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Post by KC on Sept 12, 2006 21:22:51 GMT -5
September 12, 2006 - A former Kilgore reserve police officer faces misdemeanor charges after authorities say his tale of being carjacked and kidnapped was a hoax. John Michael Cannon Jr., also a former Gladewater schools trustee, was arrested Wednesday and charged with filing a false report to a peace officer during the course of an investigation, a Class B misdemeanor. If convicted, Cannon could be jailed up to 180 days and assessed a fine up to $2,000. He was released from the Smith County Jail on $500 bond. The 32-year-old man's charges stem from his reports to Smith County investigators, Oklahoma City police and the FBI that he was carjacked and kidnapped as he traveled to work in Tyler. He was found in Oklahoma City. Cannon told authorities that he was on his way to work in Tyler about 4:30 a.m. July 18 when he noticed a stranded motorist in a green Jeep Cherokee. He first thought the woman stopped on U.S. 271 near Interstate 20 was a co-worker, the police report states. The report says after he stopped and got out of his vehicle, a man appeared, pointed a gun at him and said, "We need a ride." Cannon said he was initially instructed to drive, but his abductor later took over the driving. Cannon reported he was dropped off on a dirt road in an undeveloped housing addition in Oklahoma City. He was told to lie face down, and he stayed there until he couldn't hear the suspects talking anymore, the report stated. When Oklahoma police found him, Cannon was "staggering and having some difficulty walking in the 100-degree temperature," according to the report. Smith County sheriff's officials said they could not find the Jeep that Cannon said he saw on U.S. 271. Cannon's 1999 brown Chevrolet Suburban was found burned in the Oklahoma City area. Ronnie Moore, Kilgore's public safety director, said Cannon has been terminated as a reserve officer. He said a request also has been made to revoke Cannon's state peace officers license. www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/09092006Hoax.html
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Post by KC on Sept 12, 2006 21:22:51 GMT -5
September 12, 2006 - A former Kilgore reserve police officer faces misdemeanor charges after authorities say his tale of being carjacked and kidnapped was a hoax. John Michael Cannon Jr., also a former Gladewater schools trustee, was arrested Wednesday and charged with filing a false report to a peace officer during the course of an investigation, a Class B misdemeanor. If convicted, Cannon could be jailed up to 180 days and assessed a fine up to $2,000. He was released from the Smith County Jail on $500 bond. The 32-year-old man's charges stem from his reports to Smith County investigators, Oklahoma City police and the FBI that he was carjacked and kidnapped as he traveled to work in Tyler. He was found in Oklahoma City. Cannon told authorities that he was on his way to work in Tyler about 4:30 a.m. July 18 when he noticed a stranded motorist in a green Jeep Cherokee. He first thought the woman stopped on U.S. 271 near Interstate 20 was a co-worker, the police report states. The report says after he stopped and got out of his vehicle, a man appeared, pointed a gun at him and said, "We need a ride." Cannon said he was initially instructed to drive, but his abductor later took over the driving. Cannon reported he was dropped off on a dirt road in an undeveloped housing addition in Oklahoma City. He was told to lie face down, and he stayed there until he couldn't hear the suspects talking anymore, the report stated. When Oklahoma police found him, Cannon was "staggering and having some difficulty walking in the 100-degree temperature," according to the report. Smith County sheriff's officials said they could not find the Jeep that Cannon said he saw on U.S. 271. Cannon's 1999 brown Chevrolet Suburban was found burned in the Oklahoma City area. Ronnie Moore, Kilgore's public safety director, said Cannon has been terminated as a reserve officer. He said a request also has been made to revoke Cannon's state peace officers license. www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/09092006Hoax.html
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Post by KC on Aug 25, 2006 23:13:09 GMT -5
Officer John B. Schaffer August 26, 2006 - A Louisville Metro Police officer resigned this week after being charged with filing a false report and official misconduct. The misdemeanor charges against Officer John B. Schaffer, 33, stem from an investigation by the police department’s public integrity unit, which investigates officers who have potentially violated the law, said Maj. Tim Emington, who oversees the unit. Schaffer wouldn’t comment Thursday. “John Schaffer is a good person who has made a mistake, and he’s acknowledged it by his resignation,” his attorney, Steve Schroering, said. According to the citation, Schaffer completed a police report in January 2003, listing himself as a victim of identity theft. He signed another officer’s name and turned it in. Because of that investigation, a case was also opened against Schaffer by the professional standards unit, which investigates potential department policy violations. That investigation will now be closed because of Schaffer’s resignation, Emington said. Schaffer’s police powers were suspended during the investigation, Emington said. Schaffer’s personnel records showed no discipline issues while he was with the department. His file contained six commendations praising him for work while on patrol. He became a recruit in January 2001 and was sworn in as an officer that June. He had most recently been assigned to the city’s 6th Division, which includes Newburg and the airport. www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060817/NEWS01/60817028
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Post by KC on Aug 25, 2006 23:13:09 GMT -5
Officer John B. Schaffer August 26, 2006 - A Louisville Metro Police officer resigned this week after being charged with filing a false report and official misconduct. The misdemeanor charges against Officer John B. Schaffer, 33, stem from an investigation by the police department’s public integrity unit, which investigates officers who have potentially violated the law, said Maj. Tim Emington, who oversees the unit. Schaffer wouldn’t comment Thursday. “John Schaffer is a good person who has made a mistake, and he’s acknowledged it by his resignation,” his attorney, Steve Schroering, said. According to the citation, Schaffer completed a police report in January 2003, listing himself as a victim of identity theft. He signed another officer’s name and turned it in. Because of that investigation, a case was also opened against Schaffer by the professional standards unit, which investigates potential department policy violations. That investigation will now be closed because of Schaffer’s resignation, Emington said. Schaffer’s police powers were suspended during the investigation, Emington said. Schaffer’s personnel records showed no discipline issues while he was with the department. His file contained six commendations praising him for work while on patrol. He became a recruit in January 2001 and was sworn in as an officer that June. He had most recently been assigned to the city’s 6th Division, which includes Newburg and the airport. www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060817/NEWS01/60817028
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Post by KC on Jun 14, 2006 22:12:57 GMT -5
6/14/06 - HOUSTON - A veteran police officer has been indicted on charges that he inflated his role in two investigations to give himself a better chance at promotion.
Officer John Hamilton Parker, 42, is charged with two felony counts of tampering with government records.
Prosecutors said the 15-year Houston police officer acknowledged altering two arrest reports in an effort to advance his career.
"He thought it would make him more promotable," said Terese Buess of the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Parker is a member of the Houston Police Officer's Union and will be represented by the association's lawyers. They were not available for comment Tuesday.
A department spokesman said Parker was put on paid leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
In one case, Parker claimed he arrested a woman in January who was wanted on a drunken driving warrant. He wrote in the official report that he took the woman to a county psychiatric center for a mental health evaluation.
Prosecutors said the reports were untrue.
A criminal complaint also accused Parker of claiming a larger role in the February arrest of a man wanted on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He reported that he took the suspect into custody and later brought him to the Harris County Jail.
"When (police internal affairs officers) looked into those arrests, they found he in fact did not arrest either of the suspects," Buess said. "They determined he had written a false supplement to the arrest report."
Buess said this was the first time she'd heard of an officer falsifying an arrest document to advance his career.
"It's not common at all," she said.
She said an officer's false reports could hamper prosecutors ability to prosecute the original crime.
"There is always the potential of that having an adverse impact on a good case," Buess said. "It could muddy the water."
Parker was released from custody Monday after posting $2,000 bond for each charge.
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Post by KC on Jun 14, 2006 22:12:57 GMT -5
6/14/06 - HOUSTON - A veteran police officer has been indicted on charges that he inflated his role in two investigations to give himself a better chance at promotion.
Officer John Hamilton Parker, 42, is charged with two felony counts of tampering with government records.
Prosecutors said the 15-year Houston police officer acknowledged altering two arrest reports in an effort to advance his career.
"He thought it would make him more promotable," said Terese Buess of the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Parker is a member of the Houston Police Officer's Union and will be represented by the association's lawyers. They were not available for comment Tuesday.
A department spokesman said Parker was put on paid leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
In one case, Parker claimed he arrested a woman in January who was wanted on a drunken driving warrant. He wrote in the official report that he took the woman to a county psychiatric center for a mental health evaluation.
Prosecutors said the reports were untrue.
A criminal complaint also accused Parker of claiming a larger role in the February arrest of a man wanted on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He reported that he took the suspect into custody and later brought him to the Harris County Jail.
"When (police internal affairs officers) looked into those arrests, they found he in fact did not arrest either of the suspects," Buess said. "They determined he had written a false supplement to the arrest report."
Buess said this was the first time she'd heard of an officer falsifying an arrest document to advance his career.
"It's not common at all," she said.
She said an officer's false reports could hamper prosecutors ability to prosecute the original crime.
"There is always the potential of that having an adverse impact on a good case," Buess said. "It could muddy the water."
Parker was released from custody Monday after posting $2,000 bond for each charge.
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Post by KC on Dec 5, 2006 21:16:25 GMT -5
Arresting Cop in Gibson Case Attacked By Sheriff The Deputy who arrested Mel Gibson for D.U.I. is under attack -- by his own department. L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy James Mee "was forced into an Internal Affairs investigation within 72 hours of the arrest of Mr. Gibson," according to a letter sent to the Sheriff's Department by Deputy Mee's lawyer and obtained by TMZ. In the letter, dated October 17, attorney Richard Shinee says that the interrogation lasted five hours and Mee "was compelled to give a statement regarding all aspects of the transaction between himself and Mr. Gibson, including questions with regard to the alleged leak of information to the press." TMZ broke the story on July 28, the day of the arrest, that Gibson went on an anti-Semitic tirade. Sheriff's officials told TMZ and other media that the arrest had occurred "without incident," that is, until TMZ published four pages from the original arrest report which included a blow-by-blow account of Gibson's conduct. We also first reported that Deputy Mee was ordered by his superiors to sanitize the report, removing the four pages of incendiary information. According to Shinee's letter, after Mee's interview, the deputy was immediately made the subject of a criminal investigation. As we have already reported, the Sheriff's Department searched Mee's residence to determine if there was evidence that he was the TMZ leak. In his letter, Shinee says Deputy Mee "told the investigators that he was ordered to change his report, and further, that he did so against his will." Shinee also says, contrary to Sheriff Lee Baca's claim that he did not ask to have the initial arrest report sanitized, Mee's statements to Internal Affairs and his immediate supervisors "wholly contradict these assertions."Shinee claims there's a conflict of interest with the Department investigating his client, claiming it "creates far too great of a temptation to discredit Deputy Mee by manipulation of the evidence." Shinee adds, "To date, my investigation reveals that that has already been set in motion." Shinee is incredulous that the Department has put a review of its own conduct in the investigation on hold, pending the criminal investigation into the leak. Shinee writes, "This, on its face, is ridiculous and further underscores our concerns that Deputy Mee will be scapegoated." TMZ has also obtained a letter from Shinee to the State Attorney General, dated November 13, asking him to take over the Sheriff's investigation "to ensure that the investigation is conducted lawfully and objectively." We're told the Attorney General has rejected Shinee's request. Finally, TMZ has learned that Mee has been taken off patrol duty in Malibu and reassigned. We're also told that the Sheriff's Dept. has recently targeted Mee in a separate investigation, allegedly for getting into an argument with a superior. TMZ contacted Shinee, who claims the new investigation "is nothing more than ongoing harassment." Sheriff's spokesperson Steve Whitmore told TMZ "The Sheriff's Department has handled scores of investigations in an unbiased, fair manner. This investigation is no different." Whitmore adds his Department is conducting "a thorough and robust investigation" and it will "continue to move forward in a professional, measured manner, regardless of the publicity surrounding it." www.tmz.com/2006/12/05/arresting-deputy-in-gibson-case-attacked-by-sheriff/
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Post by KC on Dec 5, 2006 21:16:25 GMT -5
Arresting Cop in Gibson Case Attacked By Sheriff The Deputy who arrested Mel Gibson for D.U.I. is under attack -- by his own department. L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy James Mee "was forced into an Internal Affairs investigation within 72 hours of the arrest of Mr. Gibson," according to a letter sent to the Sheriff's Department by Deputy Mee's lawyer and obtained by TMZ. In the letter, dated October 17, attorney Richard Shinee says that the interrogation lasted five hours and Mee "was compelled to give a statement regarding all aspects of the transaction between himself and Mr. Gibson, including questions with regard to the alleged leak of information to the press." TMZ broke the story on July 28, the day of the arrest, that Gibson went on an anti-Semitic tirade. Sheriff's officials told TMZ and other media that the arrest had occurred "without incident," that is, until TMZ published four pages from the original arrest report which included a blow-by-blow account of Gibson's conduct. We also first reported that Deputy Mee was ordered by his superiors to sanitize the report, removing the four pages of incendiary information. According to Shinee's letter, after Mee's interview, the deputy was immediately made the subject of a criminal investigation. As we have already reported, the Sheriff's Department searched Mee's residence to determine if there was evidence that he was the TMZ leak. In his letter, Shinee says Deputy Mee "told the investigators that he was ordered to change his report, and further, that he did so against his will." Shinee also says, contrary to Sheriff Lee Baca's claim that he did not ask to have the initial arrest report sanitized, Mee's statements to Internal Affairs and his immediate supervisors "wholly contradict these assertions."Shinee claims there's a conflict of interest with the Department investigating his client, claiming it "creates far too great of a temptation to discredit Deputy Mee by manipulation of the evidence." Shinee adds, "To date, my investigation reveals that that has already been set in motion." Shinee is incredulous that the Department has put a review of its own conduct in the investigation on hold, pending the criminal investigation into the leak. Shinee writes, "This, on its face, is ridiculous and further underscores our concerns that Deputy Mee will be scapegoated." TMZ has also obtained a letter from Shinee to the State Attorney General, dated November 13, asking him to take over the Sheriff's investigation "to ensure that the investigation is conducted lawfully and objectively." We're told the Attorney General has rejected Shinee's request. Finally, TMZ has learned that Mee has been taken off patrol duty in Malibu and reassigned. We're also told that the Sheriff's Dept. has recently targeted Mee in a separate investigation, allegedly for getting into an argument with a superior. TMZ contacted Shinee, who claims the new investigation "is nothing more than ongoing harassment." Sheriff's spokesperson Steve Whitmore told TMZ "The Sheriff's Department has handled scores of investigations in an unbiased, fair manner. This investigation is no different." Whitmore adds his Department is conducting "a thorough and robust investigation" and it will "continue to move forward in a professional, measured manner, regardless of the publicity surrounding it." www.tmz.com/2006/12/05/arresting-deputy-in-gibson-case-attacked-by-sheriff/
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Post by KC on Oct 13, 2006 20:32:10 GMT -5
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The sheriff's deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson for drunken driving has had his home searched by fellow officers investigating how a police account of the actor's anti-Semitic tirade was made public, it was reported on Thursday. Acting on a search warrant obtained by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, investigators raided the home of Deputy James Mee on September 13 and seized his computer, telephone records and other documents, according to the celebrity Web site TMZ.com. TMZ, citing unnamed department sources for its report, said the search warrant remains under seal and the outcome of the search has not been made public. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore refused to confirm or deny the report, saying only that the department is "investigating the unauthorized release of documents connected to the investigation" of the Gibson case. Neither Mee nor his lawyer were available for comment. TMZ is the Internet outlet which first published details of Gibson's behavior at the time of his July 28 arrest, as recounted by Mee in four pages of his police report obtained by the Web site. Sheriff's officials initially asserted that Gibson was arrested "without incident." But portions of the police report leaked to TMZ described Gibson as acting in a belligerent manner, trying to escape from custody and threatening to "get even" with Mee. Mee, who is Jewish, also reported that Gibson made a statement blaming Jews for "all the wars in the world" and asked him if he were a Jew. Disclosure of Gibson's rant sparked headlines, drew condemnation from Jewish leaders and led to speculation that his Hollywood career had been irreparably damaged. Gibson, who later pleaded no contest to a drunken driving charge and was ordered into treatment for alcohol abuse, has apologized for his conduct. He told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an interview broadcast this week that his outburst was "just the stupid rambling of a drunkard." But the fact that his outburst only became public after it was leaked to TMZ has raised questions about whether the sheriff's department gave him preferential treatment. Michael Gennaco, who heads a civilian oversight agency for the sheriff's department called the Office of Independent Review, said an inquiry into that issue was continuing. today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=peopleNews&storyID=2006-10-13T010926Z_01_N12325355_RTRIDST_0_PEOPLE-GIBSON-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=EntNewsPeople_C1_%5BFeed%5D-5
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Post by KC on Oct 13, 2006 20:32:10 GMT -5
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The sheriff's deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson for drunken driving has had his home searched by fellow officers investigating how a police account of the actor's anti-Semitic tirade was made public, it was reported on Thursday. Acting on a search warrant obtained by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, investigators raided the home of Deputy James Mee on September 13 and seized his computer, telephone records and other documents, according to the celebrity Web site TMZ.com. TMZ, citing unnamed department sources for its report, said the search warrant remains under seal and the outcome of the search has not been made public. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore refused to confirm or deny the report, saying only that the department is "investigating the unauthorized release of documents connected to the investigation" of the Gibson case. Neither Mee nor his lawyer were available for comment. TMZ is the Internet outlet which first published details of Gibson's behavior at the time of his July 28 arrest, as recounted by Mee in four pages of his police report obtained by the Web site. Sheriff's officials initially asserted that Gibson was arrested "without incident." But portions of the police report leaked to TMZ described Gibson as acting in a belligerent manner, trying to escape from custody and threatening to "get even" with Mee. Mee, who is Jewish, also reported that Gibson made a statement blaming Jews for "all the wars in the world" and asked him if he were a Jew. Disclosure of Gibson's rant sparked headlines, drew condemnation from Jewish leaders and led to speculation that his Hollywood career had been irreparably damaged. Gibson, who later pleaded no contest to a drunken driving charge and was ordered into treatment for alcohol abuse, has apologized for his conduct. He told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an interview broadcast this week that his outburst was "just the stupid rambling of a drunkard." But the fact that his outburst only became public after it was leaked to TMZ has raised questions about whether the sheriff's department gave him preferential treatment. Michael Gennaco, who heads a civilian oversight agency for the sheriff's department called the Office of Independent Review, said an inquiry into that issue was continuing. today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=peopleNews&storyID=2006-10-13T010926Z_01_N12325355_RTRIDST_0_PEOPLE-GIBSON-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=EntNewsPeople_C1_%5BFeed%5D-5
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Post by KC on Nov 30, 2006 23:15:32 GMT -5
RALEIGH - A former sheriff's detective pled guilty Monday to fraud charges related to private work he did for a former elected official while on duty. Gary Warren Odum, 37, of Lumberton, also pled guilty to illegally programming satellite TV cards and selling them. Odum resigned from the Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. Two other former deputies, Paul Pittman and Billy Hunt, last month plead guilty to receiving taxpayers' money for helping landscape the yard of a former elected official and working at that person's campaign fund-raiser. The U.S. Attorney's Office didn't name the former elected official in the bill of criminal information, but it has been widely reported that the deputies helped former Sheriff Glenn Maynor while on the clock. Maynor, who has not been charged with a crime, resigned in 2004, citing health reasons. Federal prosecutors say Odum was instructed by his supervisors to record the hours worked for private benefit for Maynor as if he performed his duty as a law enforcement officer. The value of that work exceeded $5,000, according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Odum becomes the sixth deputy to take a plea deal as part of an on-going investigation of the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Kenneth Sealey said until Odum's resignation Tuesday, he had not been aware of the charges against the deputy. “It's makes you feel sad to see one of them lose their job and be charged with a crime,” Sealey said. Odum worked as a road deputy, a school resource officer, a detective in the Juvenile Division and most recently as a detective in the Major Crimes Division. Odum faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, two years supervised probation and a $250,000 fine for each charge. A sentencing hearing has not been set. Early this month, former deputies Roger Taylor, C.T. Strickland and Steven Lovin were also charged with illegally programing satellite cards. Taylor, Strickland and Lovin were first indicted in June on a host of racketeering and other charges, including arson and stealing money from drug dealers. Their trial has been rescheduled for March. Former Deputy James O. Hunt, 39, pled guilty in July to conspiracy to commit money laundering and admitted to stealing more than $160,000 during six interstate traffic stops with his partner, Lovin. He is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 13 along with former Deputy Joey Smith. Smith pled guilty last month to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal investigators have said he misused about $4,000 that has been seized from drug dealers. Former Deputy Kevin Meares, 37, pled guilty last month to conspiracy to commit money laundering and admitted to stealing about $25,000 earmarked to pay informants. Meares is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 12. www.robesonian.com/articles/2006/11/30/news/news/story01.txt
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Post by KC on Nov 30, 2006 23:15:32 GMT -5
RALEIGH - A former sheriff's detective pled guilty Monday to fraud charges related to private work he did for a former elected official while on duty. Gary Warren Odum, 37, of Lumberton, also pled guilty to illegally programming satellite TV cards and selling them. Odum resigned from the Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. Two other former deputies, Paul Pittman and Billy Hunt, last month plead guilty to receiving taxpayers' money for helping landscape the yard of a former elected official and working at that person's campaign fund-raiser. The U.S. Attorney's Office didn't name the former elected official in the bill of criminal information, but it has been widely reported that the deputies helped former Sheriff Glenn Maynor while on the clock. Maynor, who has not been charged with a crime, resigned in 2004, citing health reasons. Federal prosecutors say Odum was instructed by his supervisors to record the hours worked for private benefit for Maynor as if he performed his duty as a law enforcement officer. The value of that work exceeded $5,000, according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Odum becomes the sixth deputy to take a plea deal as part of an on-going investigation of the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Kenneth Sealey said until Odum's resignation Tuesday, he had not been aware of the charges against the deputy. “It's makes you feel sad to see one of them lose their job and be charged with a crime,” Sealey said. Odum worked as a road deputy, a school resource officer, a detective in the Juvenile Division and most recently as a detective in the Major Crimes Division. Odum faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, two years supervised probation and a $250,000 fine for each charge. A sentencing hearing has not been set. Early this month, former deputies Roger Taylor, C.T. Strickland and Steven Lovin were also charged with illegally programing satellite cards. Taylor, Strickland and Lovin were first indicted in June on a host of racketeering and other charges, including arson and stealing money from drug dealers. Their trial has been rescheduled for March. Former Deputy James O. Hunt, 39, pled guilty in July to conspiracy to commit money laundering and admitted to stealing more than $160,000 during six interstate traffic stops with his partner, Lovin. He is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 13 along with former Deputy Joey Smith. Smith pled guilty last month to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal investigators have said he misused about $4,000 that has been seized from drug dealers. Former Deputy Kevin Meares, 37, pled guilty last month to conspiracy to commit money laundering and admitted to stealing about $25,000 earmarked to pay informants. Meares is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 12. www.robesonian.com/articles/2006/11/30/news/news/story01.txt
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Post by KC on Nov 30, 2006 23:05:27 GMT -5
A former Clearwater police officer who recently broke an almost 30-year silence about police involvement in a fatal car accident has an extensive criminal history and served time for DUI-manslaughter just six years after leaving the force. Edward Garner told the St. Petersburg Times in an exclusive interview Thursday that he doesn’t think his past will taint his credibility, and he stands by everything he has said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens in court, won’t we?” said Garner, 57. As details about Garner’s past emerged, a Tampa family told the Times they were the first witnesses to the accident on July 13, 1977, and they question the former officer’s claims. At issue is how Michael Scott Niesen, an 18-year-old Georgia resident, died on Clearwater Beach, and whether police participated in a cover-up to conceal the cause of his death. Several state investigations over three decades have concluded that Niesen died from injuries sustained from the crash. The accident also claimed the life of Officer Ronald Mahony, 21, who jumped into the truck’s bed as Niesen sped away from a traffic stop. Since the accident, Niesen’s older brother, John, has said his brother was fine after the wreck and that police later beat him to death. Niesen and his attorney, former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Del Fuoco, have spent the past couple of months collecting sworn testimonies from witnesses who support those claims. The new information led Clearwater police Chief Sid Klein Tuesday to ask the U.S. Attorney’s Office to review the case, specifically allegations of police misconduct. Roland and Bonnie Sanchez, and their daughter Natalie D’Angelo, told the Times Thursday that they would testify that they stood by a badly injured Michael Niesen, and that no officers ever hurt him. In fact, they say, the officers didn’t necessarily help him, either. “They didn’t bother to work on him at first. ... I kept getting upset,” said Bonnie Sanchez, 64. Bonnie Sanchez and her husband, who was driving west on Memorial Causeway, said they were stopped at the traffic light near Island Estates when they saw the initial traffic stop in the eastbound lane. Roland Sanchez said Mahony jumped in the back of the truck and was standing as Niesen took off, “swerving pretty erratically, trying to throw him out.” “He cut the wheel so hard that eventually the bumper hit the ground and the truck rolled over end over end a couple of times,” he said. “It almost hit us and then flipped the other way. I saw the officer fly out and the truck roll over the top of him.” The couple were with their two daughters, Natalie and Karen, and a family friend. They had just finished a late dinner on the mainland and were headed back to the Quality Inn to spend another week vacationing on the beach. While some details are hazy — such as where they ate that night or whether Michael Niesen was bleeding — they all say the rest of their memories of the night are “vivid.” “That kid went through the windshield and when he landed, he never lifted a finger,” said 67-year-old Roland Sanchez, a retired pastor at Bible Baptist Church in Lakeland. Natalie, 13 at the time, said she walked up to Niesen to see if he was okay. She said it’s a memory that’s haunted her for years. “His chest wasn’t moving, he didn’t flinch, his chest didn’t go up or down,” she said. The family’s accounts contradict what John Niesen and Del Fuoco are trying to prove happened. Garner’s credibility also could be a problem. Del Fuoco has called Garner “one of the most important witnesses in the case,” but said he wasn’t aware of his past. Garner was arrested several times from 1979 to 1983 on charges of passing bad checks, theft, violating probation and driving while intoxicated. In November 1983, he was arrested after he drove his van into a garbage truck, killing a 22-year-old Odesssa man, authorities said. The accident occurred in Holiday, on Darlington Road, just east of U.S. 19. Garner negotiated a plea and was given a 10-year sentence. He served 3½ years and was released in 1987. In a 30-minute interview with the Times Thursday, Garner reiterated that he felt Niesen was coherent and uninjured, and he even talked briefly with him before leaving to direct traffic. Garner said the next day, “about 30 officers” met to put together a final report. He said he was “coached” on what to write and told he shouldn’t mention that Niesen wasn’t hurt. He doesn’t recall who told him to do that. “I was a little intimidated and I didn’t feel good about it, but the hierarchy said this is how it’s going to be,” he said. Garner said he never wanted to come forward because he was worried about his career, but also never had “enough proof.” Garner joined the Clearwater Police Department in March 1977, but resigned in April 1978, after he admitted to abusing the city’s sick leave by calling in sick “when, in fact, he was found to be drinking in a local bar,” according to his employment records. Garner refused to talk about his past, other than to say he left the department “while going through a nasty divorce — I couldn’t concentrate. I just left. Period.” He later became a self-employed satellite television dealer. While serving time, he sobered up attending Alcoholics Anonymous programs, court documents say. Del Fuoco defended Garner. “It’s not like we have one witness we’re relying on,” he said. “We have multiple witnesses and they’re all backing each other up.” Two retired emergency medical technicians contacted by the Times have said Niesen was uninjured when they first saw him at the accident scene. Clearwater Police spokesman Wayne Shelor said the information about Garner’s background would have no bearing on the decision to ask that the case be reviewed. “As all the facts become known to the public, everyone will have a better and more complete understanding of the lack of scope of this case,” he said. www.sptimes.com/2006/11/30/Tampabay/Former_cop_has_tainte.shtml
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Post by KC on Nov 30, 2006 23:05:27 GMT -5
A former Clearwater police officer who recently broke an almost 30-year silence about police involvement in a fatal car accident has an extensive criminal history and served time for DUI-manslaughter just six years after leaving the force. Edward Garner told the St. Petersburg Times in an exclusive interview Thursday that he doesn’t think his past will taint his credibility, and he stands by everything he has said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens in court, won’t we?” said Garner, 57. As details about Garner’s past emerged, a Tampa family told the Times they were the first witnesses to the accident on July 13, 1977, and they question the former officer’s claims. At issue is how Michael Scott Niesen, an 18-year-old Georgia resident, died on Clearwater Beach, and whether police participated in a cover-up to conceal the cause of his death. Several state investigations over three decades have concluded that Niesen died from injuries sustained from the crash. The accident also claimed the life of Officer Ronald Mahony, 21, who jumped into the truck’s bed as Niesen sped away from a traffic stop. Since the accident, Niesen’s older brother, John, has said his brother was fine after the wreck and that police later beat him to death. Niesen and his attorney, former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Del Fuoco, have spent the past couple of months collecting sworn testimonies from witnesses who support those claims. The new information led Clearwater police Chief Sid Klein Tuesday to ask the U.S. Attorney’s Office to review the case, specifically allegations of police misconduct. Roland and Bonnie Sanchez, and their daughter Natalie D’Angelo, told the Times Thursday that they would testify that they stood by a badly injured Michael Niesen, and that no officers ever hurt him. In fact, they say, the officers didn’t necessarily help him, either. “They didn’t bother to work on him at first. ... I kept getting upset,” said Bonnie Sanchez, 64. Bonnie Sanchez and her husband, who was driving west on Memorial Causeway, said they were stopped at the traffic light near Island Estates when they saw the initial traffic stop in the eastbound lane. Roland Sanchez said Mahony jumped in the back of the truck and was standing as Niesen took off, “swerving pretty erratically, trying to throw him out.” “He cut the wheel so hard that eventually the bumper hit the ground and the truck rolled over end over end a couple of times,” he said. “It almost hit us and then flipped the other way. I saw the officer fly out and the truck roll over the top of him.” The couple were with their two daughters, Natalie and Karen, and a family friend. They had just finished a late dinner on the mainland and were headed back to the Quality Inn to spend another week vacationing on the beach. While some details are hazy — such as where they ate that night or whether Michael Niesen was bleeding — they all say the rest of their memories of the night are “vivid.” “That kid went through the windshield and when he landed, he never lifted a finger,” said 67-year-old Roland Sanchez, a retired pastor at Bible Baptist Church in Lakeland. Natalie, 13 at the time, said she walked up to Niesen to see if he was okay. She said it’s a memory that’s haunted her for years. “His chest wasn’t moving, he didn’t flinch, his chest didn’t go up or down,” she said. The family’s accounts contradict what John Niesen and Del Fuoco are trying to prove happened. Garner’s credibility also could be a problem. Del Fuoco has called Garner “one of the most important witnesses in the case,” but said he wasn’t aware of his past. Garner was arrested several times from 1979 to 1983 on charges of passing bad checks, theft, violating probation and driving while intoxicated. In November 1983, he was arrested after he drove his van into a garbage truck, killing a 22-year-old Odesssa man, authorities said. The accident occurred in Holiday, on Darlington Road, just east of U.S. 19. Garner negotiated a plea and was given a 10-year sentence. He served 3½ years and was released in 1987. In a 30-minute interview with the Times Thursday, Garner reiterated that he felt Niesen was coherent and uninjured, and he even talked briefly with him before leaving to direct traffic. Garner said the next day, “about 30 officers” met to put together a final report. He said he was “coached” on what to write and told he shouldn’t mention that Niesen wasn’t hurt. He doesn’t recall who told him to do that. “I was a little intimidated and I didn’t feel good about it, but the hierarchy said this is how it’s going to be,” he said. Garner said he never wanted to come forward because he was worried about his career, but also never had “enough proof.” Garner joined the Clearwater Police Department in March 1977, but resigned in April 1978, after he admitted to abusing the city’s sick leave by calling in sick “when, in fact, he was found to be drinking in a local bar,” according to his employment records. Garner refused to talk about his past, other than to say he left the department “while going through a nasty divorce — I couldn’t concentrate. I just left. Period.” He later became a self-employed satellite television dealer. While serving time, he sobered up attending Alcoholics Anonymous programs, court documents say. Del Fuoco defended Garner. “It’s not like we have one witness we’re relying on,” he said. “We have multiple witnesses and they’re all backing each other up.” Two retired emergency medical technicians contacted by the Times have said Niesen was uninjured when they first saw him at the accident scene. Clearwater Police spokesman Wayne Shelor said the information about Garner’s background would have no bearing on the decision to ask that the case be reviewed. “As all the facts become known to the public, everyone will have a better and more complete understanding of the lack of scope of this case,” he said. www.sptimes.com/2006/11/30/Tampabay/Former_cop_has_tainte.shtml
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Post by KC on Nov 28, 2006 23:01:50 GMT -5
Sweetwater may pay more for 3-year-old cops caseWith their officers exonerated, Sweetwater officials are stunned that a 3-year-old accusation of police brutality still may cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. BY SUSANNAH A. NESMITH AND JOSE CASSOLA snesmith@MiamiHerald.com Three years ago, it seemed like a case of a couple of small-town cops and the mayor getting a little too old-fashioned with a teenager they thought stole a Jet Ski. But the officers were exonerated of charges they beat the teen, the mayor cleared of any serious wrong-doing and the teen's story thrown into question by inconsistencies exposed in open court. Two not-guilty verdicts in February seemed like the end of the case. Now the tiny city of Sweetwater finds itself facing a trio of big-city attorneys, a new and untested state law, and the realization that more taxpayer money may be spent before the saga of the Sweetwater Jet Ski is over. Sweetwater settled with the teen, Peter Daniel, who claimed he was brutally beaten by police, for $2 million. The city's insurance covered most of it, but taxpayers had to pay $20,000. And when Allen St. Germain and Sgt. George Alvarez were acquitted of harming the teen this year, Sweetwater spent more than $100,000 in back pay for officers. Now the attorneys who represented the two officers are demanding the city pay their $435,000 bill. The city is fighting the bill, and recently lost an appeal. The attorneys say they plan to tack on the costs of the appeals, too. ''This is a way for vindicated police officers to be made whole,'' said attorney Janice Burton Sharpstein. She is wrangling with the city on behalf of her husband, Richard Sharpstein, and Doug Hartman, the lawyers who successfully defended St. Germain and Alvarez against battery and official misconduct charges. City leaders say it isn't fair to hit them with the legal bills. ''We didn't accuse or charge the officers, the state attorney did,'' Mayor Manny Maroño said. ``Why should we be stuck with the bill? It's not fair to burden our residents with this. We are a small, low-income city.'' The city's annual budget is only $5.8 million. The whole episode began on June 18, 2003 when the officers arrested Daniel. Just hours after he was released, he had to have surgery to control massive internal bleeding. Daniel claimed St. Germain and Alvarez beat him and lied about it because they were trying to locate a Jet Ski taken from the home of another cop. He also claimed Maroño witnessed part of the beating while he was driving the officers and him around in his city-owned SUV. The FBI investigated, but arrested no one. Miami-Dade prosecutors cleared Maroño but urged him to stay out of criminal investigations. The police chief was demoted. In June 2004, Alvarez and St. Germain were arrested -- a month after the Law Enforcement Fair Defense Act was amended by the Legislature. The amendment requires an officer's employer to cover his legal costs if he is arrested for something he did on the job, and then later acquitted. City bosses thought covering the officers' back pay was all they'd be responsible for. ''I think it's unfair that these attorneys have turned this into such a financial burden for a city where its police officers were just attempting to do their job,'' Police Chief Roberto Fulgueira said. City attorney Ray Irizarri argued the city was not properly served with a summons or complaint. But the Third District Court of Appeal has ruled against him. He also said Sweetwater shouldn't be required to reimburse the lawyers because state law was amended nearly a year after the incident. But he didn't raise that issue with the appeals court. A hearing is scheduled before Circuit Judge Stanford Blake on Dec. 8. www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16114501.htm
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Post by KC on Nov 28, 2006 23:01:50 GMT -5
Sweetwater may pay more for 3-year-old cops caseWith their officers exonerated, Sweetwater officials are stunned that a 3-year-old accusation of police brutality still may cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. BY SUSANNAH A. NESMITH AND JOSE CASSOLA snesmith@MiamiHerald.com Three years ago, it seemed like a case of a couple of small-town cops and the mayor getting a little too old-fashioned with a teenager they thought stole a Jet Ski. But the officers were exonerated of charges they beat the teen, the mayor cleared of any serious wrong-doing and the teen's story thrown into question by inconsistencies exposed in open court. Two not-guilty verdicts in February seemed like the end of the case. Now the tiny city of Sweetwater finds itself facing a trio of big-city attorneys, a new and untested state law, and the realization that more taxpayer money may be spent before the saga of the Sweetwater Jet Ski is over. Sweetwater settled with the teen, Peter Daniel, who claimed he was brutally beaten by police, for $2 million. The city's insurance covered most of it, but taxpayers had to pay $20,000. And when Allen St. Germain and Sgt. George Alvarez were acquitted of harming the teen this year, Sweetwater spent more than $100,000 in back pay for officers. Now the attorneys who represented the two officers are demanding the city pay their $435,000 bill. The city is fighting the bill, and recently lost an appeal. The attorneys say they plan to tack on the costs of the appeals, too. ''This is a way for vindicated police officers to be made whole,'' said attorney Janice Burton Sharpstein. She is wrangling with the city on behalf of her husband, Richard Sharpstein, and Doug Hartman, the lawyers who successfully defended St. Germain and Alvarez against battery and official misconduct charges. City leaders say it isn't fair to hit them with the legal bills. ''We didn't accuse or charge the officers, the state attorney did,'' Mayor Manny Maroño said. ``Why should we be stuck with the bill? It's not fair to burden our residents with this. We are a small, low-income city.'' The city's annual budget is only $5.8 million. The whole episode began on June 18, 2003 when the officers arrested Daniel. Just hours after he was released, he had to have surgery to control massive internal bleeding. Daniel claimed St. Germain and Alvarez beat him and lied about it because they were trying to locate a Jet Ski taken from the home of another cop. He also claimed Maroño witnessed part of the beating while he was driving the officers and him around in his city-owned SUV. The FBI investigated, but arrested no one. Miami-Dade prosecutors cleared Maroño but urged him to stay out of criminal investigations. The police chief was demoted. In June 2004, Alvarez and St. Germain were arrested -- a month after the Law Enforcement Fair Defense Act was amended by the Legislature. The amendment requires an officer's employer to cover his legal costs if he is arrested for something he did on the job, and then later acquitted. City bosses thought covering the officers' back pay was all they'd be responsible for. ''I think it's unfair that these attorneys have turned this into such a financial burden for a city where its police officers were just attempting to do their job,'' Police Chief Roberto Fulgueira said. City attorney Ray Irizarri argued the city was not properly served with a summons or complaint. But the Third District Court of Appeal has ruled against him. He also said Sweetwater shouldn't be required to reimburse the lawyers because state law was amended nearly a year after the incident. But he didn't raise that issue with the appeals court. A hearing is scheduled before Circuit Judge Stanford Blake on Dec. 8. www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16114501.htm
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Post by KC on Nov 19, 2006 23:18:42 GMT -5
Houston police trampled on striking janitors with horses last night. The janitors make on average $20 a day with no health insurance. The companies responsible? Chevron. And Hines Interest, the city's largest hometown building owner. These people make on average $5.35 an hour. With no health insurance. That is frakking ridiculous. It is wrong. And when these workers protested peacefully, the Houston police department rode into a crowd with horses to intimidate and injure the workers. It worked, as they arrested 44 workers and hurt 4 of them, including an 83 year old janitor. I don't care if you don't like unions. This is insane. And if you are a politician reading this site, or a 2008 candidate, now's your chance to stand up and issue a strong statement condemning these actions and demanding that Chevron and Hines Interest pay these people responsibly. Video: www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mydd.com%2Fstory%2F2006%2F11%2F17%2F224946%2F56
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Post by KC on Nov 19, 2006 23:18:42 GMT -5
Houston police trampled on striking janitors with horses last night. The janitors make on average $20 a day with no health insurance. The companies responsible? Chevron. And Hines Interest, the city's largest hometown building owner. These people make on average $5.35 an hour. With no health insurance. That is frakking ridiculous. It is wrong. And when these workers protested peacefully, the Houston police department rode into a crowd with horses to intimidate and injure the workers. It worked, as they arrested 44 workers and hurt 4 of them, including an 83 year old janitor. I don't care if you don't like unions. This is insane. And if you are a politician reading this site, or a 2008 candidate, now's your chance to stand up and issue a strong statement condemning these actions and demanding that Chevron and Hines Interest pay these people responsibly. Video: www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mydd.com%2Fstory%2F2006%2F11%2F17%2F224946%2F56
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Post by KC on Jan 28, 2007 23:19:50 GMT -5
A Brazos County grand jury decided not to file charges against an off-duty College Station police officer who shot and killed a neighbor's horse after it wandered onto his property. The officer, Damian Anderson, told Brazos County sheriff's deputies that he shot the horse Nov. 17 after it broke onto his land, then harassed and attacked two of Anderson's horses. "The investigation revealed that he felt he had no other choice than to do what he did in order to prevent any injuries to his horses," said Shane Phelps, first assistant district attorney for Brazos County. An investigation by the sheriff's department determined that Anderson's two horses had several bite marks on their stomachs and one horse had a large gash on the side of its face. According to the Brazos County District Attorney's Office, the horse, a 30 1/2-inch-tall miniature stallion named Santi, had broken onto Anderson's property several times before and, on one occasion, injured a horse. Anderson told authorities that he believed he had no choice but to shoot the horse because he had attempted unsuccessfully to control it and keep it from harming his property, according to court documents. Brandi Hamlin, the horse's owner, told The Eagle in November that she considered it a harmless pet that she believed easily could have been subdued. She said she offered to pay his neighbor's vet bills but received no response. She declined to comment Monday after learning the grand jury's decision. The district attorney's office reviewed Anderson's case and decided that he did not break the law by shooting the horse, citing a Texas law that gives citizens the right to use force to protect their property at night if there is no alternative. "We made the call at that point [to not file criminal charges] and then made the determination to present it to a grand jury to get the community's perspective," Phelps said. "It is what we call a refusal with a grand jury review. On cases where there is any kind of unusual thing, we will get a second opinion from a grand jury." Phelps said the strategy is somewhat common and is a way for the district attorney to gauge the public's opinion about a case. "They can take a different look at it than we do," he said. The decision by the grand jury not to file charges now closes the case, Phelps said, adding that this case should not give residents the impression that they can be liberal with the use of a firearm on their property. "It is important for the public to realize that if someone does use this kind of force, it ought to be a last resort and they better be prepared to face pretty close scrutiny," Phelps said. If convicted of with the state jail felony of cruelty to animals, Anderson would have faced up to two years behind bars. www.theeagle.com/stories/012307/local_20070123005.php
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Post by KC on Jan 28, 2007 23:19:50 GMT -5
A Brazos County grand jury decided not to file charges against an off-duty College Station police officer who shot and killed a neighbor's horse after it wandered onto his property. The officer, Damian Anderson, told Brazos County sheriff's deputies that he shot the horse Nov. 17 after it broke onto his land, then harassed and attacked two of Anderson's horses. "The investigation revealed that he felt he had no other choice than to do what he did in order to prevent any injuries to his horses," said Shane Phelps, first assistant district attorney for Brazos County. An investigation by the sheriff's department determined that Anderson's two horses had several bite marks on their stomachs and one horse had a large gash on the side of its face. According to the Brazos County District Attorney's Office, the horse, a 30 1/2-inch-tall miniature stallion named Santi, had broken onto Anderson's property several times before and, on one occasion, injured a horse. Anderson told authorities that he believed he had no choice but to shoot the horse because he had attempted unsuccessfully to control it and keep it from harming his property, according to court documents. Brandi Hamlin, the horse's owner, told The Eagle in November that she considered it a harmless pet that she believed easily could have been subdued. She said she offered to pay his neighbor's vet bills but received no response. She declined to comment Monday after learning the grand jury's decision. The district attorney's office reviewed Anderson's case and decided that he did not break the law by shooting the horse, citing a Texas law that gives citizens the right to use force to protect their property at night if there is no alternative. "We made the call at that point [to not file criminal charges] and then made the determination to present it to a grand jury to get the community's perspective," Phelps said. "It is what we call a refusal with a grand jury review. On cases where there is any kind of unusual thing, we will get a second opinion from a grand jury." Phelps said the strategy is somewhat common and is a way for the district attorney to gauge the public's opinion about a case. "They can take a different look at it than we do," he said. The decision by the grand jury not to file charges now closes the case, Phelps said, adding that this case should not give residents the impression that they can be liberal with the use of a firearm on their property. "It is important for the public to realize that if someone does use this kind of force, it ought to be a last resort and they better be prepared to face pretty close scrutiny," Phelps said. If convicted of with the state jail felony of cruelty to animals, Anderson would have faced up to two years behind bars. www.theeagle.com/stories/012307/local_20070123005.php
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