Office of Independent Review at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said most major law enforcement agencies have strict policies regarding outside work by officers "because they don't want their people engaged in illegal activity or activity that's detrimental to the reputation of the department."
When officers working second jobs don't obtain permits, it makes it difficult for department officials to assess whether the work they are doing is consistent with the principles of their law enforcement day jobs, Gennaco said.
Federal authorities are continuing to investigate the allegations against Baltazar and are expected to present their findings to a grand jury, according to documents.
The documents state that Baltazar bought the handguns from the academy store in February 2007. In July 2007, he placed them in a safe, along with a pair of 9-millimeter handguns and the ammunition, and arranged to ship them to Belize with a company called Amerijet.
The officer did not declare the guns or ammunition in paperwork associated with the shipment and allegedly told Amerijet employees the safe was empty. Baltazar declared the value of the safe at $231.84, the documents show, but insured the shipment for $6,000 -- the approximate value of the guns and ammunition.
Importing handguns larger than 9 millimeters is banned in Belize under a 2002 law, according to the police documents.
Law enforcement sources said officials in Belize somehow discovered the guns were inside the safe and determined they were not legal. The safe was returned to the U.S.
The safe and guns were seized by customs officials on their arrival in the U.S., according to documents.
Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, would not confirm or deny that Baltazar was under investigation and declined to comment for this article.
A veteran Los Angeles police officer who operates a security company in Belize is under federal investigation for allegedly smuggling handguns into the Central American nation, according to law enforcement sources and internal LAPD documents.
Officer Johnny Baltazar is accused of purchasing eight .40-caliber Glocks from the LAPD Academy store and secretly shipping them, along with two other guns and 1,530 rounds of ammunition, to Belize where he runs a company called Elite Security, according to documents obtained by The Times.
Baltazar, 49, who was assigned to the West Los Angeles Division, has been accused administratively by the LAPD with exporting firearms without a license, failing to declare firearms he exported and failing to notify his LAPD superiors that he was under federal investigation, documents show. He has been suspended with pay pending a disciplinary hearing that could result in his firing.
Such hearings, which were open to the public for decades, have been conducted in secret since a 2006 state Supreme Court ruling that limited access to police personnel information.
Baltazar, who serves on the board of directors of the Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation, an association of African American employees of the Los Angeles Police Department, could not be reached for comment.
Beyond the current charges, LAPD officials are also seeking additional information about his security company and specifically what it does.
"The question is what was he doing in Belize?" said one police official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the confidential nature of the investigation. The official said Baltazar did not have a department-issued off-duty work permit, which is required for officers who work second jobs.
The official added that Baltazar had been working a compressed work schedule in which officers work either 10 or 12 hours a day, three or four days a week, and that he told fellow officers he had been traveling to Belize.
Michael Gennaco, head of the Office of Independent Review at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said most major law enforcement agencies have strict policies regarding outside work by officers "because they don't want their people engaged in illegal activity or activity that's detrimental to the reputation of the department."
When officers working second jobs don't obtain permits, it makes it difficult for department officials to assess whether the work they are doing is consistent with the principles of their law enforcement day jobs, Gennaco said.
Federal authorities are continuing to investigate the allegations against Baltazar and are expected to present their findings to a grand jury, according to documents.
The documents state that Baltazar bought the handguns from the academy store in February 2007. In July 2007, he placed them in a safe, along with a pair of 9-millimeter handguns and the ammunition, and arranged to ship them to Belize with a company called Amerijet.
The officer did not declare the guns or ammunition in paperwork associated with the shipment and allegedly told Amerijet employees the safe was empty. Baltazar declared the value of the safe at $231.84, the documents show, but insured the shipment for $6,000 -- the approximate value of the guns and ammunition.
Importing handguns larger than 9 millimeters is banned in Belize under a 2002 law, according to the police documents.
Law enforcement sources said officials in Belize somehow discovered the guns were inside the safe and determined they were not legal. The safe was returned to the U.S.
The safe and guns were seized by customs officials on their arrival in the U.S., according to documents.
Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, would not confirm or deny that Baltazar was under investigation and declined to comment for this article.
Former Officer Mark Standen Arrested for Drug Conspiracy Says he's going Insane
FORMER top cop Mark Standen, arrested over a $120 million drug conspiracy, is being driven to the edge of mental illness by his life in prison, a court heard yesterday.
Spending almost every day of his remand isolated in a maximum security cell, the one-time NSW Crime Commission assistant director has been verbally abused by other inmates.
As he asked for bail at Central Local Court yesterday, Standen's defence barrister Greg Farmer said Standen was subjected to "an onerous type of custody brought about merely by the fact that he is who he is. There is a risk that if it continues he will suffer a psychiatric illness."
Court documents reveal how the former crime fighter has been spending his time at Long Bay Jail since he was arrested in June, charged with conspiring to import enough pseudoephedrine to make $120 million worth of the drug ice.
He spends most days alone in his cell. When he uses a larger yard or the gym, he is locked in alone.
"His activities in the yard are limited to throwing a basketball and chasing it, hitting a tennis ball against a wall and jogging around," according to an affidavit sworn by his solicitor Gordon Elliot.
Standen, 47, is due to sit his final law exams in March, but has no access to computers, educational activities or the library.
But magistrate Allan Moore refused his bail application, saying it was "a substantial case" and Standen's knowledge of police methodology made him a flight risk. He will face court again in February.
*****
Deal with it bitch!!!...isn't that what he's told other 'prisoners' before? You can do the crime, you can do the time?...remember those words.
More information: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/let-me-out-top-policemans-jail-hell/2008/12/22/1229794326853.html
Spending almost every day of his remand isolated in a maximum security cell, the one-time NSW Crime Commission assistant director has been verbally abused by other inmates.
As he asked for bail at Central Local Court yesterday, Standen's defence barrister Greg Farmer said Standen was subjected to "an onerous type of custody brought about merely by the fact that he is who he is. There is a risk that if it continues he will suffer a psychiatric illness."
Court documents reveal how the former crime fighter has been spending his time at Long Bay Jail since he was arrested in June, charged with conspiring to import enough pseudoephedrine to make $120 million worth of the drug ice.
He spends most days alone in his cell. When he uses a larger yard or the gym, he is locked in alone.
"His activities in the yard are limited to throwing a basketball and chasing it, hitting a tennis ball against a wall and jogging around," according to an affidavit sworn by his solicitor Gordon Elliot.
Standen, 47, is due to sit his final law exams in March, but has no access to computers, educational activities or the library.
But magistrate Allan Moore refused his bail application, saying it was "a substantial case" and Standen's knowledge of police methodology made him a flight risk. He will face court again in February.
*****
Deal with it bitch!!!...isn't that what he's told other 'prisoners' before? You can do the crime, you can do the time?...remember those words.
More information: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/let-me-out-top-policemans-jail-hell/2008/12/22/1229794326853.html
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Richard Laude Speaks out About Traffic Stop
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
A man spoke out for the first time Friday about a traffic stop involving a Tennessee state trooper.
Richard Laude said he told Trooper Jimmy Knowles he had the wrong guy when he was pulled over for speeding, but he said he was cited and even roughed up anyway.
Laude was pulled from his motorcycle by a Tennessee state trooper following a traffic stop on Oct. 4.
"I kept telling him, 'You have pulled over the wrong vehicle. It wasn't us,'" Laude said.
Laude was on his motorcycle with girlfriend Angela Cousens.
Knowles is under investigation.
"We're looking at the situation as a whole," said Col. Mike Walker of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. "We need to know everything involved in that traffic stop."
That night, Knowles said he clocked about a half-dozen motorcyclists speeding on Interstate 40 in Wilson County. He said they were going at least 133 mph.
Laude said he saw the speeding motorcycles, too, but wasn't part of the group.
"Another motorcycle passed me in excess of 130 miles per hour on the shoulder," said Laude.
The pursuit had gone on for nearly 30 miles when Knowles spotted Laude and pulled him over. Lebanon police cruiser video shows Laude on the side of the interstate.
"He instantly jerked me off the motorcycle, threw me onto the ground. He put his knee in my back," Laude said.
The video only shows Laude being pulled from his motorcycle.
Laude wasn't arrested, but he said the reckless endangerment citation could force him to lose his commercial driver's license. He's been driving trucks for more than 20 years.
The THP is investigating what happened, but Laude said he wants his day in court and Knowles off the job.
Cousens said Knowles forced her to sign a false statement about what happened.
Knowles has been with the THP for six years with no disciplinary problems.
A man spoke out for the first time Friday about a traffic stop involving a Tennessee state trooper.
Richard Laude said he told Trooper Jimmy Knowles he had the wrong guy when he was pulled over for speeding, but he said he was cited and even roughed up anyway.
Laude was pulled from his motorcycle by a Tennessee state trooper following a traffic stop on Oct. 4.
"I kept telling him, 'You have pulled over the wrong vehicle. It wasn't us,'" Laude said.
Laude was on his motorcycle with girlfriend Angela Cousens.
Knowles is under investigation.
"We're looking at the situation as a whole," said Col. Mike Walker of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. "We need to know everything involved in that traffic stop."
That night, Knowles said he clocked about a half-dozen motorcyclists speeding on Interstate 40 in Wilson County. He said they were going at least 133 mph.
Laude said he saw the speeding motorcycles, too, but wasn't part of the group.
"Another motorcycle passed me in excess of 130 miles per hour on the shoulder," said Laude.
The pursuit had gone on for nearly 30 miles when Knowles spotted Laude and pulled him over. Lebanon police cruiser video shows Laude on the side of the interstate.
"He instantly jerked me off the motorcycle, threw me onto the ground. He put his knee in my back," Laude said.
The video only shows Laude being pulled from his motorcycle.
Laude wasn't arrested, but he said the reckless endangerment citation could force him to lose his commercial driver's license. He's been driving trucks for more than 20 years.
The THP is investigating what happened, but Laude said he wants his day in court and Knowles off the job.
Cousens said Knowles forced her to sign a false statement about what happened.
Knowles has been with the THP for six years with no disciplinary problems.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Trooper Andrew Mohan Arrested for Theft
BALTIMORE
Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced the arrest of Maryland State Police trooper Andrew A. Mohan, 36, following his indictment in Prince George’s County on charges of theft of money from the Maryland State Police and Misconduct in Office. The indictment alleges that Mohan stole money from the Maryland State Police (MSP) totaling over $3,200.
It is also alleged that TFC Mohan misused his official police duties to improperly access and disseminate restricted criminal records information and motor vehicle registration information in State and federal data systems. The pending case was investigated by the Maryland State Police and the Criminal Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
No trial date has been set.
While an indictment is merely an accusation of wrongdoing and every individual is presumed innocent unless the State proves the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, felony theft is punishable by a maximum sentence of 15 years or a fine of $25,000, or both. Misconduct in Office, a Common Law misdemeanor, is punishable by any sentence deemed not cruel and unusual.
Source: Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler
Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced the arrest of Maryland State Police trooper Andrew A. Mohan, 36, following his indictment in Prince George’s County on charges of theft of money from the Maryland State Police and Misconduct in Office. The indictment alleges that Mohan stole money from the Maryland State Police (MSP) totaling over $3,200.
It is also alleged that TFC Mohan misused his official police duties to improperly access and disseminate restricted criminal records information and motor vehicle registration information in State and federal data systems. The pending case was investigated by the Maryland State Police and the Criminal Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
No trial date has been set.
While an indictment is merely an accusation of wrongdoing and every individual is presumed innocent unless the State proves the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, felony theft is punishable by a maximum sentence of 15 years or a fine of $25,000, or both. Misconduct in Office, a Common Law misdemeanor, is punishable by any sentence deemed not cruel and unusual.
Source: Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler
Officer Ernest Fimiano Jr Arrested for Assaulting His Girlfriend Will Avoid a Criminal Record
A former Forks Township police officer accused of assaulting his girlfriend was readmitted Friday into a state probationary program for first-time offenders, a move that will again allow him to avoid a criminal record.
Ernest D. Fimiano Jr., 44, of Palmer Township had been booted earlier from the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program after Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli said she was unaware he was in law enforcement and had a drunken-driving charge pending in another county.
Fimiano was charged with simple assault and criminal mischief in the Dec. 24, 2007, fight with his girlfriend at her Forks Township home. He was accused of pushing Patricia Reilly into walls and breaking her cell phone during the dispute.
Fimiano was accepted into ARD in Columbia County in October, about a year after he was arrested on charges he led state troopers on a 40-mile chase east on Interstate 80 through Union, Northumberland, Montour and Columbia counties.
In Friday's hearing, Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Taschner said someone placed into ARD for drunken driving is not ineligible for the program on other first-offense charges.
Reilly, who is now Fimiano's ex-girlfriend, wrote a letter also asking that he be let into the program. She said he has already been punished through the loss of his reputation, his livelihood and his driver's license.
''Isn't that enough?'' Reilly asked.
Forks police suspended Fimiano, a member of the force since 1999, after the drunken-driving arrest. He resigned a month after he was charged with assaulting Reilly.
In court, his attorney, Gregory Paglianite, said he doubts Fimiano will return to law enforcement soon, given the charges that were against him. He said the police chase was not as serious as has been described, and noted that Fimiano was hit by a car in April in an accident that landed him in the hospital.
Roscioli said she was satisfied that the probationary program was appropriate for Fimiano. She stressed that he is no longer a police officer, saying she had worried he had access to guns.
''That makes a big difference to me,'' Roscioli said. ''That was a major concern that I had.''
The ARD program allows first-time offenders to have the charges against them dropped provided they complete a period of probation and community service and pay fines and court costs. Roscioli also ordered Fimiano to have no weapons.
Ernest D. Fimiano Jr., 44, of Palmer Township had been booted earlier from the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program after Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli said she was unaware he was in law enforcement and had a drunken-driving charge pending in another county.
Fimiano was charged with simple assault and criminal mischief in the Dec. 24, 2007, fight with his girlfriend at her Forks Township home. He was accused of pushing Patricia Reilly into walls and breaking her cell phone during the dispute.
Fimiano was accepted into ARD in Columbia County in October, about a year after he was arrested on charges he led state troopers on a 40-mile chase east on Interstate 80 through Union, Northumberland, Montour and Columbia counties.
In Friday's hearing, Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Taschner said someone placed into ARD for drunken driving is not ineligible for the program on other first-offense charges.
Reilly, who is now Fimiano's ex-girlfriend, wrote a letter also asking that he be let into the program. She said he has already been punished through the loss of his reputation, his livelihood and his driver's license.
''Isn't that enough?'' Reilly asked.
Forks police suspended Fimiano, a member of the force since 1999, after the drunken-driving arrest. He resigned a month after he was charged with assaulting Reilly.
In court, his attorney, Gregory Paglianite, said he doubts Fimiano will return to law enforcement soon, given the charges that were against him. He said the police chase was not as serious as has been described, and noted that Fimiano was hit by a car in April in an accident that landed him in the hospital.
Roscioli said she was satisfied that the probationary program was appropriate for Fimiano. She stressed that he is no longer a police officer, saying she had worried he had access to guns.
''That makes a big difference to me,'' Roscioli said. ''That was a major concern that I had.''
The ARD program allows first-time offenders to have the charges against them dropped provided they complete a period of probation and community service and pay fines and court costs. Roscioli also ordered Fimiano to have no weapons.
Sheriff Robert Chavez Arrested for Drunk Driving
The sheriff of Guadalupe County was arrested Friday morning in Santa Rosa and charged with drunken driving.
A state police spokesman says that Sheriff Robert Chavez was pulled over after running a stop sign.
Officials report that Chavez was not wearing a seatbelt and had open containers of alcohol in the car.
Chavez was booked into the De Baca County jail and charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated.
More information: http://www.koat.com/news/18318442/detail.html?rss=alb&psp=news
Former Officer State Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate Arrested for Assault
State Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate, a Queens Democrat, was arrested early Friday and accused of slashing his companion in the face with a broken drinking glass during an argument in his Jackson Heights apartment, the authorities said. He then drove her to a hospital outside the city, officials said, where she required 20 stitches.
Mr. Monserrate, 41, who is in his final days as a city councilman, was charged with second-degree assault, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, the police said. If Mr. Monserrate is convicted, state law requires that he be expelled from the Senate.
At 4 p.m. on Friday, after nearly 12 hours at the 105th Precinct headquarters in Queens, Mr. Monserrate, wearing a dark baseball hat and striped track pants, was led out in handcuffs and put into a police car. His lawyer was James Cullen.
At Mr. Monserrate’s arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Friday evening, the assistant district attorney, Scott Kessler, said that Mr. Monserrate told the police he was bringing his companion, Karla Giraldo, 30, a glass of water and leaned over and tripped, and the glass hit her. But the prosecutor said that Ms. Giraldo later said that the couple had a “loud and boisterous” argument about an item he found in her purse. He was holding a glass, which broke in his hand, she told officers.
“Then, in emotion, he stabbed her,” Mr. Kessler said.
He said Ms. Giraldo was now saying that it was an accident and that she did not want an order of protection. Mr. Kessler noted that that was common in domestic violence cases.
The police searched Mr. Monserrate’s apartment and found broken glass and blood on towels.
“Basically, your honor, this appears to be an accident,” Mr. Cullen said. He noted Mr. Monserrate’s family and supporters in the room, including his father, niece and nephew.
As is customary in these situations, the judge, Toko Serita, gave a full order of protection, which bars contact between Mr. Monserrate and Ms. Giraldo. She told Mr. Monserrate that he must stay completely away from her, by phone, e-mail or third-party contact, even if she reaches out to him.
“Do you understand?” Judge Serita asked him. He replied, “Yes.”
Bail was set at $5,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 16.
The authorities said Mr. Monserrate drove Ms. Giraldo to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park in Nassau County, near the Queens border. It was unclear why he chose a hospital outside the city and 12 miles from his apartment, on 83rd Street in Jackson Heights. There are at least three hospitals closer, including Elmhurst Hospital Center, five blocks away.
The incident took place several hours after Mr. Monserrate, a former police officer who has sponsored at least half a dozen domestic-violence bills in the City Council, gave a departing speech on Thursday in the Council, where colleagues praised his years of service. That evening he attended a holiday party held by Queens Democrats.
He is scheduled to be sworn into the State Senate in January, where he is part of an incoming class that promised to give Democrats control of the chamber for the first time in decades. However, three newly elected Democrats have refused to align with the party, and his arrest further clouds the party’s hopes. Colleagues who attended Thursday night’s party said Mr. Monserrate arrived alone at about 7:45 p.m. He appeared to be in good spirits but not intoxicated, they said. The party, held at the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing, ended about 9 p.m.
At the hospital, officials said that when officers arrived, Ms. Giraldo said she did not want Mr. Monserrate arrested, but under state law, arrests are mandatory in domestic-violence cases.
It is unknown how long Mr. Monserrate and Ms. Giraldo have been romantically involved. In July, Ms. Giraldo gave a $20 campaign contribution to Julissa Ferreras, Mr. Monserrate’s chief of staff and a candidate for the Council seat he was vacating. Ms. Giraldo listed her occupation as student.
Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn called the allegations “deeply, deeply troubling.” She added, “Council member Monserrate, just like any individual in the city or anywhere else, is innocent until proven guilty, and I’m glad that the N.Y.P.D. is taking up these charges and is going to pursue them quickly and thoroughly.” Michael Nieves, a spokesman for Mr. Monserrate, declined to comment on the case.
Other colleagues said they were startled by the news.
“Yesterday was a happy day for Hiram and people were happy for him,” Councilman John C. Liu, a fellow Queens Democrat, said on Friday morning.
Mr. Monserrate — a former marine who served 12 years with the New York New YorkPolice Department — is less than two weeks away from resigning his seat on the City Council, where he has served since 2002, to join the Senate. He was the first Latino from Queens elected to the City Council.
His arrest caps a tumultuous year for Mr. Monserrate. In May, as the Council was in the midst of a slush-fund scandal, a law enforcement official said the authorities were investigating whether a Queens social service agency called Libre that was financed by Mr. Monserrate’s Council earmarks used that money to help Mr. Monserrate politically.
The investigation, by the Queens district attorney’s office and the city’s Department of Investigation, is looking into allegations that more than two dozen workers for the nonprofit agency collected signatures to help Mr. Monserrate get on the ballot in 2006 during his unsuccessful primary battle with Senator John D. Sabini for the incumbent’s State Senate seat. Mr. Monserrate, who has directed more than $2.7 million in earmarks to the group, has said that he was unaware of any investigation and knew nothing about any efforts by Libre to collect signatures for him.
In June, Gov. David A. Paterson announced that he would nominate Mr. Sabini to be chairman of the State Racing and Wagering Board, sparing the party another divisive primary. Uncontested in the primary, Mr. Monserrate sailed to election in November.
Mr. Monserrate’s legal troubles are only the latest complication for the imperiled Senate Democratic caucus, which is struggling to cobble together a majority before the new Legislature convenes in January. Although 32 Democrats were elected to Senate seats in November, three holdouts have refused to align themselves with the current party leadership, leaving open the possibility that the Republicans could retain the majority.
Malcolm A. Smith, the Senate Democratic leader, said little in a written statement.
“These are very serious charges that will be addressed by the proper authorities,” he said. “We will await the determination of these charges before we make any further comment.”
A spokesman for the Senate Republicans, John McArdle, declined to comment.
On Friday night, residents of Corona, one of the neighborhoods Mr. Monserrate represents, said they would stand by him.
At a holiday event for children at the Elmcor Community Center, Jose Castillo, 36, a livery-cab driver who distributed leaflets for Mr. Monserrate four years ago, said he was reluctant to believe the charges against him. “I think they’re making this thing up,” he said. “He helped the people a lot for eight years. He’s helped out the Hispanic people.”
Carlos Salazar, 37, a limousine driver, said he supported Mr. Monserrate because he fought to change a state law on insurance compensation for limo drivers. “He’s always open to hear what you have to say,” he said.
Deputy Had Previous Restraining Order
MILWAUKEE
Domestic violence victim advocates said they're concerned about the events that led up to the arrest of a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy accused of shooting his girlfriend.
The 39-year-old deputy's ex-wife got a restraining order against him just two years ago, saying he threatened to kill her.
The deputy's ex-wife told a judge in 2006 the deputy threatened to kill her.
The judge found her claims credible enough to issue a restraining order, but the judge didn't bar him from carrying a firearm. He didn't ever turn that gun on her, but his new girlfriend is now accusing him of shooting her in the face.
It was a terrifying night Monday near 91st Street and Brown Deer Road when the 31-year-old woman fled from her condominium with a gaping gunshot wound to her face.
She said the 39-year-old deputy -- her boyfriend and the father of her child -- followed her, firing five times into a neighbor's home where she ran for help.
A 12-year-old girl there was wounded.
"It's an illustration that anybody who is in the situation is, can be potentially hurt -- bystanders, advocates, neighbors, people who are trying to intervene. It's a very lethal and dangerous situation when a perpetrator decides to kill or harm their victim," said Carmen Pitre of the Task Force on Family Violence.
Domestic abuse victim advocates said even when there are warning signs, when the abuser is in law enforcement, the cases can be especially difficult.
The deputy's ex-wife had a restraining order granted against him in 2006, writing, "He will kill me. He said it doesn't matter who I tell. No one can protect me. He would make it his mission in life to hurt me."
"Law enforcement officers have access to more resources, more power, and this issue really is about power and control. When I read the statement that he said, 'I'll make it my mission in life to hurt you,' what that means for a law enforcement official is they do have the power. They have institutionalized power behind them," Pitre said.
The ex-wife continued her statement saying, "He said he will do it, and he won't get caught."
"As a community, ordinary citizens, we should all be concerned about people who have issues with power and control, who are law enforcement officers, because they make us all less safe," Pitre said.
Bohr asked for an interview with Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke about whether he was aware of the prior restraining order against the deputy, but he did not answer the request.
The case is still being reviewed by the district attorney. There are no charges yet. The deputy remains in jail.
Previous Story: December 16, 2008: Updated: Deputy Arrested In Connection With Shooting
Domestic violence victim advocates said they're concerned about the events that led up to the arrest of a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy accused of shooting his girlfriend.
The 39-year-old deputy's ex-wife got a restraining order against him just two years ago, saying he threatened to kill her.
The deputy's ex-wife told a judge in 2006 the deputy threatened to kill her.
The judge found her claims credible enough to issue a restraining order, but the judge didn't bar him from carrying a firearm. He didn't ever turn that gun on her, but his new girlfriend is now accusing him of shooting her in the face.
It was a terrifying night Monday near 91st Street and Brown Deer Road when the 31-year-old woman fled from her condominium with a gaping gunshot wound to her face.
She said the 39-year-old deputy -- her boyfriend and the father of her child -- followed her, firing five times into a neighbor's home where she ran for help.
A 12-year-old girl there was wounded.
"It's an illustration that anybody who is in the situation is, can be potentially hurt -- bystanders, advocates, neighbors, people who are trying to intervene. It's a very lethal and dangerous situation when a perpetrator decides to kill or harm their victim," said Carmen Pitre of the Task Force on Family Violence.
Domestic abuse victim advocates said even when there are warning signs, when the abuser is in law enforcement, the cases can be especially difficult.
The deputy's ex-wife had a restraining order granted against him in 2006, writing, "He will kill me. He said it doesn't matter who I tell. No one can protect me. He would make it his mission in life to hurt me."
"Law enforcement officers have access to more resources, more power, and this issue really is about power and control. When I read the statement that he said, 'I'll make it my mission in life to hurt you,' what that means for a law enforcement official is they do have the power. They have institutionalized power behind them," Pitre said.
The ex-wife continued her statement saying, "He said he will do it, and he won't get caught."
"As a community, ordinary citizens, we should all be concerned about people who have issues with power and control, who are law enforcement officers, because they make us all less safe," Pitre said.
Bohr asked for an interview with Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke about whether he was aware of the prior restraining order against the deputy, but he did not answer the request.
The case is still being reviewed by the district attorney. There are no charges yet. The deputy remains in jail.
Previous Story: December 16, 2008: Updated: Deputy Arrested In Connection With Shooting
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Lawsuit Settled by County for Officer Shooting Unarmed Man
The family of a naked, unarmed man who was fatally shot by an Anne Arundel rookie police officer in 2005 will be paid $90,000 by the county, according to a source familiar with the settlement agreement.
Relatives of Donald E. Coates Jr., the 20-year-old Glen Burnie man who was killed, sued the county for $20 million in June, alleging that Officer Tommy Pleasant acted with "malice" and that the shooting was unjustified.
"They felt that there were a number of factors in the case that indicated that Donald Coates wasn't in a position that he could have caused any harm to this officer," said James L. Rhodes, a lawyer representing the family.
Coates was apparently high on drugs and delusional when police were called to his home May 24, 2005. He fired shots inside the house and then jumped out of a window, stripped and hid behind a utility box.
Officers ordered Coates to surrender, but he ran toward Pleasant, 22, who had been on the police force for nine months. The officer shot Coates four times.
A grand jury did not indict Pleasant on criminal charges, and he remains on the force.
County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson declined to discuss the details of the agreement but said that the settlement would be finalized next week and would bring the case to a close.
U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz signed off on the settlement this week, Rhodes said.
The family members who brought the lawsuit - Coates' parents and the mothers of his two children - remain "very distraught," Rhodes said.
"The emotion from the family made it seem as if it just happened yesterday," he said.
More Information: http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/crime/121908settlement.html
Relatives of Donald E. Coates Jr., the 20-year-old Glen Burnie man who was killed, sued the county for $20 million in June, alleging that Officer Tommy Pleasant acted with "malice" and that the shooting was unjustified.
"They felt that there were a number of factors in the case that indicated that Donald Coates wasn't in a position that he could have caused any harm to this officer," said James L. Rhodes, a lawyer representing the family.
Coates was apparently high on drugs and delusional when police were called to his home May 24, 2005. He fired shots inside the house and then jumped out of a window, stripped and hid behind a utility box.
Officers ordered Coates to surrender, but he ran toward Pleasant, 22, who had been on the police force for nine months. The officer shot Coates four times.
A grand jury did not indict Pleasant on criminal charges, and he remains on the force.
County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson declined to discuss the details of the agreement but said that the settlement would be finalized next week and would bring the case to a close.
U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz signed off on the settlement this week, Rhodes said.
The family members who brought the lawsuit - Coates' parents and the mothers of his two children - remain "very distraught," Rhodes said.
"The emotion from the family made it seem as if it just happened yesterday," he said.
More Information: http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/local/crime/121908settlement.html
Lieutenant Kenneth Parrish Charged with DUI for the 4th Time
A veteran Prince George's County police lieutenant was charged recently with driving under the influence of alcohol -- for the fourth time this year.
Two of the drunken driving charges against Lt. Kenneth W. Parrish were dropped by county prosecutors, one of them in a plea deal and the other when the arresting officer failed to appear for a court hearing.
Parrish, 44, was suspended with pay in February after he was charged with driving under the influence while operating a county police cruiser off-duty in Laurel. Acting county Police Chief Roberto Hylton said that police officials take Parrish's conduct seriously and that internal investigations are continuing.
"We understand this is a public safety issue," Hylton said.
In the most recent incident, Parrish was arrested Friday when Montgomery County police found him asleep behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade near a gas pump in Silver Spring, with the car in drive and his foot on the brake pedal, according to a charging document.
A breath test showed that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit for driving under the influence, the document says. Parrish was unable to stand on his own and admitted to drinking a half-pint of vodka that morning, the document says.
Efforts to reach Parrish this week were unsuccessful. A lawyer who represented him in some of the previous cases did not return a phone call. The president of the county police union said fellow officers have been attempting in recent days to reach Parrish, without success.
Hylton said Parrish, a 20-year member of the police force, had an exemplary record before the recent arrests. Hylton said Parrish has had a difficult year, struggling with the death of his mother and the breakup of his marriage, events that the chief said prompted the lieutenant to drink excessively.
"He's taken a downward spiral," Hylton said. "Everybody's shocked."
Under the auspices of the police department's employee assistance program, Parrish has been treated for alcohol dependence, and police officials and the police union are trying to reach out to the lieutenant to offer support, Hylton said.
"We are not giving up," Hylton said. "We have offered all sorts of help and counseling. We are going to continue to reach out to him."
Parrish is assigned to the 6th District in Beltsville. If the internal investigations into the four incidents find no wrongdoing, Parrish would still have to be cleared by a departmental medical board before he could return to duty.
Regarding the two drunken driving charges in Prince George's that were dismissed by prosecutors, State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said in a statement that Parrish "has not received any special treatment because of his status on the police force."
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday, Montgomery police were summoned to a Sunoco gas station in the 14000 block of Georgia Avenue. A paramedic tried repeatedly to wake Parrish, who was in the driver's seat, according to the charging document. Eventually, the paramedic shifted the car into park, and a police sergeant took the keys out of the ignition, the document says.
Parrish's speech was slurred and his breath smelled of alcohol, according to the charging document. An initial breath test indicated that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, and a second breath test, administered at a police station, indicated a blood-alcohol level of 0.24.
In addition to driving under the influence, Parrish was charged with driving with a suspended license. He is scheduled to be tried in March, according to court records.
On Feb. 13, in Laurel, Parrish was charged with leaving his vehicle -- a county police cruiser -- in an intersection and with driving while impaired by alcohol. The charges were dropped when the arresting officer did not appear for court.
Laurel police officer Mark Schmidt, who made the arrest, was not aware of the court hearing until after he had missed it, Laurel police spokesman Jimmy Collins said.
Collins said the paperwork alerting Schmidt to the hearing was sent to the Laurel police station on a Saturday for a Monday court date. Schmidt was not in the office and did not get the paperwork until Tuesday, he said.
On July 27, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving and other traffic offenses.
He pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and was fined $142.50, according to court records. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
On Sept. 9, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence and failing to stop after a motor vehicle accident. That case is scheduled to go to trial in February.
Two of the drunken driving charges against Lt. Kenneth W. Parrish were dropped by county prosecutors, one of them in a plea deal and the other when the arresting officer failed to appear for a court hearing.
Parrish, 44, was suspended with pay in February after he was charged with driving under the influence while operating a county police cruiser off-duty in Laurel. Acting county Police Chief Roberto Hylton said that police officials take Parrish's conduct seriously and that internal investigations are continuing.
"We understand this is a public safety issue," Hylton said.
In the most recent incident, Parrish was arrested Friday when Montgomery County police found him asleep behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade near a gas pump in Silver Spring, with the car in drive and his foot on the brake pedal, according to a charging document.
A breath test showed that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit for driving under the influence, the document says. Parrish was unable to stand on his own and admitted to drinking a half-pint of vodka that morning, the document says.
Efforts to reach Parrish this week were unsuccessful. A lawyer who represented him in some of the previous cases did not return a phone call. The president of the county police union said fellow officers have been attempting in recent days to reach Parrish, without success.
Hylton said Parrish, a 20-year member of the police force, had an exemplary record before the recent arrests. Hylton said Parrish has had a difficult year, struggling with the death of his mother and the breakup of his marriage, events that the chief said prompted the lieutenant to drink excessively.
"He's taken a downward spiral," Hylton said. "Everybody's shocked."
Under the auspices of the police department's employee assistance program, Parrish has been treated for alcohol dependence, and police officials and the police union are trying to reach out to the lieutenant to offer support, Hylton said.
"We are not giving up," Hylton said. "We have offered all sorts of help and counseling. We are going to continue to reach out to him."
Parrish is assigned to the 6th District in Beltsville. If the internal investigations into the four incidents find no wrongdoing, Parrish would still have to be cleared by a departmental medical board before he could return to duty.
Regarding the two drunken driving charges in Prince George's that were dismissed by prosecutors, State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said in a statement that Parrish "has not received any special treatment because of his status on the police force."
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday, Montgomery police were summoned to a Sunoco gas station in the 14000 block of Georgia Avenue. A paramedic tried repeatedly to wake Parrish, who was in the driver's seat, according to the charging document. Eventually, the paramedic shifted the car into park, and a police sergeant took the keys out of the ignition, the document says.
Parrish's speech was slurred and his breath smelled of alcohol, according to the charging document. An initial breath test indicated that Parrish had a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, and a second breath test, administered at a police station, indicated a blood-alcohol level of 0.24.
In addition to driving under the influence, Parrish was charged with driving with a suspended license. He is scheduled to be tried in March, according to court records.
On Feb. 13, in Laurel, Parrish was charged with leaving his vehicle -- a county police cruiser -- in an intersection and with driving while impaired by alcohol. The charges were dropped when the arresting officer did not appear for court.
Laurel police officer Mark Schmidt, who made the arrest, was not aware of the court hearing until after he had missed it, Laurel police spokesman Jimmy Collins said.
Collins said the paperwork alerting Schmidt to the hearing was sent to the Laurel police station on a Saturday for a Monday court date. Schmidt was not in the office and did not get the paperwork until Tuesday, he said.
On July 27, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving and other traffic offenses.
He pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and was fined $142.50, according to court records. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
On Sept. 9, also in Laurel, Parrish was charged with driving under the influence and failing to stop after a motor vehicle accident. That case is scheduled to go to trial in February.
Corrections Officer Arrested for Unlawful Surveillance
GOUVERNEUR, N.Y.
A state corrections officer is arrested after installing a camera in his bathroom.
Police say Dennis Koerick Jr., 43, of Antwerp installed a remote control camera in a bathroom at his home to watch guests. Koerick is also accused of then destroying the evidence before State Police arrived.
Koerick is charged with two counts of unlawful surveillance and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Koerick is an officer at the Gouverneur correctional facility. He is the fourth employee to be arrested since November.
Three civilian employees are accused of having sexual relations with inmates.
A state corrections officer is arrested after installing a camera in his bathroom.
Police say Dennis Koerick Jr., 43, of Antwerp installed a remote control camera in a bathroom at his home to watch guests. Koerick is also accused of then destroying the evidence before State Police arrived.
Koerick is charged with two counts of unlawful surveillance and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Koerick is an officer at the Gouverneur correctional facility. He is the fourth employee to be arrested since November.
Three civilian employees are accused of having sexual relations with inmates.
Former Sergeant Michelle Wagner Arrested for Stealing from Police Explorers
MANCHESTER, Conn.
Newly released reports accuse a former Manchester police sergeant of gambling away nearly all the $19,000 she stole from department youth programs.
The arrest warrant affidavit for 34-year-old Michelle Wagner says she took the money from Police Explorers and child safety seat accounts and spent most of it at the two casinos in eastern Connecticut.
Wagner, who resigned last month, was arraigned Wednesday in Manchester Superior Court on three counts of first-degree larceny and one count of second-degree larceny.
She has not entered a plea.
A call to a number listed in her name in Manchester went unanswered yesterday (Wednesday).
Judge Bradford Ward ordered her to stay away from casinos and seek treatment for gambling.
She is free on a promise to return to court Jan. 15.
Newly released reports accuse a former Manchester police sergeant of gambling away nearly all the $19,000 she stole from department youth programs.
The arrest warrant affidavit for 34-year-old Michelle Wagner says she took the money from Police Explorers and child safety seat accounts and spent most of it at the two casinos in eastern Connecticut.
Wagner, who resigned last month, was arraigned Wednesday in Manchester Superior Court on three counts of first-degree larceny and one count of second-degree larceny.
She has not entered a plea.
A call to a number listed in her name in Manchester went unanswered yesterday (Wednesday).
Judge Bradford Ward ordered her to stay away from casinos and seek treatment for gambling.
She is free on a promise to return to court Jan. 15.
Officer Johathan Hammons Arrested for Perjury & Filing False Report
A Cleveland police officer has been arrested and charged with perjury and filing a false report in connection with the shooting of one police officer by another last month.
Officer Jonathan Hammons was arrested Wednesday at the Cleveland Police Department, according to court records.
Hammons was released shortly after his arrest and after posting a $5,000 bond.
The arrest came as the result of an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
TBI Public Information Officer Kristin Helm said she could not release additional information this morning because the investigation is continuing.
A separate internal investigation by the Cleveland Police Department has resulted in two officers being suspended and a third resigning.
A fourth officer, Chris Mason, remains on leave because of the gunshot wound to his hand.
According to Cleveland Police Chief Wes Snyder, officers Hammons and Nathan Thomas were suspended Friday, without pay, pending the results of the investigation.
Officer Dennis Hughes has resigned as a result of the incident and retained an attorney, Snyder said.
The incident was first reported as an accidental shooting.
According to initial reports, Mason and Hammons -- who were on duty -- were at the home of Hughes, who was off duty, shortly before midnight on Nov. 30.
The men were looking at a .38 caliber revolver which was possibly for sale, Snyder said the men told him after the shooting.
"During the handling of the firearm," Snyder said on Dec. 1, "it discharged and struck Mason in the hand . His injury is non-life threatening; however, he possibly will have to undergo some surgery."
Snyder said dual investigations, which do not overlap in anyway, are standard procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is looking into whether the officers involved committed any criminal act or violated any laws.
The Cleveland Police Department is conducting an internal investigation to determine whether the officers violated any policies of the police department.
Saying he could not comment on the TBI's investigation into possible criminal acts, Snyder said Thomas' involvement came to investigators' attention through the internal investigation.
The officers involved in the incident, he said, had been on the radar of the department's internal investigators for some time.
However, there had not been enough information before the shooting to proceed with a formal investigation of the men's activities.
So far, Snyder said, the internal investigation is indicating the officers falsely reported how the shooting occurred.
The investigation, which he expects to be completed within a week, also indicates the officers likely violated police department policies.
When an officer is believed to have violated the department's policies, Snyder said, the incident is assigned to an investigator in the department's Criminal Investigation Division.
An investigation, much like a criminal investigation -- except focusing on violation of policy, not violation of laws -- ensues.
During the internal investigation, Snyder said, the investigator reports only to the chief of police.
Officer Craig Dennis Arrested for trying to Choke Girlfriend
A Fort Wayne police officer was arrested Wednesday outside a Roanoke bar after sheriff’s officers said he beat his girlfriend and tried to choke her.
Craig Dennis, who has been a city police officer since 2001, was taken to the Huntington County Jail on a misdemeanor battery charge. He posted a $5,000 bond.
Huntington County sheriff’s deputies were called to Lock No. 4 at 4162 E. Station Road in Roanoke early Wednesday to investigate allegations an off-duty Fort Wayne police officer was causing a disturbance, a report said.
Dennis, 30, told a sheriff’s deputy he was “sucker punched” by another bar patron after a scuffle broke out. Dennis’ girlfriend then got into another man’s car, which upset Dennis, the report said.
She told police she and Dennis had a few drinks at the bar, after which Dennis became upset and began to get physical with her in the bar.
At one point Dennis clasped his hands around her throat and threatened to kill her, she told deputies.
The woman also told deputies that Dennis, her boyfriend of two years, had become physical with her on other occasions but promised “that it will not happen again,” the report said.
Four eyewitnesses signed statements verifying they saw Dennis become abusive at the bar, court records state.
Dennis, who is a patrol officer on the city’s northwest side, was suspended twice this year.
On one occasion, he violated the department’s sick-leave policy. On a second occasion, he was absent without leave, according to department records.
In both 2003 and 2008, Dennis received letters of reprimand for police vehicle crashes.
In 2008, he received a reprimand for submission of reports, according to department records.
Dennis received an award of excellence in 2002.
Police Chief Rusty York said Dennis was placed on paid leave Thursday.
“We will be taking his status up with the board of safety at their next meeting,” York said. “We will wait and follow that investigation and pretty much base where we go from there.”
That meeting is scheduled for Jan. 5.
Dennis faces up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor battery charge.
Craig Dennis, who has been a city police officer since 2001, was taken to the Huntington County Jail on a misdemeanor battery charge. He posted a $5,000 bond.
Huntington County sheriff’s deputies were called to Lock No. 4 at 4162 E. Station Road in Roanoke early Wednesday to investigate allegations an off-duty Fort Wayne police officer was causing a disturbance, a report said.
Dennis, 30, told a sheriff’s deputy he was “sucker punched” by another bar patron after a scuffle broke out. Dennis’ girlfriend then got into another man’s car, which upset Dennis, the report said.
She told police she and Dennis had a few drinks at the bar, after which Dennis became upset and began to get physical with her in the bar.
At one point Dennis clasped his hands around her throat and threatened to kill her, she told deputies.
The woman also told deputies that Dennis, her boyfriend of two years, had become physical with her on other occasions but promised “that it will not happen again,” the report said.
Four eyewitnesses signed statements verifying they saw Dennis become abusive at the bar, court records state.
Dennis, who is a patrol officer on the city’s northwest side, was suspended twice this year.
On one occasion, he violated the department’s sick-leave policy. On a second occasion, he was absent without leave, according to department records.
In both 2003 and 2008, Dennis received letters of reprimand for police vehicle crashes.
In 2008, he received a reprimand for submission of reports, according to department records.
Dennis received an award of excellence in 2002.
Police Chief Rusty York said Dennis was placed on paid leave Thursday.
“We will be taking his status up with the board of safety at their next meeting,” York said. “We will wait and follow that investigation and pretty much base where we go from there.”
That meeting is scheduled for Jan. 5.
Dennis faces up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor battery charge.
Officer Anthony Miller Charged with Possessing Child Porn
NEW RICHMOND, Wis.
Wisconsin prosecutors have charged a Minnesota police officer with possessing child pornography.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice says 40-year-old Anthony T. Miller is an 11-year veteran of the Police Department in Hastings, Minn.
Wisconsin Justice Department agents and local police arrested Miller at his home in New Richmond on Tuesday. The agency says Miller acknowledged downloading, possessing and trading child pornography for the past two years. He also acknowledged using his personal laptop while on duty to access unencrypted wireless networks around Hastings.
He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
Online court records did not list his case or an attorney. His home number was unlisted.
More Information: http://www.twincities.com/ci_11266743?source=most_emailed
Wisconsin prosecutors have charged a Minnesota police officer with possessing child pornography.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice says 40-year-old Anthony T. Miller is an 11-year veteran of the Police Department in Hastings, Minn.
Wisconsin Justice Department agents and local police arrested Miller at his home in New Richmond on Tuesday. The agency says Miller acknowledged downloading, possessing and trading child pornography for the past two years. He also acknowledged using his personal laptop while on duty to access unencrypted wireless networks around Hastings.
He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
Online court records did not list his case or an attorney. His home number was unlisted.
More Information: http://www.twincities.com/ci_11266743?source=most_emailed
Police Turned Predators
Here and across the county, sexual misconduct by police officers is a hidden crime, poorly investigated and often unpunished. An Inquirer review found more than 400 examples over the past five years of police turned predators. From New York to Los Angeles and in this region, from Bucks County to Burlington County, rogue police have used their badges to exploit women and extort sex.
The cases form a chilling pattern: The abusers tend to target vulnerable women such as prostitutes, drug users or those who have been drinking, knowing the victims probably won’t be believed even if they complain. Many victims never come forward at all.
Extorting sex with a badge
This article on police officers who extort sex gave an incorrect neighborhood for a police stop at Torresdale Avenue and Levick Street, which is in the Tacony section of the city.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/Extorting_sex_with_a_badge.html?viewAll=y
The cases form a chilling pattern: The abusers tend to target vulnerable women such as prostitutes, drug users or those who have been drinking, knowing the victims probably won’t be believed even if they complain. Many victims never come forward at all.
Extorting sex with a badge
This article on police officers who extort sex gave an incorrect neighborhood for a police stop at Torresdale Avenue and Levick Street, which is in the Tacony section of the city.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/Extorting_sex_with_a_badge.html?viewAll=y
Former Officer Samuel Anderson Charged with Official Oppression
A former Bristol Borough police officer was arrested yesterday, accused of pressuring a woman to engage in sex acts with him while he was on duty.
Samuel Anderson, 32, of Levittown, resigned from the police in September after county detectives began investigating him. He was charged yesterday with official oppression, a second-degree misdemeanor, and was released on $30,000 unsecured bail.
A criminal complaint says that Anderson performed sexual acts on a woman after she had called police for assistance on Aug. 29.
The woman told police that Anderson had "requested that they engage in sexual acts." She initially complied, the complaint said, explaining that she "did not know what to do because he was a police officer in her residence."
The woman had called police for help during a 3 a.m. argument with her ex-boyfriend at her residence.
Anderson told the man to leave, and then helped locate the woman's car keys, which the ex-boyfriend had thrown across the street.
Anderson then returned with the woman to her residence, and asked for sex. The woman allowed the officer to perform sex acts on her, the complaint says, but refused when he demanded she reciprocate.
During the encounter, Anderson stopped at one point to radio his patrol partner, the complaint says.
After the woman refused his added demands, Anderson "asked if he could come back again and [the woman] agreed." Instead, she filed a complaint against Anderson later in the day.
Samuel Anderson, 32, of Levittown, resigned from the police in September after county detectives began investigating him. He was charged yesterday with official oppression, a second-degree misdemeanor, and was released on $30,000 unsecured bail.
A criminal complaint says that Anderson performed sexual acts on a woman after she had called police for assistance on Aug. 29.
The woman told police that Anderson had "requested that they engage in sexual acts." She initially complied, the complaint said, explaining that she "did not know what to do because he was a police officer in her residence."
The woman had called police for help during a 3 a.m. argument with her ex-boyfriend at her residence.
Anderson told the man to leave, and then helped locate the woman's car keys, which the ex-boyfriend had thrown across the street.
Anderson then returned with the woman to her residence, and asked for sex. The woman allowed the officer to perform sex acts on her, the complaint says, but refused when he demanded she reciprocate.
During the encounter, Anderson stopped at one point to radio his patrol partner, the complaint says.
After the woman refused his added demands, Anderson "asked if he could come back again and [the woman] agreed." Instead, she filed a complaint against Anderson later in the day.
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