Fairfax County Police Watch: 07/23/13

U.S. Attorney’s Office July 19, 2013

Eastern District of Arkansas (501) 340-2600

LITTLE ROCK, AR—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas; Randall C. Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Colonel Stan Witt, Director of the Arkansas State Police, announced that Sedrick Reed, age 43, and Lamont M. Johnson, age 45, both of Little Rock, were arrested and charged by federal complaint yesterday with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. Both have an initial appearance scheduled for 2 p.m. today before United States Magistrate Judge J. Thomas Ray.
The complaint alleges that Reed, who at the time of the investigation was an Arkansas State Police (ASP) lieutenant with full oversight of the Troop A evidence vault, broke the evidence seal on a box of cocaine held in evidence and removed cocaine more than once for distribution. The investigation revealed that he was selling the cocaine to Johnson. The allegations in support of the criminal complaint are set forth in the complaint affidavit.
“It’s a very sad day when a law enforcement officer violates the public trust,” stated Thyer. “Thankfully, because of the integrity and leadership at the Arkansas State Police, information regarding Lt. Reed’s illegal actions was turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to ferret out the dishonesty by one of their own. The ASP continued to provide cooperation throughout this investigation which has led to the charges Mr. Reed faces today.”
“Yesterday’s arrest was a result of the collaborative efforts of the ArkTrust Public Corruption Task Force,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Randall C. Coleman. “The allegations against Lieutenant Reed are among the most serious and important that we investigate. When we receive credible allegations of law enforcement corruption, we will follow the facts where they lead us, as we want Arkansans to continue to trust in the vast majority of officers who respect their oath and who are committed to public service.”
Colonel Witt stated, “We have worked alongside the FBI since the case was opened and regardless of where an investigation of this type may lead, even if it’s among our own ranks, the state police will always be accountable to the citizens and the laws they expect us to enforce.”
If convicted, both Reed and Johnson face not more than 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both with not less than three years’ supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the ArkTrust Public Corruption Task Force led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Little Rock Police Department with full cooperation from the Arkansas State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Givens and Julie Peters are prosecuting this case for the United States.
The charges set forth in a complaint are merely allegations. A federal grand jury will decide whether to indict on these charges. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney’s Office July 15, 2013

Western District of Virginia (540) 857-2250

ABINGDON, VA—United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy announced today that the former chief of police in Marion, Virginia pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon to a charge involving the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone.
Michael Dean Roberts, a.k.a., “Fireball,” age 54, of Saltville, Virginia, entered a plea of guilty to a one-count nformation charging conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Roberts faces a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a potential fine of $1,000,000.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Lee, Roberts was involved in the distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone between 2006 and June 2013, all while employed as the chief of police of the Marion, Virginia Police Department. As part of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Virginia State Police; and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to obtain hydrocodone pills from Roberts on three separate occasions in May and June 2013.
The investigation determined that Roberts was involved in the distribution of at least 7,331 hydrocodone pills, 365 grams of methamphetamine, and small amounts of cocaine and oxycodone. The investigation further determined that Roberts used his position as chief of police to obtain some of these drugs from the Marion Police Department evidence room.
Sentencing has been set for October 9, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Virginia State Police; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Lee is prosecuting the case for the United States.

Morrogh finds cop he doesn’t love. In other news, hell freezes.

Probe of fatal police shooting goes to federal authorities

By Justin Jouvenal/Post

The Fairfax County prosecutor has turned over the investigation of a fatal police shooting of an unarmed Springfield man to federal authorities, citing complications with the five-month-old case.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh said the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia has agreed to continue the probe into the death of 46-year-old John Geer, who was shot during a standoff with Fairfax County police in August. No one has been charged in the incident.

“There is a conflict of interest that has arisen in the case,” Morrogh said Thursday. “And there is a second potential conflict of interest that has arisen out of my office. . . . This is the prudent thing to do.”

Morrogh declined to describe the nature of the conflicts because the investigation is ongoing. The U.S. attorney’s office said Thursday that it could not confirm or deny any investigation or comment on pending investigations.

Police went to Geer’s Pebble Brook Court home on Aug. 29 because of a report of a domestic disturbance. Geer’s father, Don Geer, said his son was upset because his girlfriend, the mother of his two children, had decided to leave him.

John Geer had thrown his girlfriend’s belongings in the front yard. She called police and told them that Geer had a firearm. Police said they tried for about 50 minutes to persuade Geer to leave the home, but he refused.

Don Geer said he watched the climax of the encounter. He said that he could not hear what officers were saying to his son but that he saw him standing with empty hands resting on top of a screen door at the home’s entrance.

At some point, John Geer began to slowly lower his hands and an officer opened fire, hitting Geer in the chest, his father said. Geer retreated inside and closed the door. A SWAT team eventually entered the home and found Geer dead.

Don Geer said detectives later told him that his son did not have a gun on him at the time of the shooting but that there was a holstered handgun a couple of steps from the front door.

Don Geer said it appeared to him that the shooting was unjustified, but he was unsure what to make of the probe being turned over to federal authorities.

“I don’t know whether that’s good or bad — if I had a better idea of why they are doing it, I could form an opinion,” he said.

Geer and friends of his son have been critical of how long the investigation has taken, but Morrogh said police and prosecutors were working to explore all the evidence. He did not think federal prosecutors would have to start from scratch.

“No one wants these things to linger on,” Morrogh said.

Our ink will outlast his career

Under the reign of former Chief of Police Rhorer the Fairfax County Police arrested a man for not wearing clothes in his house while he made coffee, set up an eye doctor on a gambling charge and then used the SWAT team to kill him. An investigation into the charge that the Doctor’s primary clients were cops has never been investigated. The police gunned down an emotionally unstable man because cop who shot him wrongly assumed the man was trying to escape. He wasn’t. The cops also shot dead four other citizens under highly questionable circumstances. The department under Rhorer was sued multiple times by citizens. So did they fire Rhorer? Naw they promoted him. According to news reports Rhorer draws a salary of $191,168 per year as Deputy Fairfax County Executive as well as a concurrent pension from the Fairfax County police of $173000 per year.

Occupation by force

According to the most recent U.S. Census figures, nearly one in five Fairfax residents (17.5 percent) is of Asian descent while Hispanics make up nearly 16 percent of Fairfax’s overall population. Those numbers drop considerably when applied to the Fairfax County Police Department, where only 4.3 percent of officers are Asian and 4.1 percent Hispanic. White officers make up 84 percent of Fairfax County’s 1,360-member police department, significantly higher than the county’s general population (54 percent white). Almost 90% of the force lives outside the county.