T h e B l u e L i e C R CrookedCops O O K E D Copsarrestedfor:61711 B Y :J aySant o s . www. c r o o k ed p d c o m . www. c r o o k ed s ap d c o m/ f o r u m
//
Former Madison County officer Danny E. Patterson charged for misuse of office gas card June 17, 2011 A former Madison County probation officer investigated for misusing a probation office gas card faces a misdemeanor charge that could allow him to avoid any jail time if convicted. Danny E. Patterson, 47, of 35 Meadow Rue Drive in Edwardsville, was charged Monday with violation of the Illinois Credit Card Act for misusing office cards to obtain gasoline valued at less than $150, according to court documents and Special Prosecutor David Rands. The misuse occurred between May and October 2010. Patterson could not be reached for comment. Glen Carbon police investigated Patterson for using an office gas card to fill up his personal vehicle. Detective David Zarr said earlier this year that the former officer could face charges of felony theft of over $300 and unlawful use of a credit card. Zarr would not comment for this story. Rands was formally assigned the case in April to avoid a potential conflict of interest in the Madison County State's Attorney's office. He said there was not enough evidence to support a felony charge because he would have had problems proving the amount of the misuse, which he does not need to do for this misdemeanor charge. Rands said he expects Patterson to plead guilty. "He was interested in putting this behind him," Rands said. No plea has been entered in the case, and no court dates have been scheduled, according to court records. Patterson could face up to a year in jail or a maximum fine of $2,500 if he is convicted. Prosecutors would not ask for jail time if he pleads guilty in this case, Rands said. Court documents provided no other details of the case, and few details about the misuse of the card have emerged from investigators. Among the questions left unanswered are how often the card was misused, how much was misspent with the card and on what dates the misuse took place. Glen Carbon police refused to release any reports of their investigation while the case is ongoing.
County Probation Director Judy Dallas said she has been "out of the loop" since Glen Carbon police began their investigation. Patterson resigned Nov. 5, after 23 years at the department. The investigation into the matter did not begin until after his resignation when the office learned there were missing receipts for the gas cards, Dallas said. Dallas said her office has tried to tighten the way it does business to avoid a similar situation in the future, but added, "When a person sets out to commit a crime, it is really difficult to prevent that." BY: KEVIN BERSETT Comment here
Former Chicago officer sentenced to probation for swindling $1 million from elderly man June 17, 2011 A former veteran Chicago police officer convicted of swindling an elderly man with Alzheimer's disease out of his $1 million estate was sentenced today to 3 years of probation and fined $36,000. In announcing that he would spare Donald Owsley, 63, a prison term, Judge Timothy Joyce said he did not believe Owsley's position as a police officer was "a significant aggravating factor" in the case. Joyce also cited a number of letters sent to him from Owsley's former colleagues who "speak with sincerity to Mr. Owsley's history, as an individual and as a Chicago police officer." Owsley faced up to 15 years in prison after Joyce convicted him earlier this year of financial exploitation of the elderly and forgery following a weeklong bench trial. Joyce acquitted him of official misconduct, saying that although Owsely met his victim through his job on the force, he did not believe Owsley used his office in furtherance of the fraud scheme. Authorities alleged that in 1999 Owsley met Theodore Hoellen, then in his 80s, after a neighbor contacted police with concerns about Hoellen's mental state. Hoellen is now deceased. Authorities contended that over time Owsley persuaded Hoellen to sign over his Northwest Side residence as well as investment accounts worth a combined $1 million. Owsley was charged criminally in late 2004 hours after a Cook County judge, ruling in a civil lawsuit filed by the Cook County public guardian's office, found that the officer had swindled Hoellen out of his estate. The public guardian alleged at the time that Owsley attempted the same scheme on three other elderly victims, but he was charged criminally in only the Hoellen case. Attorney Jed Stone insisted at trial his client and Hoellen had a special father-son relationship and that Hoellen had told others he didn't want his family to share in his inheritance.
Stone reiterated that point after court today, accusing prosecutors of failing to see that Owsely and Hoellen had a "palpable" friendship. "They (prosecutors) saw the actions of a good and decent man through the lenses of guilt," Stone said. "A police officer befriended an old man who left his estate to him, and therefore he must be guilty of some wrongdoing." Stone said he planned to appeal the case. Owsley, a 30-year veteran of the force, resigned from the department after he was criminally charged in 2004. BY: Jason Meisner Comment here
Honolulu officer Scott J. Valdez gets assault charge dismissed June 17, 2011 Circuit Judge Edward H. Kubo dismissed a case against Honolulu police officer Scott J. Valdez Thursday after a second jury in less than six months could not agree on a verdict. Kubo dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Valdez cannot be tried a third time. Valdez had been accused of pushing or hitting a 17-year-old male driver during a traffic stop on the H-1 freeway in March 2010. Valdez, 43, was charged with second-degree unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. If convicted, he faced up to five years in prison. Motorist Matthew Smith said Valdez pulled him over when Smith threw up his hands after the officer drove by on a narrow shoulder, nearly brushing Smith's To-yota Scion. Valdez claimed Smith made an obscene gesture, prompting the traffic stop. Valdez denied any improper conduct and insisted that he remained calm. Jeffrey Hawk, Valdez's attorney, said the officer only reached into Smith's car to check the tint on the window. Hawk said Smith wanted to get back at Valdez because of the expensive citations he was issued. The second trial began June 7 and ran three days. The jury deliberated for more than two days and informed Kubo Thursday afternoon it could not reach a unanimous decision. The prosecutor's office declined comment. A previous trial before Kubo ended with a hung verdict in January. http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20110617__Case_against_officer_is_d ismissed.html Comment here
Former Lakeland officer Troy Young gets charge dropped in connection with lotto winner's murder June 17, 2011 BARTOW | Prosecutors on Thursday dropped charges against a former Lakeland police officer linked to Dorice "DeeDee" Moore, the accused murderer of Lotto millionaire Abraham Shakespeare, because Moore refused to testify at his trial. Troy Young, 43, was scheduled for trial next week on charges that he accepted unlawful payment from Moore and also misused confidential information. She was the key witness in the case. Investigators said Young received money from Moore, who faces a first-degree murder charge in the killing of Shakespeare, in exchange for checking tag numbers that belonged to law enforcement vehicles. Prosecutors dropped the charges because Moore planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right allowing her to refuse to make possibly self-incriminating statements in court, according to a court document filed Thursday. Young has made admissions to the crime, the document says, but prosecutors can't move forward without Moore's testimony. Before a prosecutor can use a confession as evidence, state law requires them to show a crime occurred independently of the defendant's statements. "While there is abundant probable cause in this case to believe the defendant committed the crimes, as well as his admissions of his committing the crimes, these admissions cannot come into evidence until the state has proven the underlying facts and circumstances of the crime which it is unable to do without this witness," the document says. Chip Thullbery, a spokesman for the state attorney, declined to comment.
An arrest report on Young said Moore sent him texts in November 2009 with tag numbers and once told him to "check if this is a cop." He later asked Moore to buy a plane ticket for his daughter in exchange for the information, the report said. In January 2010 Young admitted to the actions, the report says. But when reached by phone Thursday, Young denied ever making such statements. "We were looking forward to our day in court so the truth can come out," Young said. "The evidence that they have is false from the beginning." He said Moore approached him to work as a consultant on a book she planned to write on Shakespeare, who won a $17 million lump-sum lottery payment in 2006. Young, a 19-year veteran of the Lakeland Police Department, said he charged Moore $50 per hour to corroborate stories about Shakespeare. He said he earned less than $600 over the course of four months. None of the money he received was for checking tag numbers, he said. Moore sent him tag numbers she thought belonged to drug dealers, in an effort to report a possible crime. "She was doing her civic duty, in my opinion," he said. Young was fired from Lakeland Police Department Tuesday after multiple internal investigations were opened, including one related to the criminal charges and another into sexually explicit images found on his computer. BY: Matthew Pleasant Comment here
Ackerman officer Terry Gazaway gets fired arrest federal drug charges June 17, 2011 The Ackerman Board of Aldermen fired one police officer then hired two new officers. After a short discussion, the board approved to terminate Officer Terry Gazaway after he was arrested on federal charges of distribution of controlled substances the day before the meeting. “Ya’ll are aware of what has happened. Debbie (Boley, town clerk) talked to the state auditor and the AG office and they suggested to terminate him immediately,” said Mayor Dick Cain. Ackerman Police Chief Tanya Burton said she could not discuss the case because it is under investigation. The board then discussed possible candidates for the police officer position. The Town already had applications because they recently advertised for a police officer opening due to the retirement of Officer Frank Murphy. After discussing five possible candidates, Burton recommended Lloyd Denning, a fulltime certified officer, to replace Gazaway. Before approving his hire, the board discussed and approved to remove the current requirement that all Town employees must live in Choctaw County. Denning currently lives in Webster County. The aldermen also approved to hire George Rembert, a part-time certified officer, to replace Murphy when he retires in late June. Rembert will attend the police academy in the fall to become full-time certified. Burton said the state will reimburse the Town for all expenses of sending Rembert to the police academy except salary. BY: Amanda McBride Comment here
Houston TSA agent arrested for alleged theft June 17, 2011 HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A TSA agent at Bush Intercontinental Airport has been arrested amid accusations of theft. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to us that the agent was arrested Thursday afternoon and escorted out of the airport. The TSA had been conducting an internal affairs investigation for a while and said the female employee is accused of theft. The employee, whose name hasn't been released, began working for the agency in September 2002. In a statement issued to Eyewitness News, the Department of Homeland Security said: "TSA holds its workforce to the highest professional standards and we act swiftly to end the federal careers of those who do not abide by these standards. The actions of this officer in no way reflect on the nearly 50,000 Transportation Security Officers who work tirelessly to protect the traveling public." We expect to learn more about the allegations and charges when she makes her first appearance in a Harris County court. No other details were immediately available. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8195687 Comment here
Gainesville officers crack down on panhandlers June 17, 2011 GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A panhandling crackdown has landed four men in jail, one of whom said he had just left court for a similar charge. According to the Gainesville Police Department, the panhandlers have been soliciting from drivers along Main Street and University Avenue, two major thoroughfares in the city, which police consider a safety issue for both drivers and the panhandlers, who are standing in the flow of traffic. An operation set up in the middle of the day resulted in four quick arrests. One of the suspects, a 56-year-old male, told an undercover officer he had just left the courthouse, where he had been for a panhandling charge. He was arrested when he took a dollar from the officer in the vehicle. The other three also involved males, ages 39 to 55, who held signs asking for help. In each case, they were arrested once they reached into the vehicle to take a dollar bill. All four were jailed on panhandling charges. http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/207994/4/Gainesville-Police-Take-Actionagainst-Panhandlers Comment here
Orlando officer Travis Lamont involved in excessive force again June 17, 2011 An Orlando police officer recently accused of excessive force was once again involved in a physical confrontation with a suspect early Friday morning, an arrest report states. Officer Travis Lamont and other officers were called to a home on Anissa Avenue about 2:30 a.m. Friday after reports of a possible home invasion. In his report, Lamont said he could hear a loud argument coming from the home as he approached, and later saw a man carrying a large metal rod exit the back door. Lamont drew his gun. Lamont ordered the man, later identified as 34-year-old Adrian Moen, to get on the ground, but said Moen instead began walking toward him "in an aggressive manner," reports state. After ignoring another command to stop, Lamont said Moen raised the rod. "Fearing an attack was imminent," the officer wrote he used his right forearm to strike Moen in the shoulder. Moen staggered, the report states, and Lamont grabbed his shoulders, performing a "leg sweep" to take him to the ground. On his way down, Moen ripped off Lamont's radio microphone, the officer reported. Lamont wrote that Moen continued to resist on the ground, and elbowed the officer in the chest. Two other officers then helped to subdue him, reports state. Police later talked to a resident of the home, who identified Moen as her ex-boyfriend, the report states. The woman stated she was awakened by cell phone calls about 2:20 a.m., and found Moen in her home. She said she told him to leave several times, but he refused, stating that he was looking for "the other man." The woman's male friend was also in the house, as was her 7year-old son, reports state. The woman said she told her friend to hide in the bathroom, the report says, but Moen broke down the bathroom door and attacked him. When the woman and her son got in his way, Moen shoved them down, she told police. The woman called police, and Moen left, shouting, "This is not the end of this," the victims said.
When interviewed by police, reports state Moen called the woman his "soon to be wife" and said he was enraged because he'd heard she was in a relationship with "a stranger." "What would you do, officer?" Moen reportedly asked. "What would you do?" Police said Moen claimed that his memory of what had happened in the home was "fuzzy." Moen was arrested on several charges, including burglary of dwelling with assault or battery, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, battery on law enforcement officer and dating violence battery. The victim reportedly told police the pair had dated for two years. Moen remained in the Orange County Jail on Friday afternoon. Lamont was recently investigated and later cleared by the Orlando Police Department's professional standards division after a confrontation with 85-year-old Daniel Daley. Daley was injured Sept. 18, when Lamont responded to a report that the retiree was irate because his car was being towed near Ivanhoe Grocery on North Orange Avenue. Lamont's report indicated that Daley, who police said had been drinking across the street at The Caboose bar, slapped him repeatedly on the shoulder despite Lamont's orders to stop. Lamont said Daley grabbed his neck and tried to punch him, so he took the retiree to the ground and handcuffed him. Daley's neck was broken in the incident. He has denied trying to punch Lamont. Then-Orlando police Chief Val Demings said in October that an internal review of the incident determined the takedown move used by Lamont was within departmental guidelines. Daley has since filed a lawsuit against the officer and the city, alleging false imprisonment and arrest, and violations of his rights constitutional rights, among other claims. BY: Jeff Weiner Comment here
Former Dayton detention officer Douglas Lowe could face criminal embezzling charges June 17, 2011 A former electronic home detention officer with Dayton Municipal Court, who resigned in 2009 amid a scandal over a car he improperly accepted, could face criminal charges accusing him of embezzling money from the court, the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office said. Douglas Lowe, 38, who served as a court officer from 2006 to 2009, spent more than two years pocketing fees paid to the court to cover the cost of home electronic supervision, said Greg Flannagan, prosecutor’s office spokesman. The amount he allegedly stole is more than $5,000, but less than $100,000, Flannagan said. The prosecutor’s office has approved 16 third-degree felony charges against Lowe for theft in office and tampering with records, and two misdemeanor charges of dereliction of duty and soliciting/accepting improper compensation. The case is expected to go before a grand jury within about a month, Flannagan said. Lowe resigned Dec. 4, 2009, from his job with the court after officials learned he allegedly accepted a Mercedes-Benz from a car dealership owned by the family of a criminal offender he failed to properly supervise while on court-ordered home electronic detention, officials said. When he resigned, Lowe was already on employee probation for violations of the court’s personnel policies, including misuse of a city vehicle. After the incident, the court began an internal investigation of Lowe that turned up discrepancies in the financial books, said Jacquelyn Jackson, Municipal Court administrator. The court only accepts money orders or cashier’s checks from people who are able to afford to pay for electronic home monitoring, she said. But Lowe allegedly accepted cash from people on probation, which was never deposited, Jackson said, noting, “We don’t show a record” of it.
In 2001, Lowe was arrested by Huber Heights on a charge of aggravated burglary after he was accused of kicking in the front door of his ex-girlfriend’s home and fighting with a man who was staying with her, police said. Lowe, who then worked part-time as an officer with the University of Dayton Department of Public Safety, threatened the man with a gun, witnesses told police. Court records indicate the case was dismissed because the victim or witness failed to appear, Flannagan said. Lowe was never indicted. He could not be reached for comment. BY: Cornelius Frolik Comment here
Former Fulton County captain Steve Suissa sues after wrongful arrest June 17, 2011 FULTON COUNTY, Ga. -- Steve Suissa treasures the badge he wore over his heart for 25 years. He rose to the rank of captain with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office before retiring in 2006. He was still working as a reserve deputy, volunteering his time, when he was arrested last year on charges of impersonating an officer. "It was devastating. I felt completely betrayed and humiliated beyond belief in front of my friends, my family and my neighbors," Suissa told Channel 2 investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer. Fulton County marshals hauled Suissa away in handcuffs and made him wear an inmate jumpsuit inside the jail he once helped command. Suissa had been working as a process server, and showed up in uniform to evict renters at a southeast Atlanta home. "I followed every procedure that was set out for me to follow to be lawful and have permission to do what I was doing," said Suissa. A judge agreed, dismissing all of Suissa's charges. A Sheriff's Office internal investigation also cleared him and he continues to work as a reserve deputy. "I love my agency. I look forward to volunteering my hours. It's my civic duty and something I take pride in. I take pride in wearing that uniform when I put it on," Suissa said. "They were ridiculous charges," said Mel Hewitt, Suissa's attorney. Suissa halted the eviction because of a paperwork problem, but walked through the home after three unattended children answered the door. He said he had a duty to make sure they were OK. A week later, marshals who handle evictions in Fulton County got a warrant for his arrest. "It wasn't a mix up. I'm going to get to the bottom of why, but it never should have happened," said Hewitt. He hopes a federal lawsuit against the marshals sends a message. Suissa isn't just looking for monetary compensation. He wants an apology and to make sure no other officer has to go through what he did.
"The damage has already been done. This has gone on. It was seven or eight months before I was totally vindicated," Suissa said. Fleischer tried to contact Fulton County Marshal Antonio Johnson to ask why Suissa was arrested. Johnson did not return the call. http://www.wsbtv.com/news/28276243/detail.html Comment here
T h eB l u eL i e Cr o o k ed Co p s B Y :J aySant o s . www. c r o o k ed p d c o m . www. c r o o k ed s ap d c o m/ f o r u m
Mo r et oc o me. . .