Post by WaTcHeR on Nov 4, 2006 12:46:31 GMT -5
11.04.2006 - East Cleveland -- A police officer recently reassigned from the detective bureau to a desk job is under investigation by federal authorities trying to determine if she helped her husband in a conspiracy to sell drugs.
Officer Tiffiney Cleveland, 39, returned to work this week after a three-month medical leave. Cleveland was reassigned to a night desk job taking reports.
Cleveland's husband, Lesean Roberts, 37, was arrested on July 28 by narcotics officers who say they found him with an East Cleveland detective badge, his wife's business card and 7 ounces of crack cocaine.
Chief Patricia Lane declined to discuss Cleveland's reassignment or how the police items may have gotten into Roberts' possession. The chief said Cleveland has not been reprimanded. Records show that Cleveland will take about a dollar-an-hour pay cut in her new job.
Reached Friday night, Cleveland said that she did nothing wrong and that she was as shocked as anyone by Roberts' arrest. She said the badge was a unofficial badge and did not belong to her. "I haven't done anything," she said. "I didn't have any knowledge of any wrongdoing by my husband."
Mayor Eric Brewer said the news of the arrest disturbed him.
"Until the federal investigation is completed, she is not doing any regular police work," he said.
"I think residents will be alarmed that one of our detectives is married not only to a convicted cocaine trafficker, but one who was recently indicted," he added.
Cleveland married Roberts last year. She has not been charged or arrested.
She became a full-time officer in 1998 and made detective shortly thereafter. She was initially assigned as a detective to investigate juvenile crimes and has never been in trouble before.
www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1162633407132110.xml&coll=2
Officer Tiffiney Cleveland, 39, returned to work this week after a three-month medical leave. Cleveland was reassigned to a night desk job taking reports.
Cleveland's husband, Lesean Roberts, 37, was arrested on July 28 by narcotics officers who say they found him with an East Cleveland detective badge, his wife's business card and 7 ounces of crack cocaine.
Chief Patricia Lane declined to discuss Cleveland's reassignment or how the police items may have gotten into Roberts' possession. The chief said Cleveland has not been reprimanded. Records show that Cleveland will take about a dollar-an-hour pay cut in her new job.
Reached Friday night, Cleveland said that she did nothing wrong and that she was as shocked as anyone by Roberts' arrest. She said the badge was a unofficial badge and did not belong to her. "I haven't done anything," she said. "I didn't have any knowledge of any wrongdoing by my husband."
Mayor Eric Brewer said the news of the arrest disturbed him.
"Until the federal investigation is completed, she is not doing any regular police work," he said.
"I think residents will be alarmed that one of our detectives is married not only to a convicted cocaine trafficker, but one who was recently indicted," he added.
Cleveland married Roberts last year. She has not been charged or arrested.
She became a full-time officer in 1998 and made detective shortly thereafter. She was initially assigned as a detective to investigate juvenile crimes and has never been in trouble before.
www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1162633407132110.xml&coll=2