A judge sentenced a former Huntington police officer to a year in prison for molesting a teenager.
40-year-old William Wike was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and admitting he fondled a 15-year-old girl.
Huntington officials fired the nine-year department veteran last month. After he confessed to the fondling.
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Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Officer Jason Anderson Charged with Manslaughter
Now that the voluminous Connecticut State Police report is in on the horrific deaths of two Milford teens struck by a speeding police officer, the Milford Board of Police Commissioners should move quickly to get Officer Jason Anderson off the payroll.
Whether the board decides to fire the officer, who was captured on video flying at 94 mph in the moments leading up to the fatal crash, it should change the officer's suspension to a non-paid one.
Anderson's been charged with two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of 19-year-old David Servin and Ashlie Krakowski, whose car he rammed shortly after 2 a.m. last June while he and another officer were speeding down the Boston Post Road on their way back from a mutual aid call in West Haven.
Until release of the State Police report -- and there's no question that a thorough, deliberate investigation was called for and done -- the city of Milford has said it could not conduct its own investigation.
Therefore, the board suspended Anderson with pay after he was charged in the deaths.
The facts in the case, as most dramatically displayed in a video shot by the dashboard camera of another officer who was on the scene, show that Anderson was driving in a way so reckless as to warrant dismissal.
For anyone to be driving at over 90 mph on the Post Road, regardless of the time of day, is simply outrageous. And when it's a sworn officer of the law, it's really beyond the pale.
Anderson will have his day in court to answer the criminal charges, but his behavior warrants the most severe sanction the city can issue.
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Other Information: http://www.connpost.com/ci_13953900
Whether the board decides to fire the officer, who was captured on video flying at 94 mph in the moments leading up to the fatal crash, it should change the officer's suspension to a non-paid one.
Anderson's been charged with two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of 19-year-old David Servin and Ashlie Krakowski, whose car he rammed shortly after 2 a.m. last June while he and another officer were speeding down the Boston Post Road on their way back from a mutual aid call in West Haven.
Until release of the State Police report -- and there's no question that a thorough, deliberate investigation was called for and done -- the city of Milford has said it could not conduct its own investigation.
Therefore, the board suspended Anderson with pay after he was charged in the deaths.
The facts in the case, as most dramatically displayed in a video shot by the dashboard camera of another officer who was on the scene, show that Anderson was driving in a way so reckless as to warrant dismissal.
For anyone to be driving at over 90 mph on the Post Road, regardless of the time of day, is simply outrageous. And when it's a sworn officer of the law, it's really beyond the pale.
Anderson will have his day in court to answer the criminal charges, but his behavior warrants the most severe sanction the city can issue.
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Other Information: http://www.connpost.com/ci_13953900
Former Officer Shanita McKnight Appealing 20 Year Sentence
A former Lake City police sergeant found guilty of drug trafficking and extortion will appeal her 20-year federal sentence, according to federal court documents.
Shanita McKnight stood trial in federal court in Florence in October 2008 and was sentenced May 27.
About a month later, she filed documents pertaining to appealing her case to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Columbia attorney Joseph Henry, who represented Knight during her trial and sentencing, said in his client would be filing an affidavit of indigency and is requesting that counsel be appointed for her.
Transcripts of many of the objections made by Henry during the trial have been filed for use in federal appellate court.
Thomas M. Dawson and Lyle L. Yurko have been appointed as appellate defense attorneys in the case, according to court documents.
McKnight was convicted Oct. 21 of drug trafficking and extortion charges after a five-day federal trial. Per federal guidelines, she had to remain incarcerated until her sentencing.
McKnight was charged Aug. 9, 2005, with acceptance of money to conceal an offense involving a felony, misconduct in office, misprision of a felony and obstruction of justice.
The criminal affidavit accompanying the warrants alleged McKnight, during her eight years with the Lake City Police Department, tipped off drug dealers to police activities to help them elude arrest.
In addition, the affidavit indicated that McKnight was present during many drug transactions but never did anything about them and also that she was given money by drug dealers in exchange for information about law enforcement activity in the area.
McKnight and her aunt, Albergail McFadden, both of Lake City, were indicted June 26, 2007 on drug trafficking charges. McKnight also was charged with extortion for using her position as a police officer to “wrongfully obtain monies from other individuals.”
McFadden was sentenced Nov. 13 to 20 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by Wooten. U.S. District Court Judge Terry L. McFadden could have been ordered to pay a large fine, but he said he would not impose a fine in the case because she didn’t have the ability to pay.
McKnight was co-owner of 104 Samuel St., Lake City where a nightclub called Mamie Lou’s was located. Testimony established that Mamie Lou’s was operated by McFadden and was a well-known drug haven in Lake City where crack cocaine was sold and smoked, and prostitutes were available.
During her sentencing hearing McKnight told Wooten she isn’t a bad person.
“ ... I’m a good person,” a sobbing McKnight said. “I don’t care what these people say in this courtroom ... I was a good officer my family needs me and I need my family. I’ve lost everything I’ve worked hard for. I’m not the person they have made me out to be!”
TIMELINE OF LAKE CITY LARGE-SCALE CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION
Feb. 15, 2005 ... Lake City Police Lt. William Webb is arrested on federal drug charges of conspiracy with intent to distribute powder and/or crack cocaine as the result of an ongoing federal investigation into corruption and drug activity in the Lake City area.
June 29, 2005 ... Lake City police officer Maurice Ponteau and Sgt. Shanita McKnight and former Lake City police officer Merwyn Curt Brown have their state police certifications suspended by the S.C. Department of Public Safety Criminal Justice Academy after the academy reports that the officers failed polygraph tests they were given in connection with the same federal investigation.
July 4, 2005 ... Despite having his police certification pulled and being placed on administrative leave, Ponteau issues a traffic ticket to a local motorist. On the accompanying traffic collision report, Ponteau signs off as the investigating officer.
July 6, 2005 ... Then-Lake City Police Chief Kenneth McCaster is fired by Lake City Administrator George Simmons after just six months on the job. Simmons said he fired McCaster after the two had a disagreement about the way to handle the situation involving Ponteau and McKnight. “He (McCaster) wanted to terminate their employment on June 29th, and I wouldn’t let him,” Simmons said. “Because of that difference (in opinion), that’s why I’m here and he’s not.”
July 8, 2005 ... McCaster issues a public letter to the citizens of Lake City in which he explains he was fired after he reported the polygraph results for the three officers who were interviewed in connection with the Webb case. In the letter, McCaster makes many allegations about the workings of the city’s administration, calling Lake City “a thug-run city” and “a society of illegal administrative practices, sexual relations at work, political favors, nepotism, voter fraud, election fraud, intimidation, bad judicial (court practices), ticket fixing mixed with political pressure and favoritism and defiance and arrogance concerning other law enforcement agencies.”
July 22, 2005 ... The Morning News and WBTW News13 learn that Lake City Police Officer Elesto Bradford’s law enforcement certification has been suspended by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy since February. Police department officials say the suspension is the result of a paperwork glitch and is in no way connected to an ongoing investigation into corruption and illegal drug activity in the Lake City area. Bradford is suspended from duty without pay until the problem can be addressed. His certification is soon reinstated.
Aug. 8, 2005 ... McKnight is taken into custody by State Law Enforcement Division agents.
Aug. 9, 2005 ... McKnight is officially charged with acceptance of money to conceal an offense involving a felony, misconduct in office, misprision of a felony and obstruction of justice. The criminal affidavit accompanying the warrants alleges that McKnight, during her eight years with the Lake City Police Department, tipped off drug dealers to police activities to help them elude arrest. In addition, the affidavit indicates that McKnight was present during many drug transactions but never did anything about them and also that she was given money by drug dealers in exchange for information about law enforcement activity in the area. The charges against McKnight are still pending. The case has been turned over to the S.C. Attorney General’s office for prosecution, but no court date has been set.
Oct. 3, 2005 ... Webb pleads guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. His plea is part of an agreement with the U.S. government that requires him to cooperate fully with the federal investigation into allegations of corruption and illegal drug activities in the Lake City area.
Jan. 2, 2006 ... Phillip Grimsley, a Lake City native and regional supervisor of SLED’s vice unit, takes the job of Lake City police chief.
Jan. 11, 2006 ... Grimsley announces that he has resigned as Lake City police chief after less than a week on the job and returns to work as a SLED lieutenant.
Jan. 12, 2006 ... During a Lake City City Council meeting, Mayor LaRue Alford asks Lake City Police Capt. Billy Brown to serve as the town’s interim police chief. Brown agrees. He eventually is hired as the city’s permanent police chief.
Feb. 14, 2006 ... Brenda Reddix-Smalls, attorney for Lake City, tenders her resignation during a Lake City City Council meeting.
During that same meeting, Councilmen Lovith Anderson Jr., Jean Lee, Sondra Crosby-Fleming and Franklin McAllister vote to void Simmons’ contract. Alford, mayor pro tem Russ Martin and Gloria Tisdale vote against the action. Alford says a majority vote plus the mayor’s vote are required to void Simmons’ contract. It marks the third time since Simmons was hired as administrator in 1996 that members of the council have tried to remove him from the post. In December 1997, then-mayor pro tem Ralph Singletary fired Simmons, but Simmons was reinstated just days later by the council. Simmons’ contract was voided by a majority vote of council in July 2002, but Alford reinstated Simmons after a grievance hearing.
Feb. 16, 2006 ... U.S. District Judge Terry Wooten sentences Webb to 13 years and four months in prison in connection with illegal drug activity. The sentence is to be followed by five years’ supervised release, and Webb also must submit to drug testing and treatment directed by a probation officer.
April 19, 2006 ... Alford is arrested on charges of misconduct in office and obstruction of justice. He faces allegations that he had counterfeit money and allowed another person who had spent counterfeit money to hide in his Lake City business. The arrest is the result of a 14-month investigation by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the State Law Enforcement Division, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.
April 29, 2006 ... Alford turns himself in on a federal charge of dealing in counterfeit money. A federal magistrate judge grants a $50,000 personal recognizance bond for Alford’s release.
Gov. Mark Sanford suspends Alford as mayor of Lake City; mayor pro tem Martin begins serving as mayor.
May 9, 2006 ... Lake City City Council members vote, 4-2, on May 9 to terminate Simmons’ employment and give him six months’ compensation as required by his contract.
July 26, 2006 ... A federal magistrate judge grants more time for Alford and his lawyer to review evidence before Alford stands trial on the federal charge. Alford’s attorney, Lionel Lofton of Charleston, says the defense has not received all the evidence from all law enforcement agencies involved in the case.
July 27, 2006 ... Simmons is arrested by Florence County sheriff’s deputies on 19 counts of embezzlement of public funds and one count of misconduct in office. The charges stem from information gathered during an investigation by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, SLED and the FBI. “The aforementioned investigation revealed that Simmons, while acting in his capacity as city administrator for Lake City, collected rental funds from tenants who resided in residential housing units owned by Lake City and subsequently converted these rental funds to his own use,” between January 2001 and June 2005, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s office.
Aug. 7, 2006 … Simmons is booked at the Florence County Sheriff’s Office a second time. This time, he’s charged with 11 counts of embezzlement of public funds of $1,000 or less.
Simmons turns himself in and he was released hours after his arrest on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, Florence County Sheriff’s Capt. Todd Tucker said.
Nov. 2, 2006 ... Simmons and former Lake City finance director Juanita Cunningham Bradley-Wragg are arrested. They face one count each of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and program fraud, which relates to any federal funding taken for personal use, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said.
Simmons and Bradley were released after a U.S. magistrate set their unsecured bonds at $25,000 each. They must appear in federal court again Nov. 14 for a probable-cause hearing.
Nov. 7, 2006 ... Anderson is elected mayor of Lake City. Alford’s name is not on the ballot.
March 1, 2007 ... Assistant U.S. Attorney Debbie Barbier of the Columbia office added 21 charges to an original indictment against Simmons and Bradley-Wragg during an arraignment at the McMillan Federal Building in Florence. Barbier added one count of conspiracy, 10 counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of money laundering to their federal indictment. Neither Bradley-Wragg nor Simmons enter a plea.
March 5, 2007 ... Alford pleads guilty to possession of counterfeit currency in federal court. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000, plus a $100 special assessment.
May 30, 2007 ... Simmons and Bradley-Wragg finalize plea agreements at the McMillan Federal Building in Florence, avoiding a jury trial.
Simmons pleaded guilty to counts 1, 3 and 22 of the 40-count indictment. Count 1 and count 3 of the indictment charges that Simmons violated mail fraud statutes. Count 1 also charges him with conspiracy, stating that he knowingly and willfully conspired with another to take money from an organization receiving federal funds. Count 22 charges that he committed money laundering.
Simmons faces a $250,000 fine, five years in prison, and three years of supervised release for the conspiracy count. Possible penalties for money laundering include a maximum fine of $250,000 or not more than twice the criminally derived property, 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. He would also be required to pay a special assessment of $100.
Bradley-Wragg pleaded guilty to counts 2 and 17 of the indictment. Count 2 charges that on or about May 30, 2001, to Nov. 22, 2002, she converted at least $5,000 of federal money given to the City of Lake City to someone else, ultimately costing city residents more than $40,000.
Count 17 states that on or about Oct. 3, 2002, she conducted a financial transaction that involved stolen funds.
Bradley-Wragg faces a maximum fine of $250,000, 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for count 2 and a maximum fine of not more than $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction for count 17. She also faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a three years of supervised release, plus a special assessment of $100 for count 17.
June 1, 2007 ... Alford is sentenced to five months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for possession of counterfeit currency. He remains free on bond and will report to prison in 60 days, U.S. District Judge Terry L. Wooten said.
June 4, 2007 ... Simmons and Bradley-Wragg are scheduled to review the terms of their plea agreements in federal court.
June 26, 2007 ... McKnight and her aunt, Albergail McFadden, 52, both of Lake City, are indicted on drug trafficking charges. McKnight also is charged with extortion for using her position as a police officer to “wrongfully obtain monies from other individuals,” according to a press release from then-U.S. Attorney Reginald I. Lloyd.
McKnight and McFadden face a maximum penalty of 10 years to life in prison and fines ranging from $4 million to $8 million.McKnight faces a maximum penalty of a $250,000 fine and/or 20 years in prison for the extortion charge.
Dec. 13, 2007 ... Bradley-Wragg is sentenced to sentenced to four months in prison, four months’ house arrest and three years’ supervised release on federal charges that she took public funds from the sale of Lake City-owned property for her personal use while she held office. She faced between eight and 14 months in prison, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Debbie Barbier of Columbia, who prosecuted the case.
March 19, 2008 ... U.S. District Court Judge Terry Wooten sentences Simmons to 51 months in prison, to run concurrently, followed by three years’ supervised release for each of the three counts to which Simmons pleaded guilty. Simmons also must pay $30,078.19 in restitution and a $300 special assessment, due immediately.
Oct. 7, 2008 ... Wes Unseld McFadden, Mazie McFadden and Carl “Buckwheat” McFadden Jr. are arrested and each charged with one count of using physical force, the threat of physical force, intimidation, retaliation, harassment and corruptly persuading a person with the intent to prevent testimony of that person in an official proceeding. Albergail McFadden is the mother of Wes McFadden and Mazie McFadden; all four McFaddens are related to Shanita McKnight.
Oct. 9, 2008 ... U.S. District Court Judge Thomas E. Rogers set a $20,000 surety bond for Carl McFadden and a $10,000 surety bond for Mazie McFadden. Wes Unseld McFadden was present during the proceeding but didn’t have a bond hearing. Rogers ordered the suspects be on home detention and wearing electronic monitoring devices. Carl and Mazie McFadden were also instructed not to speak with any victims or potential witnesses involved in their own cases or in that of McKnight.
Oct. 15, 2008 ... Shanita McKnight’s federal trial begins in Florence before U.S. District Court Judge Terry Wooten. Albergail McFadden, who already has pleaded guilty, was expected to testify against her niece but does not.
Oct. 21, 2008 ... Shanita McKnight is convicted of drug trafficking and extortion charges after a five-day federal trial. The jury of six men and six women deliberates for about three and a half hours before handing down the verdict. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years to life in prison and fines ranging from $4 million to $8 million. She also faces a maximum penalty of a $250,000 fine and/or 20 years in prison for the extortion charge. Per federal guidelines, she must remain incarcerated until her sentencing.
Nov. 13, 2008 ... Albergail McFadden is sentenced to 20 years and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Terry L. Wooten. McFadden could have been ordered to pay a large fine, but Wooten said he would not impose a fine in the case because she didn’t have the ability to pay. She is, however, required to pay a special assessment fee of $100.
May 27 ... U.S. District Court Judge Terry L. Wooten sentences Shanita McKnight to 20 years in federal prison for each count, to run concurrently. McKnight also must serve five years of probation for the drug trafficking charge and three years of probation for extortion. Wooten ordered the probation sentences to run concurrently, as well.
Shanita McKnight stood trial in federal court in Florence in October 2008 and was sentenced May 27.
About a month later, she filed documents pertaining to appealing her case to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Columbia attorney Joseph Henry, who represented Knight during her trial and sentencing, said in his client would be filing an affidavit of indigency and is requesting that counsel be appointed for her.
Transcripts of many of the objections made by Henry during the trial have been filed for use in federal appellate court.
Thomas M. Dawson and Lyle L. Yurko have been appointed as appellate defense attorneys in the case, according to court documents.
McKnight was convicted Oct. 21 of drug trafficking and extortion charges after a five-day federal trial. Per federal guidelines, she had to remain incarcerated until her sentencing.
McKnight was charged Aug. 9, 2005, with acceptance of money to conceal an offense involving a felony, misconduct in office, misprision of a felony and obstruction of justice.
The criminal affidavit accompanying the warrants alleged McKnight, during her eight years with the Lake City Police Department, tipped off drug dealers to police activities to help them elude arrest.
In addition, the affidavit indicated that McKnight was present during many drug transactions but never did anything about them and also that she was given money by drug dealers in exchange for information about law enforcement activity in the area.
McKnight and her aunt, Albergail McFadden, both of Lake City, were indicted June 26, 2007 on drug trafficking charges. McKnight also was charged with extortion for using her position as a police officer to “wrongfully obtain monies from other individuals.”
McFadden was sentenced Nov. 13 to 20 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by Wooten. U.S. District Court Judge Terry L. McFadden could have been ordered to pay a large fine, but he said he would not impose a fine in the case because she didn’t have the ability to pay.
McKnight was co-owner of 104 Samuel St., Lake City where a nightclub called Mamie Lou’s was located. Testimony established that Mamie Lou’s was operated by McFadden and was a well-known drug haven in Lake City where crack cocaine was sold and smoked, and prostitutes were available.
During her sentencing hearing McKnight told Wooten she isn’t a bad person.
“ ... I’m a good person,” a sobbing McKnight said. “I don’t care what these people say in this courtroom ... I was a good officer my family needs me and I need my family. I’ve lost everything I’ve worked hard for. I’m not the person they have made me out to be!”
TIMELINE OF LAKE CITY LARGE-SCALE CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION
Feb. 15, 2005 ... Lake City Police Lt. William Webb is arrested on federal drug charges of conspiracy with intent to distribute powder and/or crack cocaine as the result of an ongoing federal investigation into corruption and drug activity in the Lake City area.
June 29, 2005 ... Lake City police officer Maurice Ponteau and Sgt. Shanita McKnight and former Lake City police officer Merwyn Curt Brown have their state police certifications suspended by the S.C. Department of Public Safety Criminal Justice Academy after the academy reports that the officers failed polygraph tests they were given in connection with the same federal investigation.
July 4, 2005 ... Despite having his police certification pulled and being placed on administrative leave, Ponteau issues a traffic ticket to a local motorist. On the accompanying traffic collision report, Ponteau signs off as the investigating officer.
July 6, 2005 ... Then-Lake City Police Chief Kenneth McCaster is fired by Lake City Administrator George Simmons after just six months on the job. Simmons said he fired McCaster after the two had a disagreement about the way to handle the situation involving Ponteau and McKnight. “He (McCaster) wanted to terminate their employment on June 29th, and I wouldn’t let him,” Simmons said. “Because of that difference (in opinion), that’s why I’m here and he’s not.”
July 8, 2005 ... McCaster issues a public letter to the citizens of Lake City in which he explains he was fired after he reported the polygraph results for the three officers who were interviewed in connection with the Webb case. In the letter, McCaster makes many allegations about the workings of the city’s administration, calling Lake City “a thug-run city” and “a society of illegal administrative practices, sexual relations at work, political favors, nepotism, voter fraud, election fraud, intimidation, bad judicial (court practices), ticket fixing mixed with political pressure and favoritism and defiance and arrogance concerning other law enforcement agencies.”
July 22, 2005 ... The Morning News and WBTW News13 learn that Lake City Police Officer Elesto Bradford’s law enforcement certification has been suspended by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy since February. Police department officials say the suspension is the result of a paperwork glitch and is in no way connected to an ongoing investigation into corruption and illegal drug activity in the Lake City area. Bradford is suspended from duty without pay until the problem can be addressed. His certification is soon reinstated.
Aug. 8, 2005 ... McKnight is taken into custody by State Law Enforcement Division agents.
Aug. 9, 2005 ... McKnight is officially charged with acceptance of money to conceal an offense involving a felony, misconduct in office, misprision of a felony and obstruction of justice. The criminal affidavit accompanying the warrants alleges that McKnight, during her eight years with the Lake City Police Department, tipped off drug dealers to police activities to help them elude arrest. In addition, the affidavit indicates that McKnight was present during many drug transactions but never did anything about them and also that she was given money by drug dealers in exchange for information about law enforcement activity in the area. The charges against McKnight are still pending. The case has been turned over to the S.C. Attorney General’s office for prosecution, but no court date has been set.
Oct. 3, 2005 ... Webb pleads guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. His plea is part of an agreement with the U.S. government that requires him to cooperate fully with the federal investigation into allegations of corruption and illegal drug activities in the Lake City area.
Jan. 2, 2006 ... Phillip Grimsley, a Lake City native and regional supervisor of SLED’s vice unit, takes the job of Lake City police chief.
Jan. 11, 2006 ... Grimsley announces that he has resigned as Lake City police chief after less than a week on the job and returns to work as a SLED lieutenant.
Jan. 12, 2006 ... During a Lake City City Council meeting, Mayor LaRue Alford asks Lake City Police Capt. Billy Brown to serve as the town’s interim police chief. Brown agrees. He eventually is hired as the city’s permanent police chief.
Feb. 14, 2006 ... Brenda Reddix-Smalls, attorney for Lake City, tenders her resignation during a Lake City City Council meeting.
During that same meeting, Councilmen Lovith Anderson Jr., Jean Lee, Sondra Crosby-Fleming and Franklin McAllister vote to void Simmons’ contract. Alford, mayor pro tem Russ Martin and Gloria Tisdale vote against the action. Alford says a majority vote plus the mayor’s vote are required to void Simmons’ contract. It marks the third time since Simmons was hired as administrator in 1996 that members of the council have tried to remove him from the post. In December 1997, then-mayor pro tem Ralph Singletary fired Simmons, but Simmons was reinstated just days later by the council. Simmons’ contract was voided by a majority vote of council in July 2002, but Alford reinstated Simmons after a grievance hearing.
Feb. 16, 2006 ... U.S. District Judge Terry Wooten sentences Webb to 13 years and four months in prison in connection with illegal drug activity. The sentence is to be followed by five years’ supervised release, and Webb also must submit to drug testing and treatment directed by a probation officer.
April 19, 2006 ... Alford is arrested on charges of misconduct in office and obstruction of justice. He faces allegations that he had counterfeit money and allowed another person who had spent counterfeit money to hide in his Lake City business. The arrest is the result of a 14-month investigation by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the State Law Enforcement Division, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.
April 29, 2006 ... Alford turns himself in on a federal charge of dealing in counterfeit money. A federal magistrate judge grants a $50,000 personal recognizance bond for Alford’s release.
Gov. Mark Sanford suspends Alford as mayor of Lake City; mayor pro tem Martin begins serving as mayor.
May 9, 2006 ... Lake City City Council members vote, 4-2, on May 9 to terminate Simmons’ employment and give him six months’ compensation as required by his contract.
July 26, 2006 ... A federal magistrate judge grants more time for Alford and his lawyer to review evidence before Alford stands trial on the federal charge. Alford’s attorney, Lionel Lofton of Charleston, says the defense has not received all the evidence from all law enforcement agencies involved in the case.
July 27, 2006 ... Simmons is arrested by Florence County sheriff’s deputies on 19 counts of embezzlement of public funds and one count of misconduct in office. The charges stem from information gathered during an investigation by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, SLED and the FBI. “The aforementioned investigation revealed that Simmons, while acting in his capacity as city administrator for Lake City, collected rental funds from tenants who resided in residential housing units owned by Lake City and subsequently converted these rental funds to his own use,” between January 2001 and June 2005, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s office.
Aug. 7, 2006 … Simmons is booked at the Florence County Sheriff’s Office a second time. This time, he’s charged with 11 counts of embezzlement of public funds of $1,000 or less.
Simmons turns himself in and he was released hours after his arrest on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, Florence County Sheriff’s Capt. Todd Tucker said.
Nov. 2, 2006 ... Simmons and former Lake City finance director Juanita Cunningham Bradley-Wragg are arrested. They face one count each of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and program fraud, which relates to any federal funding taken for personal use, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said.
Simmons and Bradley were released after a U.S. magistrate set their unsecured bonds at $25,000 each. They must appear in federal court again Nov. 14 for a probable-cause hearing.
Nov. 7, 2006 ... Anderson is elected mayor of Lake City. Alford’s name is not on the ballot.
March 1, 2007 ... Assistant U.S. Attorney Debbie Barbier of the Columbia office added 21 charges to an original indictment against Simmons and Bradley-Wragg during an arraignment at the McMillan Federal Building in Florence. Barbier added one count of conspiracy, 10 counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of money laundering to their federal indictment. Neither Bradley-Wragg nor Simmons enter a plea.
March 5, 2007 ... Alford pleads guilty to possession of counterfeit currency in federal court. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000, plus a $100 special assessment.
May 30, 2007 ... Simmons and Bradley-Wragg finalize plea agreements at the McMillan Federal Building in Florence, avoiding a jury trial.
Simmons pleaded guilty to counts 1, 3 and 22 of the 40-count indictment. Count 1 and count 3 of the indictment charges that Simmons violated mail fraud statutes. Count 1 also charges him with conspiracy, stating that he knowingly and willfully conspired with another to take money from an organization receiving federal funds. Count 22 charges that he committed money laundering.
Simmons faces a $250,000 fine, five years in prison, and three years of supervised release for the conspiracy count. Possible penalties for money laundering include a maximum fine of $250,000 or not more than twice the criminally derived property, 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. He would also be required to pay a special assessment of $100.
Bradley-Wragg pleaded guilty to counts 2 and 17 of the indictment. Count 2 charges that on or about May 30, 2001, to Nov. 22, 2002, she converted at least $5,000 of federal money given to the City of Lake City to someone else, ultimately costing city residents more than $40,000.
Count 17 states that on or about Oct. 3, 2002, she conducted a financial transaction that involved stolen funds.
Bradley-Wragg faces a maximum fine of $250,000, 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for count 2 and a maximum fine of not more than $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction for count 17. She also faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a three years of supervised release, plus a special assessment of $100 for count 17.
June 1, 2007 ... Alford is sentenced to five months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for possession of counterfeit currency. He remains free on bond and will report to prison in 60 days, U.S. District Judge Terry L. Wooten said.
June 4, 2007 ... Simmons and Bradley-Wragg are scheduled to review the terms of their plea agreements in federal court.
June 26, 2007 ... McKnight and her aunt, Albergail McFadden, 52, both of Lake City, are indicted on drug trafficking charges. McKnight also is charged with extortion for using her position as a police officer to “wrongfully obtain monies from other individuals,” according to a press release from then-U.S. Attorney Reginald I. Lloyd.
McKnight and McFadden face a maximum penalty of 10 years to life in prison and fines ranging from $4 million to $8 million.McKnight faces a maximum penalty of a $250,000 fine and/or 20 years in prison for the extortion charge.
Dec. 13, 2007 ... Bradley-Wragg is sentenced to sentenced to four months in prison, four months’ house arrest and three years’ supervised release on federal charges that she took public funds from the sale of Lake City-owned property for her personal use while she held office. She faced between eight and 14 months in prison, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Debbie Barbier of Columbia, who prosecuted the case.
March 19, 2008 ... U.S. District Court Judge Terry Wooten sentences Simmons to 51 months in prison, to run concurrently, followed by three years’ supervised release for each of the three counts to which Simmons pleaded guilty. Simmons also must pay $30,078.19 in restitution and a $300 special assessment, due immediately.
Oct. 7, 2008 ... Wes Unseld McFadden, Mazie McFadden and Carl “Buckwheat” McFadden Jr. are arrested and each charged with one count of using physical force, the threat of physical force, intimidation, retaliation, harassment and corruptly persuading a person with the intent to prevent testimony of that person in an official proceeding. Albergail McFadden is the mother of Wes McFadden and Mazie McFadden; all four McFaddens are related to Shanita McKnight.
Oct. 9, 2008 ... U.S. District Court Judge Thomas E. Rogers set a $20,000 surety bond for Carl McFadden and a $10,000 surety bond for Mazie McFadden. Wes Unseld McFadden was present during the proceeding but didn’t have a bond hearing. Rogers ordered the suspects be on home detention and wearing electronic monitoring devices. Carl and Mazie McFadden were also instructed not to speak with any victims or potential witnesses involved in their own cases or in that of McKnight.
Oct. 15, 2008 ... Shanita McKnight’s federal trial begins in Florence before U.S. District Court Judge Terry Wooten. Albergail McFadden, who already has pleaded guilty, was expected to testify against her niece but does not.
Oct. 21, 2008 ... Shanita McKnight is convicted of drug trafficking and extortion charges after a five-day federal trial. The jury of six men and six women deliberates for about three and a half hours before handing down the verdict. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years to life in prison and fines ranging from $4 million to $8 million. She also faces a maximum penalty of a $250,000 fine and/or 20 years in prison for the extortion charge. Per federal guidelines, she must remain incarcerated until her sentencing.
Nov. 13, 2008 ... Albergail McFadden is sentenced to 20 years and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Terry L. Wooten. McFadden could have been ordered to pay a large fine, but Wooten said he would not impose a fine in the case because she didn’t have the ability to pay. She is, however, required to pay a special assessment fee of $100.
May 27 ... U.S. District Court Judge Terry L. Wooten sentences Shanita McKnight to 20 years in federal prison for each count, to run concurrently. McKnight also must serve five years of probation for the drug trafficking charge and three years of probation for extortion. Wooten ordered the probation sentences to run concurrently, as well.
Former Officer James Clayton Pleads Guilty to Sexual Misconduct
A former North Las Vegas police officer accused of seeking dates and sexual favors from women he stopped for traffic violations has reached a plea deal in the case.
James Vernon Clayton pleaded guilty Tuesday in Clark County District Court to three counts of misconduct by a public officer and two counts of oppression under color of office. All are gross misdemeanors.
Prosecutors have said the 40-year-old sought dates and sexual favors from women he stopped while on duty as a patrol officer. The charges stemmed from Clayton's alleged interactions with five adult women.
He was arrested last year after a five-month investigation. He was fired in January.
Sentencing is set for May 18.
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Information from: Las Vegas Sun, http://www.lasvegassun.com
James Vernon Clayton pleaded guilty Tuesday in Clark County District Court to three counts of misconduct by a public officer and two counts of oppression under color of office. All are gross misdemeanors.
Prosecutors have said the 40-year-old sought dates and sexual favors from women he stopped while on duty as a patrol officer. The charges stemmed from Clayton's alleged interactions with five adult women.
He was arrested last year after a five-month investigation. He was fired in January.
Sentencing is set for May 18.
———
Information from: Las Vegas Sun, http://www.lasvegassun.com
Monday, December 07, 2009
Dentention Officer Keith Gabbidon Charged with Sexual Assault
A DeKalb County detention officer has been fired and arrested for what officials are calling "illegal and inappropriate actions" while on duty in the county jail.
Keith Gabbidon is charged with three counts of violation of oath and sexual assault against a person in custody, as well as charges of public indecency and exposure.
Gabbidon was fired from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office on Friday. The 40-year-old was with the sheriff's office for nearly 2 years prior to his firing.
Gabbidon has been released on $7500 bond.
The case is under investigation.
Keith Gabbidon is charged with three counts of violation of oath and sexual assault against a person in custody, as well as charges of public indecency and exposure.
Gabbidon was fired from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office on Friday. The 40-year-old was with the sheriff's office for nearly 2 years prior to his firing.
Gabbidon has been released on $7500 bond.
The case is under investigation.
Former Officer Maurice Morris Accused of Sexual Misconduct
Former Riviera Beach K 9 cop Maurice Morris is accused of sexual misconduct and bribery.
The former officer was arrested last year by West Palm Beach Police.
Morris, according to investigators, was working off duty at a rally for then presidential candidate Barack Obama at Palm Beach Community College.
Investigators say that Morris had given a woman a number of tickets.
The former officer then offered to take away the tickets in exchange for sex.
Morris has denied the allegations made against him.
Jury selection is now underway in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
The former officer was arrested last year by West Palm Beach Police.
Morris, according to investigators, was working off duty at a rally for then presidential candidate Barack Obama at Palm Beach Community College.
Investigators say that Morris had given a woman a number of tickets.
The former officer then offered to take away the tickets in exchange for sex.
Morris has denied the allegations made against him.
Jury selection is now underway in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
Officer Bobby Tameris Terminated for Having Sex with Teen
A Volusia County Beach Patrol officer accused of having sex with an underage girl will not be allowed to resign.
Instead, effective on Monday, 44-year-old Bobby Tameris is terminated from county employment and will only be eligible for 20 percent of any outstanding leave time.
Officials said they chose to fire Tameris rather than accept his resignation.
He still faces criminal charges.
Instead, effective on Monday, 44-year-old Bobby Tameris is terminated from county employment and will only be eligible for 20 percent of any outstanding leave time.
Officials said they chose to fire Tameris rather than accept his resignation.
He still faces criminal charges.
Officer Darrell Collins Resigns
A Carolina Beach police officer resigned Monday amid a dispute with town councilman Dan Wilcox that started over a woman.
Additionally, former officer Darrell Collins asked a New Hanover County assistant district attorney to dismiss charges he filed on his own time against Wilcox, accusing him of stalking, assault and communicating threats whenever he saw Collins with Wilcox's ex-girlfriend, according to court documents.
Collins, who had been placed on administrative paid leave last week, would not say why he resigned or why he dropped charges against the 56-year-old Wilcox, who is also mayor pro tem. Collins was put on leave after the police chief began looking into whether Collins violated unspecified town or police policies. And Wilcox had said in a statement after Collins charged him on Thanksgiving that the “retaliation is a result of me having reported him for misuse of town resources.”
On Monday, Wilcox said he didn't have a comment because he was trying to verify whether the charges had been dropped.
Carolina Beach Town Manager Tim Owens confirmed Collins' resignation Monday.
“We wish him well on his future endeavors,” Owens said, adding he thought the dismissal of the charges against Wilcox was “the best thing for everyone in this instance. It's the best thing for everyone to move on.”
He said Collins would receive the same benefits as any other employee who resigned from the town, meaning that he would receive whatever benefits were still owed to him.
Police Chief William Younginer declined to say anything about Collins or his performance as an officer.
Collins, a 53-year-old who said he had an unblemished record in law enforcement, said he's been in law enforcement for 32 years – five of them in Carolina Beach – and that he was ready to move on and he wanted the scandal to go away.
“I have no ties here,” he said. “None.”
Collins declined to talk about Wilcox's ex-girlfriend and he made no comments about Wilcox.
“Some things in life you can't win,” he said without offering any details.
Collins, a father of two grown children and grandfather to an 8-year-old grandson, said he was a simple person who did not get involved in politics.
Born and raised in South Carolina, he said he retired from law enforcement there and then moved to Carolina Beach because he'd always wanted to live on the coast. Now, Collins said he plans to leave the state.
He shook his head when asked by a reporter if he planned to take the woman with him.
“No comment,” he said, his hands folded in front of him.
Collins, who described himself as easygoing and non-confrontational, said the incident involving Wilcox was the most shocking thing that's happened to him.
During an hourlong interview, Collins gave a glimpse into the possible forces behind his decision to resign when he said: “The politics here ... It's not going to change no matter what I do or don't do, so I decided to move on.”
Additionally, former officer Darrell Collins asked a New Hanover County assistant district attorney to dismiss charges he filed on his own time against Wilcox, accusing him of stalking, assault and communicating threats whenever he saw Collins with Wilcox's ex-girlfriend, according to court documents.
Collins, who had been placed on administrative paid leave last week, would not say why he resigned or why he dropped charges against the 56-year-old Wilcox, who is also mayor pro tem. Collins was put on leave after the police chief began looking into whether Collins violated unspecified town or police policies. And Wilcox had said in a statement after Collins charged him on Thanksgiving that the “retaliation is a result of me having reported him for misuse of town resources.”
On Monday, Wilcox said he didn't have a comment because he was trying to verify whether the charges had been dropped.
Carolina Beach Town Manager Tim Owens confirmed Collins' resignation Monday.
“We wish him well on his future endeavors,” Owens said, adding he thought the dismissal of the charges against Wilcox was “the best thing for everyone in this instance. It's the best thing for everyone to move on.”
He said Collins would receive the same benefits as any other employee who resigned from the town, meaning that he would receive whatever benefits were still owed to him.
Police Chief William Younginer declined to say anything about Collins or his performance as an officer.
Collins, a 53-year-old who said he had an unblemished record in law enforcement, said he's been in law enforcement for 32 years – five of them in Carolina Beach – and that he was ready to move on and he wanted the scandal to go away.
“I have no ties here,” he said. “None.”
Collins declined to talk about Wilcox's ex-girlfriend and he made no comments about Wilcox.
“Some things in life you can't win,” he said without offering any details.
Collins, a father of two grown children and grandfather to an 8-year-old grandson, said he was a simple person who did not get involved in politics.
Born and raised in South Carolina, he said he retired from law enforcement there and then moved to Carolina Beach because he'd always wanted to live on the coast. Now, Collins said he plans to leave the state.
He shook his head when asked by a reporter if he planned to take the woman with him.
“No comment,” he said, his hands folded in front of him.
Collins, who described himself as easygoing and non-confrontational, said the incident involving Wilcox was the most shocking thing that's happened to him.
During an hourlong interview, Collins gave a glimpse into the possible forces behind his decision to resign when he said: “The politics here ... It's not going to change no matter what I do or don't do, so I decided to move on.”
Former Sheriff Mark Frisbie Arrested for Drunk Driving
Former Putnam County Sheriff Mark T. Frisbie was arrested late Friday.
Frisbie, 38, was booked into the Putnam County Jail and charged with misdemeanors operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and public intoxication, Sgt. Rich Myers of the Putnamville Post of the Indiana State Police said.
Frisbie was pulled over by Indiana State Police Trooper Michael Wood on U.S. 231 at Tennessee Street in Greencastle.
"He was driving erratically," Myers said. "He went off to the right on the road, then he went left of center. When he turned onto 231 from Veteran's Highway, the turn was abrupt."
Myers declined to reveal what Frisbie's exact blood alcohol content was at the time of the arrest.
"We don't release the results of testing," he said. "What I can say is that (Frisbie) was over the legal limit, which is .08 percent."
Frisbie was arrested without incident, Myers said.
Sgt. Tyler Turner of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department said Frisbie posted a $3,000 surety bond and was released from jail at about 5 p.m. Saturday.
"The reports had all been forwarded to the prosecutor," Turner said.
Frisbie is currently on federal probation. He was convicted in November 2008 of federal program theft, and entered the United States Penitentiary satellite camp in Atlanta, Ga. on Feb. 2. He was released from the camp on March 31, and served four months on home detention before beginning his two-year term of probation.
Frisbie could have been sentenced to 10 years and prison and been assessed a $250,000 fine for the federal charge. He pled guilty to that count in August 2008, a week after he resigned as Putnam County Sheriff.
Putnam County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Justin Long said he was unsure how the new charges would affect Frisbie's federal probation.
"That will be up to his federal probation officer," Long said. "In the grand scheme of things, these are pretty minor charges. They may not do anything."
Frisbie will be in Putnam County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. Wednesday for an initial hearing on the new charges.
Sgt. Darren Martin Charged with Domestic Abuse
An Oklahoma City police sergeant has been charged with three counts of domestic abuse after complaints that he struck his wife and teenage daughter.
Darren Martin was arrested early last month. His daughter said he became violent after she told him that she was failing a class.
The 16-year-old girl said that Martin hit her in the face and gave her a bloody nose. The officer who made the arrest said she also had a black eye and bruising on her arms.
"If there is probable cause to believe (there is domestic abuse), especially the way the law is now, there's going to be an arrest made," said Oklahoma City police Capt. Steve McCool.
Police said that Martin was also accused of shoving his wife into a wall two days after the previous incident.
Martin has been placed on paid leave.
Darren Martin was arrested early last month. His daughter said he became violent after she told him that she was failing a class.
The 16-year-old girl said that Martin hit her in the face and gave her a bloody nose. The officer who made the arrest said she also had a black eye and bruising on her arms.
"If there is probable cause to believe (there is domestic abuse), especially the way the law is now, there's going to be an arrest made," said Oklahoma City police Capt. Steve McCool.
Police said that Martin was also accused of shoving his wife into a wall two days after the previous incident.
Martin has been placed on paid leave.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Officer Troy Meade Plans to Claim Self Defense
Court documents filed on behalf of Everett police officer Troy Meade are the first public indication that the officer plans to claim self defense in a fatal June shooting outside an Everett restaurant.
Prosecutors in October charged Meade, 41, with first-degree manslaughter. They allege that Meade committed a crime June 10 when he shot Niles Meservey while the Stanwood man was sitting in his car outside the Chuckwagon Inn.
Meade, an 11-year veteran, has declined to speak to investigators. He pleaded not guilty to the charge last month.
His attorney, David Allen, has filed a notice in Snohomish County Superior Court that Meade will be requesting that he be reimbursed for attorney’s fees, loss of wages and other expenses once he is acquitted or the charge against him is dropped.
“Defendant Meade submits that his actions were necessary and reasonable and that he was in imminent danger at the time that he acted in self-defense to protect himself from an assault,” Allen wrote.
The trial is scheduled for April 9. Meade remains on paid administrative leave from the 200-officer department.
Investigators believe Meade opened fire after an intoxicated Meservey, 51, refused to obey the officer’s orders to get out of the car. Meade twice used an electric stun gun in an effort to subdue Meservey.
Meservey refused to get out of his car and drove his Chevrolet Corvette into a chain-link fence.
Meade fired his handgun eight times through the car’s back window.
Meservey was struck by seven bullets. He died in the parking lot of the restaurant.
A special team of homicide investigators re-created the shooting and interviewed dozens of people, including another Everett police officer who witnessed the shooting.
That officer told investigators that Meservey wasn’t obeying orders but didn’t pose an immediate lethal threat to Meade or anyone else. He said that immediately after the shooting, Meade said he believed their lives were in danger.
Prosecutors in October charged Meade, 41, with first-degree manslaughter. They allege that Meade committed a crime June 10 when he shot Niles Meservey while the Stanwood man was sitting in his car outside the Chuckwagon Inn.
Meade, an 11-year veteran, has declined to speak to investigators. He pleaded not guilty to the charge last month.
His attorney, David Allen, has filed a notice in Snohomish County Superior Court that Meade will be requesting that he be reimbursed for attorney’s fees, loss of wages and other expenses once he is acquitted or the charge against him is dropped.
“Defendant Meade submits that his actions were necessary and reasonable and that he was in imminent danger at the time that he acted in self-defense to protect himself from an assault,” Allen wrote.
The trial is scheduled for April 9. Meade remains on paid administrative leave from the 200-officer department.
Investigators believe Meade opened fire after an intoxicated Meservey, 51, refused to obey the officer’s orders to get out of the car. Meade twice used an electric stun gun in an effort to subdue Meservey.
Meservey refused to get out of his car and drove his Chevrolet Corvette into a chain-link fence.
Meade fired his handgun eight times through the car’s back window.
Meservey was struck by seven bullets. He died in the parking lot of the restaurant.
A special team of homicide investigators re-created the shooting and interviewed dozens of people, including another Everett police officer who witnessed the shooting.
That officer told investigators that Meservey wasn’t obeying orders but didn’t pose an immediate lethal threat to Meade or anyone else. He said that immediately after the shooting, Meade said he believed their lives were in danger.
Officer Scott Morton's 'Horseplaying' Causes Accident
Clute Police Department Officer Scott Morton was driving at least 20 mph over the posted limit and getting right behind another Clute officer when he lost control of his car, skidded across three lanes and hit a guardrail, according to police.
A Department of Public Safety report released Friday states Morton, 41, was driving at least 70 mph in the center lane on Highway 288, also known as Highway 332. Morton was approaching Officer Tony Standley, who also was driving a patrol car in the center lane, at 2:47 a.m. Nov. 18.
Before the accident, Morton had been speeding up and getting close to Standley’s bumper before Standley would accelerate to get away, Clute Police Capt. Robin Carlton said.
Both officers were headed to Whataburger, where they were set to meet other officers for a meal. Carlton said the pair were “horseplaying” when the wreck occurred.
As Morton quickly approached again, Standley went to the left lane to get out of the way, Carlton said. Morton also went to the left lane and attempted to pass in the median, the report stated.
“He was closing that gap too quickly,” said DPS Trooper David Wyman, who investigated the wreck and submitted his report to Clute police.
Morton then overcorrected, went into a skid, hit the shoulder and flipped at least twice in the ditch, Wyman said. He was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car 40 to 50 feet.
Morton was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital from the scene with broken ankles, a broken pelvis, collapsed lung and slight bleeding in his brain. He is at home healing from the accident, and The Facts could not reach him for comment.
Morton still is using a wheelchair, but soon will start physical therapy so he can walk, Carlton said.
He will receive no traffic citation, Carlton said. The Department of Public Safety simply puts together the report, and it is Clute’s responsibility to take action, DPS Sgt. David Janak said.
“We will handle it in-house,” Clute Police Chief Mark Wicker said. “We won’t do anything until he’s well and back to 100 percent.”
Punishment options include a letter of reprimand or a few days off without pay, Carlton said.
Video footage and audio of calls to the Clute dispatcher indicate Standley immediately stopped and called for an ambulance. The Facts obtained the video through an open records request.
Standley also was speeding during the accident, Carlton said. Standley will receive no punishment, though it appears the wreck would not have occurred if he hadn’t switched lanes, Wicker said.
The Clute Police Department is investigating Standley’s role in the accident, Wicker said. However, it appears he wasn’t feeling well and simply was ready for his shift to end, he said.
Wicker said he hopes speeding is not common for officers because speeding and getting close to someone’s bumper are inappropriate, he said.
The patrol car Morton was driving, a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, was totaled, but it already was set to be replaced within the next few weeks, Wicker said. It would have been passed down to a school resource officer, he said.
The department has no plans to buy a new car to replace the vehicle, he said.
Morton worked for the Clute department for three years, then moved to the Richwood Police Department for a year before returning to Clute in June, Carlton said.
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YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3NMG831TcU
A Department of Public Safety report released Friday states Morton, 41, was driving at least 70 mph in the center lane on Highway 288, also known as Highway 332. Morton was approaching Officer Tony Standley, who also was driving a patrol car in the center lane, at 2:47 a.m. Nov. 18.
Before the accident, Morton had been speeding up and getting close to Standley’s bumper before Standley would accelerate to get away, Clute Police Capt. Robin Carlton said.
Both officers were headed to Whataburger, where they were set to meet other officers for a meal. Carlton said the pair were “horseplaying” when the wreck occurred.
As Morton quickly approached again, Standley went to the left lane to get out of the way, Carlton said. Morton also went to the left lane and attempted to pass in the median, the report stated.
“He was closing that gap too quickly,” said DPS Trooper David Wyman, who investigated the wreck and submitted his report to Clute police.
Morton then overcorrected, went into a skid, hit the shoulder and flipped at least twice in the ditch, Wyman said. He was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car 40 to 50 feet.
Morton was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital from the scene with broken ankles, a broken pelvis, collapsed lung and slight bleeding in his brain. He is at home healing from the accident, and The Facts could not reach him for comment.
Morton still is using a wheelchair, but soon will start physical therapy so he can walk, Carlton said.
He will receive no traffic citation, Carlton said. The Department of Public Safety simply puts together the report, and it is Clute’s responsibility to take action, DPS Sgt. David Janak said.
“We will handle it in-house,” Clute Police Chief Mark Wicker said. “We won’t do anything until he’s well and back to 100 percent.”
Punishment options include a letter of reprimand or a few days off without pay, Carlton said.
Video footage and audio of calls to the Clute dispatcher indicate Standley immediately stopped and called for an ambulance. The Facts obtained the video through an open records request.
Standley also was speeding during the accident, Carlton said. Standley will receive no punishment, though it appears the wreck would not have occurred if he hadn’t switched lanes, Wicker said.
The Clute Police Department is investigating Standley’s role in the accident, Wicker said. However, it appears he wasn’t feeling well and simply was ready for his shift to end, he said.
Wicker said he hopes speeding is not common for officers because speeding and getting close to someone’s bumper are inappropriate, he said.
The patrol car Morton was driving, a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, was totaled, but it already was set to be replaced within the next few weeks, Wicker said. It would have been passed down to a school resource officer, he said.
The department has no plans to buy a new car to replace the vehicle, he said.
Morton worked for the Clute department for three years, then moved to the Richwood Police Department for a year before returning to Clute in June, Carlton said.
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YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3NMG831TcU
Officer John Fulmer Accused to Stealing Gas
A Springfield police officer has been fired after being accused of charging the town for gasoline used in his personal vehicle.
Following an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division, officer John "Johnny" S. Fulmer of Barnwell has been served with a warrant alleging official misconduct.
Town Councilman Eddie Lee said, "He has been terminated and that's due to the charges being placed against him." Council met on the issue Thursday night.
Lee said the charge, "Really surprised us. He'd been working for the town four or five years."
Fulmer is accused of pumping fuel into his personal vehicle at Kent's Korner #3 service station while serving in his official capacity as an employee of Springfield.
Between July and November 2009, he allegedly signed fuel tickets for $191 for his personal use and charged it to the town of Springfield.
The warrant is based on video recordings of Fulmer's transactions at the service station and on the defendant's time sheets, SLED said.
Lee said the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office and part-time officer Jim Evans will be filling in as much as possible.
"I have contacted the sheriff's office today and they said they'd do what they can as far as having someone around," Lee said.
The town also hopes for help from the S.C. Highway Patrol.
"They've been working this end of the county lately," Lee said.
Following an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division, officer John "Johnny" S. Fulmer of Barnwell has been served with a warrant alleging official misconduct.
Town Councilman Eddie Lee said, "He has been terminated and that's due to the charges being placed against him." Council met on the issue Thursday night.
Lee said the charge, "Really surprised us. He'd been working for the town four or five years."
Fulmer is accused of pumping fuel into his personal vehicle at Kent's Korner #3 service station while serving in his official capacity as an employee of Springfield.
Between July and November 2009, he allegedly signed fuel tickets for $191 for his personal use and charged it to the town of Springfield.
The warrant is based on video recordings of Fulmer's transactions at the service station and on the defendant's time sheets, SLED said.
Lee said the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office and part-time officer Jim Evans will be filling in as much as possible.
"I have contacted the sheriff's office today and they said they'd do what they can as far as having someone around," Lee said.
The town also hopes for help from the S.C. Highway Patrol.
"They've been working this end of the county lately," Lee said.
Officer Jack Bosse Charged with Public Indecency
A veteran Columbus police officer was arrested Friday and charged with public indecency.
Jack L. Bosse, 63, a 38-year member of the division who works in the seizures and forfeitures department, was arrested in an East Side park, police spokeswoman Betty Schwab said. Police would not provide details of the incident yesterday.
Bosse's gun and badge were taken away, Schwab said. He will continue to work without police powers during an internal investigation.
Bosse was issued a summons and must appear in court within 10 days of the violation, Schwab said.
Jack L. Bosse, 63, a 38-year member of the division who works in the seizures and forfeitures department, was arrested in an East Side park, police spokeswoman Betty Schwab said. Police would not provide details of the incident yesterday.
Bosse's gun and badge were taken away, Schwab said. He will continue to work without police powers during an internal investigation.
Bosse was issued a summons and must appear in court within 10 days of the violation, Schwab said.
Officer Shawqi Ahmed Charged with Rape
A 29-year-old transit cop charged with raping an 18-year-old woman is scheduled to face a judge on Wednesday.
Shawqi Ahmed, an officer since January 2006, was arrested by the NYPD Friday. Ahmed allegedly met the woman at a Brooklyn club on Thanksgiving and raped her in an apartment later that night, according to published reports. The NYPD would not confirm the details of the incident yesterday.
“It’s particularly a travesty considering this was someone people depend on to keep them safe,” said Emily May of Holla Back, a Web site documenting harassment and sexual abuse in New York City.
The case will go to a grand jury at Kings County Criminal Court, a DA spokesman said.
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http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/cop_held_in_rape_of_teenager_dpo9bBuYvr9nhvnvBJFPvJ
Shawqi Ahmed, an officer since January 2006, was arrested by the NYPD Friday. Ahmed allegedly met the woman at a Brooklyn club on Thanksgiving and raped her in an apartment later that night, according to published reports. The NYPD would not confirm the details of the incident yesterday.
“It’s particularly a travesty considering this was someone people depend on to keep them safe,” said Emily May of Holla Back, a Web site documenting harassment and sexual abuse in New York City.
The case will go to a grand jury at Kings County Criminal Court, a DA spokesman said.
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http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/cop_held_in_rape_of_teenager_dpo9bBuYvr9nhvnvBJFPvJ
Cpl Robert Grimsley Accused of Violating Restraining Order
A Dillon County sheriff’s deputy facing a criminal domestic violence charge is accused of violating a restraining order the alleged victim filed against him.
According to an arrest warrant with a State Law Enforcement Division press release issued Friday, Cpl. Robert Paul Grimsley violated the “terms and conditions of an order of protection issued under the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act” on Thursday.
A report released Nov. 20 by Dillon County Sheriff Major Hulon shows Grimsley, 38, was initially charged in connection with an incident that happened Nov. 18.
Deputies said when they responded to the call in Latta, the victim, identified as Grimsley’s live-in girlfriend, had a bruise on her right leg, the side of her neck and the back of her neck.
She told deputies the physical abuse stemmed from a series of arguments the two had that week, according to the report. She also said the suspect has been physically abusing her for more than a year.
According to the report, some deputies asked the victim to report prior incidents, but she said she didn’t want to because she “did not want to get the suspect in trouble.”
Grimsley was booked at the Dillon County Detention Center on Nov. 19 and released the same day on a $2,100 personal recognizance bond.
Hulon said Grimsley remained on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Former Officer Gregory Perkins Charged with Sex Crimes Against Minors
A former Durham police officer is charged with sex crimes against a minor.
The Apex Police Department arrested 40-year-old Gregory A. Perkins for seven felony counts of sex related crimes Friday.
Perkins has been charged with two counts of first degree forcible sexual offense, two counts of statutory sex offense against a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, first degree statutory rape, statutory rape of a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, and other charges.
Further details about the incidents have not been released.
According to police, Perkins is being held on a $1 million bond.
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http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/6553843/
The Apex Police Department arrested 40-year-old Gregory A. Perkins for seven felony counts of sex related crimes Friday.
Perkins has been charged with two counts of first degree forcible sexual offense, two counts of statutory sex offense against a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, first degree statutory rape, statutory rape of a 13, 14 or 15-year-old, and other charges.
Further details about the incidents have not been released.
According to police, Perkins is being held on a $1 million bond.
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http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/6553843/
Officer Jack Bosse Arrested for Public Indecency
A police officer was arrested Friday and charged with public indecency.
Jack Bosse, a 38-year member of the Columbus Division of police, works in the seizures and forfeitures department.
Bosse was arrested in an east side park, police said.
Police said Bosse's gun and badge were taken away but he will continue to work without police powers while an internal investigation is conducted.
Jack Bosse, a 38-year member of the Columbus Division of police, works in the seizures and forfeitures department.
Bosse was arrested in an east side park, police said.
Police said Bosse's gun and badge were taken away but he will continue to work without police powers while an internal investigation is conducted.
Officers Caught on Tape Beating Man
A surveillance videotape showing an unarmed and apparently handcuffed man kicked and then beaten over the head several times with a flashlight by the police was made public by his lawyer on Friday.
The video, from the night of Oct. 20, was released on the day that the man, Luis Mendonca, 20, of Pawtucket, was sentenced in District Court, Providence, for assaulting two Rhode Island School of Design police officers in connection with that incident.
The grainy, black-and-white video shows a group of police officers struggling with Mendonca in a parking lot off Benefit Street on the city’s East Side while he is lying on the ground near a parked car.
It shows the officers dragging Mendonca from under the car and into the center of the parking lot, after he has apparently been restrained. The video then shows another police officer entering the fray, kicking Mendonca and following up with a number of blows to the victim’s head with what his lawyer says is a flashlight.
The video, which has no sound, ends with a visibly limp Mendonca being dragged by police officers up a flight of stairs leading to Benefit Street.
Mendonca’s attorney, Alberto Aponte Cardona, of Central Falls, says that following the beating, his client was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, required 12 staples to close a gash in the back of his head and was in a coma for nearly three days.
Cardona says that the officer shown repeatedly striking Mendonca is Detective Robert R. DeCarlo, a 15-year veteran who has received at least two awards for his police work, according to Journal archives.
“It is obvious from this video that that officer needs to go. He’s not fit to wear the badge. Officers need to be prosecuted,” he said.
Police Chief Dean Esserman says the department’s Internal Affairs Division has been investigating the incident, but he would not confirm whether DeCarlo was involved. The officer that is the focus of the investigation currently remains on duty, he said.
Esserman has also asked the attorney general’s office to open an investigation. Michael J. Healey, a spokesman for the office, says an investigation is ongoing.
“The department takes the matter very seriously,” Esserman said. “We are looking into everything … One officer is under investigation, but the entire incident is being looked at as well.”
During the court hearing on Friday, Cardona tried to submit the surveillance video as evidence that Mendonca had not resisted arrest, as the police alleged. Mendonca had been charged by Providence police with two counts of simple assault and one count of resisting arrest.
But District Court Judge Elaine T. Bucci said that the video was inadmissible since the attorney general’s office had withdrawn the charge of resisting arrest.
“They dropped the resisting arrest charge so that this video does not come out,” said Cardona.
Cardona released the video to the media on Friday after having made it available to Channel 12 at least a day earlier. The videotape came from a surveillance camera on an apartment building at 306 Benefit St., and was focused on the parking lot where the beating took place.
Esserman says that the department’s internal affairs division obtained the video from the building’s owner and launched an investigation into the incident soon after it happened. Investigators questioned the witnesses and officers at the scene and also contacted Mendonca, who subsequently filed a formal complaint with the internal affairs division.
Cardona received a copy of the video as part of the court’s discovery process.
Judge Bucci found Mendonca guilty of violating the terms of his probation on previous charges and sentenced him to 90 days in the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.
Upon completion of his prison term, Mendonca must also serve one year of probation and a one-year suspended sentence on each of the two charges of simple assault. Cardona says his client will appeal the sentence in Superior Court.
Mendonca still suffers blurred vision, headaches and vomiting from his injuries and needs to receive the proper medical treatment while he serves out his prison term, said Cardona.
“My client is a good kid. He worked for the City of Central Falls. He volunteers with youths,” says Cardona, an assistant city solicitor in Central Falls. “He’s had his transgressions, but none violent.”
Friday’s court proceedings shed some light into the events that precipitated Mendonca’s beating.
At about 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 20, Mendonca had been stopped by RISD police near Hemenway’s Restaurant on South Main Street, following a report of an attempted trespass at the RISD dorm at 15 Westminster St.
RISD officer Justin Wall testified that he had stopped Mendonca and was searching him when Mendonca “attempted to pull away,” striking the officer in the ribs with his elbow. Wall then put Mendonca in restraints.
When RISD Sgt. William LaPierre arrived, Mendonca identified himself as “Cory Garabedien,” but could not spell the name or produce any identification.
Still, the officers uncuffed Mendonca and said he was “free to go,” according to both officer’s testimony. But with Providence police on their way, the RISD officers say that Mendonca offered to show an ID.
Instead, LaPierre says Mendonca made a “lunging move,” struck the officer in the chest, and pushed LaPierre’s arm out of the way as he fled down South Main Street. Mendonca ran up a long flight of stairs behind the state attorney general’s office that led to the rear of an apartment complex on Benefit Street.
While the officer’s testimony on Friday ended there, the video released by Mendonca’s attorney shows what happened next.
After trying to hide under parked cars, the video shows that at about 7:41 p.m., Mendonca was seized by a group of at least eight police officers — mostly Providence police, but also one RISD officer –– and was beaten while “clearly” restrained, says Cardona.
“We want all of those police officers held accountable,” said Cardona. “Not one of those officers comes to this poor guy’s aid. They knew that this guy was defenseless.”
------------------------------
Video:
http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2009/12/04/rhode-island-police-officer-caught-on-camera-kicking-suspect/
The video, from the night of Oct. 20, was released on the day that the man, Luis Mendonca, 20, of Pawtucket, was sentenced in District Court, Providence, for assaulting two Rhode Island School of Design police officers in connection with that incident.
The grainy, black-and-white video shows a group of police officers struggling with Mendonca in a parking lot off Benefit Street on the city’s East Side while he is lying on the ground near a parked car.
It shows the officers dragging Mendonca from under the car and into the center of the parking lot, after he has apparently been restrained. The video then shows another police officer entering the fray, kicking Mendonca and following up with a number of blows to the victim’s head with what his lawyer says is a flashlight.
The video, which has no sound, ends with a visibly limp Mendonca being dragged by police officers up a flight of stairs leading to Benefit Street.
Mendonca’s attorney, Alberto Aponte Cardona, of Central Falls, says that following the beating, his client was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, required 12 staples to close a gash in the back of his head and was in a coma for nearly three days.
Cardona says that the officer shown repeatedly striking Mendonca is Detective Robert R. DeCarlo, a 15-year veteran who has received at least two awards for his police work, according to Journal archives.
“It is obvious from this video that that officer needs to go. He’s not fit to wear the badge. Officers need to be prosecuted,” he said.
Police Chief Dean Esserman says the department’s Internal Affairs Division has been investigating the incident, but he would not confirm whether DeCarlo was involved. The officer that is the focus of the investigation currently remains on duty, he said.
Esserman has also asked the attorney general’s office to open an investigation. Michael J. Healey, a spokesman for the office, says an investigation is ongoing.
“The department takes the matter very seriously,” Esserman said. “We are looking into everything … One officer is under investigation, but the entire incident is being looked at as well.”
During the court hearing on Friday, Cardona tried to submit the surveillance video as evidence that Mendonca had not resisted arrest, as the police alleged. Mendonca had been charged by Providence police with two counts of simple assault and one count of resisting arrest.
But District Court Judge Elaine T. Bucci said that the video was inadmissible since the attorney general’s office had withdrawn the charge of resisting arrest.
“They dropped the resisting arrest charge so that this video does not come out,” said Cardona.
Cardona released the video to the media on Friday after having made it available to Channel 12 at least a day earlier. The videotape came from a surveillance camera on an apartment building at 306 Benefit St., and was focused on the parking lot where the beating took place.
Esserman says that the department’s internal affairs division obtained the video from the building’s owner and launched an investigation into the incident soon after it happened. Investigators questioned the witnesses and officers at the scene and also contacted Mendonca, who subsequently filed a formal complaint with the internal affairs division.
Cardona received a copy of the video as part of the court’s discovery process.
Judge Bucci found Mendonca guilty of violating the terms of his probation on previous charges and sentenced him to 90 days in the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.
Upon completion of his prison term, Mendonca must also serve one year of probation and a one-year suspended sentence on each of the two charges of simple assault. Cardona says his client will appeal the sentence in Superior Court.
Mendonca still suffers blurred vision, headaches and vomiting from his injuries and needs to receive the proper medical treatment while he serves out his prison term, said Cardona.
“My client is a good kid. He worked for the City of Central Falls. He volunteers with youths,” says Cardona, an assistant city solicitor in Central Falls. “He’s had his transgressions, but none violent.”
Friday’s court proceedings shed some light into the events that precipitated Mendonca’s beating.
At about 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 20, Mendonca had been stopped by RISD police near Hemenway’s Restaurant on South Main Street, following a report of an attempted trespass at the RISD dorm at 15 Westminster St.
RISD officer Justin Wall testified that he had stopped Mendonca and was searching him when Mendonca “attempted to pull away,” striking the officer in the ribs with his elbow. Wall then put Mendonca in restraints.
When RISD Sgt. William LaPierre arrived, Mendonca identified himself as “Cory Garabedien,” but could not spell the name or produce any identification.
Still, the officers uncuffed Mendonca and said he was “free to go,” according to both officer’s testimony. But with Providence police on their way, the RISD officers say that Mendonca offered to show an ID.
Instead, LaPierre says Mendonca made a “lunging move,” struck the officer in the chest, and pushed LaPierre’s arm out of the way as he fled down South Main Street. Mendonca ran up a long flight of stairs behind the state attorney general’s office that led to the rear of an apartment complex on Benefit Street.
While the officer’s testimony on Friday ended there, the video released by Mendonca’s attorney shows what happened next.
After trying to hide under parked cars, the video shows that at about 7:41 p.m., Mendonca was seized by a group of at least eight police officers — mostly Providence police, but also one RISD officer –– and was beaten while “clearly” restrained, says Cardona.
“We want all of those police officers held accountable,” said Cardona. “Not one of those officers comes to this poor guy’s aid. They knew that this guy was defenseless.”
------------------------------
Video:
http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2009/12/04/rhode-island-police-officer-caught-on-camera-kicking-suspect/
Detective James O'Connell Arrested for Drunk Driving
An off-duty New York City police detective has been arrested on a charge of drunken driving.
Police said Detective James O'Connell was arrested early Friday in Queens and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, a police union, was out of town and unavailable for comment.
O'Connell is at least the third off-duty NYPD officer arrested on DWI and other charges since September.
On Wednesday, Officer Kevin Spellman pleaded not guilty to charges of fatally hitting a 70-year-old woman while driving drunk in the Bronx.
Officer Andrew Kelly has pleaded not guilty to DWI and vehicular manslaughter in the September death of a woman in Brooklyn.
Both officers have been suspended.
Police said Detective James O'Connell was arrested early Friday in Queens and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, a police union, was out of town and unavailable for comment.
O'Connell is at least the third off-duty NYPD officer arrested on DWI and other charges since September.
On Wednesday, Officer Kevin Spellman pleaded not guilty to charges of fatally hitting a 70-year-old woman while driving drunk in the Bronx.
Officer Andrew Kelly has pleaded not guilty to DWI and vehicular manslaughter in the September death of a woman in Brooklyn.
Both officers have been suspended.
Officer Juan Acosta Accused of Using Badge to Help Drug Dealer
A New York City police officer has been accused of using his badge to help a friend run a cocaine-distribution operation, providing tips on which streets were lightly patrolled by officers and stealing cash from a rival drug courier in the guise of a police seizure, officials said Friday.
The officer, Juan Acosta, joined the Police Department in 2000 and had been assigned to the 43rd Precinct in the Soundview section of the Bronx until his arrest Thursday. He has resigned from the force, the police said.
Since at least 2005, Officer Acosta served as a kind of enforcer for his friend, Yorick Rafael Corneil-Perez, as they and others worked to distribute “multiple kilograms of cocaine” in and around the city, according to the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan.
The men, both 34 and from the Bronx, have been charged with participating in a cocaine-distribution conspiracy and with conspiring to commit extortion in connection with Officer Acosta’s improper use of his authority, a statement from the office said.
According to an indictment in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Officer Acosta used a police car in mid-2005 “to rob a drug courier of several hundred thousand dollars in cash derived from a drug deal” that involved Mr. Corniel-Perez. It was a ruse to make it look as if law enforcement authorities had seized the money, but Mr. Acosta and Mr. Corniel-Perez “took the cash,” the court papers said.
In October, the court papers said, the officer, “a k a Tino,” and Mr. Corneil-Perez, also known as Rafi, “agreed to provide protection for a 10-kilogram shipment of cocaine” in a Queens meeting with someone posing as a narcotics trafficker from Colombia who was actually working as a confidential government informant. They discussed how Officer Acosta could help ensure the safe transfer of drugs from a Long Island warehouse to the Bronx.
At a meeting, on Nov. 10, Officer Acosta showed handwritten notes identifying the “police precincts in the vicinity of the Long Island warehouse and the local routes that would be less likely to be patrolled by police during transportation of the narcotics to the Bronx,” the papers said.
Two days later, the officer drove to the warehouse in a rental car and picked up a duffel bag filled with fake narcotics from a second confidential informant, the papers said. When he got back to the Bronx, he was paid $15,000 for the job, they said.
Mr. Acosta was held without bail after pleading not guilty at his arraignment on Friday before Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox.
Mr. Corneil-Perez was held without bail after his arraignment on Thursday.
The officer, Juan Acosta, joined the Police Department in 2000 and had been assigned to the 43rd Precinct in the Soundview section of the Bronx until his arrest Thursday. He has resigned from the force, the police said.
Since at least 2005, Officer Acosta served as a kind of enforcer for his friend, Yorick Rafael Corneil-Perez, as they and others worked to distribute “multiple kilograms of cocaine” in and around the city, according to the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan.
The men, both 34 and from the Bronx, have been charged with participating in a cocaine-distribution conspiracy and with conspiring to commit extortion in connection with Officer Acosta’s improper use of his authority, a statement from the office said.
According to an indictment in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Officer Acosta used a police car in mid-2005 “to rob a drug courier of several hundred thousand dollars in cash derived from a drug deal” that involved Mr. Corniel-Perez. It was a ruse to make it look as if law enforcement authorities had seized the money, but Mr. Acosta and Mr. Corniel-Perez “took the cash,” the court papers said.
In October, the court papers said, the officer, “a k a Tino,” and Mr. Corneil-Perez, also known as Rafi, “agreed to provide protection for a 10-kilogram shipment of cocaine” in a Queens meeting with someone posing as a narcotics trafficker from Colombia who was actually working as a confidential government informant. They discussed how Officer Acosta could help ensure the safe transfer of drugs from a Long Island warehouse to the Bronx.
At a meeting, on Nov. 10, Officer Acosta showed handwritten notes identifying the “police precincts in the vicinity of the Long Island warehouse and the local routes that would be less likely to be patrolled by police during transportation of the narcotics to the Bronx,” the papers said.
Two days later, the officer drove to the warehouse in a rental car and picked up a duffel bag filled with fake narcotics from a second confidential informant, the papers said. When he got back to the Bronx, he was paid $15,000 for the job, they said.
Mr. Acosta was held without bail after pleading not guilty at his arraignment on Friday before Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox.
Mr. Corneil-Perez was held without bail after his arraignment on Thursday.
Two Narcotics Officers Arrested for Harassment
Two Wayne County Sheriff’s Narcotics officers were arrested after allegedly causing a disturbance in Newark.
The two, Sgt. Joseph Ayotte, an 11-year deputy, and Sgt. Jonathan Hall, an 8-year deputy allegedly went to an apartment on a personal matter while on duty and harassed the occupant until another resident called 911.
They were both arrested for criminal trespass and harassment. They were arraigned and released on their own recognizance.
The deputies also face departmental charges, and were suspended without pay until the both criminal and departmental charges are resolved. They could face termination.
The two, Sgt. Joseph Ayotte, an 11-year deputy, and Sgt. Jonathan Hall, an 8-year deputy allegedly went to an apartment on a personal matter while on duty and harassed the occupant until another resident called 911.
They were both arrested for criminal trespass and harassment. They were arraigned and released on their own recognizance.
The deputies also face departmental charges, and were suspended without pay until the both criminal and departmental charges are resolved. They could face termination.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Officer Ted Anderson Arrested for Drunk Driving
Officer Ted Anderson was fired after what police said was a "difficult but necessary" decision.
Anderson was arrested just after 2 a.m. on Nov. 24 for allegedly failing to keep his car in a single lane.
Anderson was off duty and driving his own personal car when he was pulled over at the intersection of North Eighth Street and North Boulevard.
Police Chief Ken Burton issued a statement saying the termination was necessary as a result of the arrest and from issues surrounding the arrest. Also that it was in the best interest of the entire Columbia Police Department.
Anderson was an 18-year veteran of the force.
Deputy Police Chief Tom Dresner failed to return our phone calls asking about the issues surrounding the incident. Anderson's lawyer issued a statement of "no comment."
_______________________
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=386132
Anderson was arrested just after 2 a.m. on Nov. 24 for allegedly failing to keep his car in a single lane.
Anderson was off duty and driving his own personal car when he was pulled over at the intersection of North Eighth Street and North Boulevard.
Police Chief Ken Burton issued a statement saying the termination was necessary as a result of the arrest and from issues surrounding the arrest. Also that it was in the best interest of the entire Columbia Police Department.
Anderson was an 18-year veteran of the force.
Deputy Police Chief Tom Dresner failed to return our phone calls asking about the issues surrounding the incident. Anderson's lawyer issued a statement of "no comment."
_______________________
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=386132
Officer John Fulmer Charged with Stealing Gas
A police officer in the Orangeburg County town of Springfield, 51-year-old John Fulmer, is charged with official misconduct and petit larceny.
Fulmer's charges were announced late Friday.
An arrest warrant against Fulmer says that between July 2009 and November of 2009, Fulmer went to the Kent's Korner #3 gas station in Springfield. The warrant goes on to state that he took gas intended for Town of Springfield vehicles and pumped it into his personal vehicle while in his official capacity with the city.
In all, the warrant says Fulmer signed $191 worth of fuel tickets that he converted for his own use.
According to State Law Enforcement Division agents, there are video recordings of his transactions at the gas station and employee timesheets that back up their allegations.
Fulmer's charges were announced late Friday.
An arrest warrant against Fulmer says that between July 2009 and November of 2009, Fulmer went to the Kent's Korner #3 gas station in Springfield. The warrant goes on to state that he took gas intended for Town of Springfield vehicles and pumped it into his personal vehicle while in his official capacity with the city.
In all, the warrant says Fulmer signed $191 worth of fuel tickets that he converted for his own use.
According to State Law Enforcement Division agents, there are video recordings of his transactions at the gas station and employee timesheets that back up their allegations.
Hearing Set for Officer Justin Barrett Accused of Calling Professor "Banana-eating Jungle Monkey"
It has been four months since Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston said, “He’s gone - G-O-N-E.’’
At the time, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis vowed that there would be a termination hearing in seven to 10 days.
But four months later, Officer Justin Barrett, who was accused of writing an e-mail that called Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. a “banana-eating jungle monkey,’’ remains on administrative leave and is still collecting his $70,500 salary.
Yesterday, three days after the Globe began asking about Barrett’s status, police scheduled the hearing for Jan. 6. They planned to serve Barrett notice of the hearing at his Hyde Park Home yesterday, according to police.
Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the timing was coincidental. The date was decided two days after the internal affairs investigation results were presented to the department’s lawyers and the hearing officer, Deputy Superintendent Norman Hill. According to Davis, Driscoll had been pushing for a hearing date for the past two weeks.
Barrett, who has sued the department and city contending that his civil and due process rights were violated, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Peter T. Marano, could not be reached. A phone listed at his Boston office rang with no reply.
Barrett sent an e-mail in July responding to a Globe column by Yvonne Abraham about the controversial arrest of Gates.
In the e-mail, Barrett said that Gates, who is African-American, had behaved like a “banana-eating jungle monkey’’ when Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley responded to his home for a report of a break-in. Gates was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, a charge that was quickly dropped.
The Rev. Dale Robinson, a Dorchester minister, was at a press conference in August at police headquarters in Roxbury when Davis announced that Barrett would be fired following a hearing. Such action was necessary, Robinson said, in order to maintain the fragile trust between police and the city’s minority residents.
“I would like to see fairness done to the community,’’ said Robinson. “It would be hard for the community to swallow . . . if they did not carry out or go forward with what they stated they would do.’’
Davis said yesterday that he does worry about the effect the delay could have on the sometimes rocky relationship between the police and the city’s minority neighborhoods.
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “The trust with the community is paramount and what we’re trying to do here is to do this right.’’
Davis said he has not changed his mind about seeking termination for Barrett, who has not previously been disciplined during his two years at the department.
“There is nothing that I’ve seen that would change any statement that I made before on it,’’ he said.
Davis said he wanted to move forward immediately with a termination hearing, but delayed at the advice of department lawyers, who said rushing the case could help Barrett if there was an appeal.
“I’m frustrated by the process,’’ Davis said. “As egregious as this conduct is and as upset as everyone was about it, we want to make sure that [the hearing] is done properly and that it holds up in appeals.’’
Larry Ellison, a Boston detective and president of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, said he understands why it has taken a long time to schedule a hearing for Barrett, who was a patrolman in the Mattapan district.
“They would have given him a better case if they had terminated him without giving him the due process he’s entitled to,’’ Ellison said.
But he said city officials should have been more careful in August when they announced they wanted Barrett fired immediately.
“You can’t come through; people are skeptical when you say you’re going to do something,’’ Ellison said.
At the time, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis vowed that there would be a termination hearing in seven to 10 days.
But four months later, Officer Justin Barrett, who was accused of writing an e-mail that called Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. a “banana-eating jungle monkey,’’ remains on administrative leave and is still collecting his $70,500 salary.
Yesterday, three days after the Globe began asking about Barrett’s status, police scheduled the hearing for Jan. 6. They planned to serve Barrett notice of the hearing at his Hyde Park Home yesterday, according to police.
Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the timing was coincidental. The date was decided two days after the internal affairs investigation results were presented to the department’s lawyers and the hearing officer, Deputy Superintendent Norman Hill. According to Davis, Driscoll had been pushing for a hearing date for the past two weeks.
Barrett, who has sued the department and city contending that his civil and due process rights were violated, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Peter T. Marano, could not be reached. A phone listed at his Boston office rang with no reply.
Barrett sent an e-mail in July responding to a Globe column by Yvonne Abraham about the controversial arrest of Gates.
In the e-mail, Barrett said that Gates, who is African-American, had behaved like a “banana-eating jungle monkey’’ when Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley responded to his home for a report of a break-in. Gates was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, a charge that was quickly dropped.
The Rev. Dale Robinson, a Dorchester minister, was at a press conference in August at police headquarters in Roxbury when Davis announced that Barrett would be fired following a hearing. Such action was necessary, Robinson said, in order to maintain the fragile trust between police and the city’s minority residents.
“I would like to see fairness done to the community,’’ said Robinson. “It would be hard for the community to swallow . . . if they did not carry out or go forward with what they stated they would do.’’
Davis said yesterday that he does worry about the effect the delay could have on the sometimes rocky relationship between the police and the city’s minority neighborhoods.
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “The trust with the community is paramount and what we’re trying to do here is to do this right.’’
Davis said he has not changed his mind about seeking termination for Barrett, who has not previously been disciplined during his two years at the department.
“There is nothing that I’ve seen that would change any statement that I made before on it,’’ he said.
Davis said he wanted to move forward immediately with a termination hearing, but delayed at the advice of department lawyers, who said rushing the case could help Barrett if there was an appeal.
“I’m frustrated by the process,’’ Davis said. “As egregious as this conduct is and as upset as everyone was about it, we want to make sure that [the hearing] is done properly and that it holds up in appeals.’’
Larry Ellison, a Boston detective and president of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, said he understands why it has taken a long time to schedule a hearing for Barrett, who was a patrolman in the Mattapan district.
“They would have given him a better case if they had terminated him without giving him the due process he’s entitled to,’’ Ellison said.
But he said city officials should have been more careful in August when they announced they wanted Barrett fired immediately.
“You can’t come through; people are skeptical when you say you’re going to do something,’’ Ellison said.
Former Deputy Jack Allen Roberts Sentenced for Stalking
A former Tehama County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced today to more than three years in prison for relentlessly stalking and physically assaulting a Redding woman.
Jack Allen Roberts, 34, of Redding was sentenced by Superior Court Judge James Ruggiero to three years, eight months in prison. He must serve 50 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
Roberts was arrested in April after Redding police placed a tracker on his vehicle to follow his movements in the weeks before his arrest, prosecutors said.
That tracker placed Roberts in the parking lot of the woman’s workplace at the time when gasoline was poured on her vehicle, prosecutors said.
He was later arrested by police outside the woman’s home around 4 a.m., dressed all in black, prosecutors said.
At the time of his April arrest, he had with him a black face mask, binoculars, paint stripper, weed and root killer, a container filled with BBs, sling shot, glass cutter and other items that police and prosecutors believe may have been used in previous vandalism.
Roberts pleaded guilty in July to stalking, battery and related charges.
Prosecutors said that Roberts stalked the woman for about a year, sending anonymous letters to her, making threats and harassing telephone calls, followed her and vandalized her home and vehicle.
He resigned from the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office last year after he had fired a handgun inside his then Cottonwood residence, a law enforcement investigative report says.
According to the criminal complaint, the stalking began around April 2008 and, despite restraining orders issued against him, continued for about a year.
Although Shasta County probation officials recommended that Roberts be granted probation, Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett, who prosecuted Roberts, has said that officials with the state Department of Corrections evaluated him after he pleaded guilty to the charges and determined that he was not a good candidate for probation.
He faced a maximum of five years, four months in prison.
Roberts was charged with 13 felony counts, including stalking, first-degree residential burglary, vandalism, possession of flammable material for malicious use, corporal injury and battery.
In the police report, Robert was described by some witnesses as a “loose cannon,” and had a long relationship with the Redding woman.
But, it said, she learned about three years ago that he was having an affair with a co-worker while he was working as a Tehama County sheriff’s deputy.
Attempts to save the relationship failed and she eventually met another man, the report noted.
She told Redding police investigators in March that she was reluctant to move forward with the case because Roberts had been trying to get a job with a private contracting company to go to work in Iraq and work as an independent contractor.
“Victim stated if she went forward with this case, it may hinder his ability to get that job and he would remain here in Shasta County and continue to be a problem to her,” the Redding Police Department report says.
She said that she was also afraid of him, noting that he can have a violent temper, and feared what he might do to her and her boyfriend, it said.
She later changed her mind, it said, when she found one of her vehicles vandalized and believed he was the one responsible for it.
According to the report, which described a number of instances of physical and emotional abuse, the woman said that he once pushed her against a wall, placed his hands around her neck and began to choke her until her son intervened.
She said that he also, among other things, once pushed her down and slammed her head against the ground, the police report said.
Alabama Officer Arrested for Aiding His Brother
The Birmingham News is reporting that a Trussville, Alabama, police officer was arrested for aiding his brother, who is suspected of fatally shooting a Pelham police officer during a late night traffic stop on I-65. The suspect and brother were arrested together by the Hoover Police Department.
The Birmingham News reports that the suspect was observed by a homeowner attempting to break into a vehicle, and was then picked up a short time later by a man in a pickup truck.
The homeowner gave a description of the truck to local police who stopped it and arrested the two a short time later. Both men were being booked into the Shelby County Jail.
The name of the Pelham officer who was fatally shot is being withheld pending notification of all family members.
The Birmingham News reports that the suspect was observed by a homeowner attempting to break into a vehicle, and was then picked up a short time later by a man in a pickup truck.
The homeowner gave a description of the truck to local police who stopped it and arrested the two a short time later. Both men were being booked into the Shelby County Jail.
The name of the Pelham officer who was fatally shot is being withheld pending notification of all family members.
Deputy Albert Surratt III Charged with Manufacturing Meth
A Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested in the Pageland area and taken into custody Thursday on drug related charges.
Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker said Deputy Albert Eugene Surratt, III (Brent), 28, of 1469 Hillian Edward Road, Cheraw, was charged and taken into custody for alleged conspiracy to manufacturing meth and for possession of a firearm during a drug crime.
Surratt is a 1999 graduate from West-Oak High School in Westminster, S.C. He was also a former employee of the Cheraw Police Department before being hired with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office on June 8.
“This is a shock to all of us and it is a sad situation because he always seemed to be a good guy,” said Cheraw Police Chief Jay Brooks.
Parker echoed some of the same comments.
“It is hard to believe that this happened with Brent. It is a terrible shock and very disappointing because Brent is a good person. However, we are going to try to help him get the help he needs in order to get his life back on track. It goes to show you that bad things happen to good people.”
Parker added that the case is an ongoing investigation and other arrests would result and surface as the investigation progresses.
“The Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, State and Federal Agencies as well as the DEA, are all involved in this investigation,” Parker said.
Officer Daniel Gent Charged with Using Excessive Force
A former Culpeper County deputy is scheduled to appear in court next week to answer charges that he used excessive force at the county jail.
Sheriff Jim Branch says 44-year-old Daniel T. Gent of Orange County was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault and battery. Gent was released on a uniform summons.
Gent is accused of using excessive force while escorting a male inmate from one room to another on Nov. 21.
Public information officer Corey Byers says the inmate complained of a sore neck but refused to go to a hospital.
Branch says Gent is no longer employed by the sheriff's office. The sheriff wouldn't provide details, saying it was a personnel matter.
Gent's first court appearance is set for Dec. 9.
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Information from: The Free Lance-Star, http://www.fredericksburg.com/
Sheriff Jim Branch says 44-year-old Daniel T. Gent of Orange County was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault and battery. Gent was released on a uniform summons.
Gent is accused of using excessive force while escorting a male inmate from one room to another on Nov. 21.
Public information officer Corey Byers says the inmate complained of a sore neck but refused to go to a hospital.
Branch says Gent is no longer employed by the sheriff's office. The sheriff wouldn't provide details, saying it was a personnel matter.
Gent's first court appearance is set for Dec. 9.
___
Information from: The Free Lance-Star, http://www.fredericksburg.com/
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Former Officer Jeffery Garcia Guilty of Rape
A former Alexander police officer has been convicted of rape and sexual abuse of three children.
A Saline County jury deliberated just 15 minutes before finding Jeffrey Garcia guilty of two counts of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault. Garcia was sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison.
The now 12, 13 and 14-year-old testified they were sexually molested and beaten.
Garcia did not testify but in a tape recorded interview with Benton police that was played for the jury he denied abusing the children.
Garcia resigned from the Alexander police force while in jail in the case.
A Saline County jury deliberated just 15 minutes before finding Jeffrey Garcia guilty of two counts of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault. Garcia was sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison.
The now 12, 13 and 14-year-old testified they were sexually molested and beaten.
Garcia did not testify but in a tape recorded interview with Benton police that was played for the jury he denied abusing the children.
Garcia resigned from the Alexander police force while in jail in the case.
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