Fairfax County Police Watch: The national epidemic drugged and drunk cops

Former Edinburg Officer Accused of Selling Synthetic Marijuana

Walsenburg cop sentenced in federal drug case, faces state charge brought while on bond

Should a sheriff's detective have turned off his dashboard camera during arrest of Syracuse cop?

Drug-related charges filed against former Ogden police officer

NYPD Officer Charged With DWI, Reportedly After Crash In Snowstorm

State Police: Police Chief Had .217 BAC on Duty

Married SDPD Officers Sentenced in Drug Sales, Burglary Case

Former Edinburg Officer Accused of Selling Synthetic Marijuana

Raymondville police say tip led to suspect's business next to school

EDINBURG -

An Edinburg police officer accused of selling synthetic marijuana resigned from his job Thursday.

Former Edinburg Police Officer Michael Anthony Moreno and his sister Amanda Nicole Elizondo are facing drug charges for selling synthetic marijuana out of their newly opened novelty store in Raymondville.

Raymondville police said they received a tip that someone was selling drug paraphernalia in a building next door to Ignite Charter School. A new city ordinance bans the sale of those items within 1,500 feet of a school.

Officers confronted Moreno and saw the synthetic marijuana in the store’s display case. Police confiscated more than 21 pounds of the illegal substance.

Moreno was a seven-year veteran with the Edinburg Police Department.

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Want to change the murderous arrogance and indifference of the Fairfax County Police? Then fire the people who hire the cops and watch how quickly things change. Start with tossing Gerry Hyland out of office. He basically works for the cop’s best interest and not yours.

Bottom line, if politicians don’t fear that you can harm their careers, then you don’t exist. They don’t see you, they don’t hear you. You don’t matter.

Walsenburg cop sentenced in federal drug case, faces state charge brought while on bond

BY KASSONDRA CLOOS

A jailhouse phone call from a man to his police officer ex-wife tipped off authorities that the couple was hoarding heroin and drug money in their Pueblo apartment, according to a press release from the United States attorney's office.

Former Walsenburg police officer Gloria Suazo, 32, was sentenced last week to five years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for aiding and abetting possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

Suazo's husband, Jeromy, 33, called her from Pueblo County Jail after he was arrested on suspicion of possessing a gun as a felon, the release states. Police were monitoring the call and searched the Suazos' Pueblo home, where they found cash and heroin. Gloria Suazo was later arrested and pleaded guilty on Oct. 29.

The day after Suazo pleaded guilty to the federal charges, while out on bond, she was arrested while allegedly selling cocaine in the presence of her children.

"When a government official abuses his or her position to provide cover for illegal conduct, we will hold that official responsible," U.S. Attorney John Walsh said in a statement. "In this case a sworn law enforcement officer chose to help her ex-husband instead of following her legal law enforcement obligations, and for that she will now be incarcerated."

Gloria Suazo is due in court on Thursday for her first appearance in the state case, court records show.

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Bottom line, if politicians don’t fear that you can harm their careers, then you don’t exist. They don’t see you, they don’t hear you. You don’t matter.

New Orleans police officer suspended

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A six-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department has been placed on emergency suspension without pay after he was arrested for driving under the influence.

The department says Officer Keith Elsensohn was off-duty and driving eastbound on Interstate 10 in a department-issued vehicle when he apparently lost control about 3:21 a.m. Friday and struck the guardrail. No other vehicles were involved in the collision.

After conducting a field sobriety test, officers placed Elsensohn under arrest for driving under the influence.

Elsensohn is on suspension pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. He most recently was assigned to the department's Special Operations Division.

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Should a sheriff's detective have turned off his dashboard camera during arrest of Syracuse cop?

SW Ohio police officer charged after taking camera from resident

During the arrest of Syracuse cop Ty Cogan, a sheriff's detective turned off his dashboard camera because he "felt comfortable" that he knew Cogan, he wrote in court papers.

By Julie McMahon LIVERPOOL, N.Y. -- A detective with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office who charged a "belligerent" off-duty Syracuse police officer with drunk driving turned his in-car camera off during the arrest.

While officials wouldn't comment on the case, experts agree a policy for when to turn police cameras on and off is needed.

Detective Jeffrey Passino arrived on the Onondaga Lake Parkway shortly after a Liverpool police officer pulled over the Syracuse cop on Dec. 19.

Passino went up to Syracuse officer Ty Cogan's pickup truck and asked for his driver's license. Cogan struggled to get the license, Passino wrote in court papers accusing Cogan of DWI.

Ty CoganProvided Photo

"It was at this time I looked at the license and saw that I knew the operator Ty Cogan from high school. Feeling comfortable with knowing Ty Cogan I shut the in-car audio and video off," Passino said.

Soon after, Cogan began yelling and swearing at Passino, he said. Cogan refused to be handcuffed, and would not get down on the ground or back up when ordered, Passino said.

According to the reports, as Passino, the Liverpool officer and another sheriff's deputy helped arrest Cogan, he kicked at them, attempted to bite one of them and broke another's glasses. He caused Passino a one-inch gash to his left middle finger's knuckle, Passino wrote.

When and why a police camera is turned on and off is the subject of discussion as law enforcement across the country begin obtaining and implementing policies for body-worn cameras. National and local experts agree that it's important to have a clear policy in place dictating when officers should use their cameras.

Sheriff's office spokesman Jon Seeber declined to comment and did not provide the department's policy on in-car cameras. Sheriff Gene Conway and Undersheriff Jason Cassalia did not return requests for comment.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick also declined to comment on Cogan's case. He, however, said the events in Ferguson, Missouri and the president's offer of $17 million to fund body cameras for police nationwide has sparked a conversation among prosecutors.

Fitzpatrick said he and other DAs from the National District Attorneys Association, for which he is president-elect, have serious concerns about officers using body cameras without having protocols in place.

He thinks a lack of consistent rules in any department could jeopardize cases.

"We all agreed you should have written protocols that are followed," Fitzpatrick said. "I get concerned when a protocol isn't followed."

Dave Roberts, senior program manager of the International Chiefs of Police's Technology Center, emphasized the need for departments to have well-crafted, vetted and enforceable policies for using technology.

"Establishing what those guidelines are ... is important so that everyone understands the rules and how you can monitor what we're doing to ensure we're acting properly," Roberts said.

The sheriff's office has not said what its policy is for turning the dashboard cameras off, or whether officers are given discretion.

In 2009, a dashboard camera in a sheriff's patrol vehicle captured a Salina woman being Tasered by an Onondaga County sheriff's deputy.Provided Photo

The dashboard cameras have proved handy in the past, even in seemingly innocuous traffic stops when it wasn't immediately clear that a recording would be helpful.

In the 2010 murder of Jenni-Lyn Watson, a video showing the traffic stop of Steven Pieper for not having a front license plate ended up being a crucial piece of evidence.

Deputy Sean Andrews stopped Pieper without realizing Watson's body was in the trunk of the car. Andrews was previously suspended after his dashboard camera showed him using a Taser on woman during a traffic stop in 2009.

Authorities said in the Watson case, the stop prompted Pieper to dispose of his ex-girlfriend's body hastily. The video also put Pieper in the area where she was buried. At the time of Pieper's conviction, Fitzpatrick described the stop as "an extremely important part of the case."

WE NEED TO CHANGE THE COPS, NOT ENCOURAGE THEIR AWFUL BEHAVIOR

Boycott the following companies for hosting the Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games

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Bottom line, if politicians don’t fear that you can harm their careers, then you don’t exist. They don’t see you, they don’t hear you. You don’t matter.

Drug-related charges filed against former Ogden police officer

Pat Reavy

OGDEN — A former Ogden police officer once assigned to drug investigations has been charged with distributing drugs himself.

Don Henry Johnson, 29, was charged Friday in 2nd District Court with two counts of distribution or arranging to distribute drugs, a second-degree felony.

Johnson, a former member of the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, arranged for at least two other people to buy oxycodone pills for him from a certain male on at least two different occasions, according to charging documents. One woman said she was asked by Johnson to pick up pills for him in May and July of 2014, and was promised to be paid but never was.

Another man told investigators he was asked by Johnson to arrange the illegal drug sales, the charges state.

Investigators said phone records from Johnson and the two witnesses "confirm a number of communications between these individuals during the times described by the witnesses," according to the charges.

In October, Ogden police received a complaint about Johnson that the person believed was criminal in nature. They turned the case over to Layton police to avoid a conflict of interest, said Ogden Assistant Police Chief Wayne Tarwater.

Johnson was placed on extended leave but resigned from the department on Jan. 15, about the time that the investigation was completed.

"The fact that he resigned under duress, so to speak, is noted and sent to Utah POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training),” Tarwater said.

“Law enforcement, like any other organization, has individuals that from time to time get caught up in things that they shouldn’t and … the fact that he was a police officer, he is held to a higher standard, and we hold ourselves to a higher standard. But the reality is that there are individuals that are going to lose their way. And we just have to deal with it and move on,” he said.

The charges were filed by the Davis County Attorney's Office. Johnson was not arrested but was ordered to appear before a judge. An initial court appearance had not been set as of Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson had worked for the Ogden Police Department since August of 2008.

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Boycott the following companies for hosting the Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games

Apple Federal Credit Union,

LMI,

Noblis,

B.F. Saul Company,

Galls LLC,

Sage Communications,

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Reston Limousine,

City of Fairfax, Karin’s Florist,

NOVA Media Services,

Clyde’s Restaurant Group,

Level3 Communications,

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Globe, Dewberry,

IMC, ESPN 980,

Serco,

Loudoun County,

Grant Thornton,

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Bottom line, if politicians don’t fear that you can harm their careers, then you don’t exist. They don’t see you, they don’t hear you. You don’t matter.

NYPD Officer Charged With DWI, Reportedly After Crash In Snowstorm

January 27, 2015 8:40 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — An NYPD officer was charged with driving while intoxicated in Brooklyn Thursday, reportedly after he was involved in a crash as snow fell Monday night.

Joseph Mcauliffe, 56, was arrested and charged shortly before 10 p.m. Monday in the 67th Precinct in Brooklyn, police said.

Police did not provide further details. But DNAInfo reported Mcauliffe was arrested after allegedly hitting another vehicle at East 58th Street and Kings Highway in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

He was off duty at the time, police told the publication.

The incident happened about an hour before a travel ban that applied to everything but emergency vehicles and a handful of other exceptions went into effect in the city, in anticipation of a blizzard.

Mcauliffe has 30 years’ experience on the NYPD force, the publication reported.

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Apple Federal Credit Union,

LMI,

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State Police: Police Chief Had .217 BAC on Duty

State police have released new information about a police chief in Wyoming County who is suspected of drunk driving while on duty.

State police have released new information about a police chief in Wyoming County who is suspected of driving drunk while on duty.

Charges have been formally filed against Laceyville police chief Scott Perry.

Investigators think he was nearly three times the legal limit.

Troopers say Perry was at a magistrate's office in Wysox, Bradford County, last month when workers thought something was wrong.

As Perry left the office, a trooper pulled him over and he was taken for a blood test.

The results just recently came back.

Laceyville's two police cruisers still sit covered with snow outside the Laceyville borough building.

State police believe Perry was driving his unmarked cruiser, on duty, under the influence on December 9th.

"I think he should have been a lot more responsible than that and he shouldn't have been drinking, especially on duty," Lydia Carlin of South Auburn said.

At E-B's Market on Main Street in Laceyville, workers say the chief's arrest and now subsequent charges have been a constant topic of conversation.

"Everybody's really disappointed. I mean, he seemed like a really great cop before this and everybody's just shocked that it went down this way," Jessica Weaver of Silvara said.

According to court documents, state police now say Perry had a blood alcohol content of .217 at the time he was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI.

That is nearly three times the legal limit.

He was pulled over on Route 6 in Standing Stone Township after leaving a magistrate's office after workers there noticed a strong odor of alcohol on Perry and they report his eyes were glassy and bloodshot.

"Unfortunately isn't a sad situation as he perceived himself to be a good person and wanting and willing to protect everybody but you can't protect someone when you're doing things like that yourself," Stefani Smalser of Wyalusing said.

According to court paperwork, when he was stopped by state police, Perry reportedly asked the trooper "are you going to jam me up man?"

The trooper then asked Perry if he had drank alcohol and Perry responded "he had 20."

Since Chief Perry was the only officer left on the Laceyville police force at the time of the incident, the borough is now being covered by state police.

People say it hasn't been a problem.

"I've actually seen them around quite a bit," Carlin said.

"We see them around here every now and then and travelling through so they are doing what they need to do," Smalser said.

Chief Perry is currently suspended without pay.

He is expected to be back in the same courtroom that he was allegedly drunk in, in late February.

WE NEED TO CHANGE THE COPS, NOT ENCOURAGE THEIR AWFUL BEHAVIOR

Boycott the following companies for hosting the Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games

Apple Federal Credit Union,

LMI,

Noblis,

B.F. Saul Company,

Galls LLC,

Sage Communications,

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Reston Limousine,

City of Fairfax, Karin’s Florist,

NOVA Media Services,

Clyde’s Restaurant Group,

Level3 Communications,

Verizon

Globe, Dewberry,

IMC, ESPN 980,

Serco,

Loudoun County,

Grant Thornton,

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Booz Allen Hamilton.

Bottom line, if politicians don’t fear that you can harm their careers, then you don’t exist. They don’t see you, they don’t hear you. You don’t matter.

Married SDPD Officers Sentenced in Drug Sales, Burglary Case

By Heather Culver

Two married San Diego Police officers convicted of drug sales and burglary charges were sentenced to three years in state prison in a downtown courtroom Friday. NBC 7's Rory Devine reports. (Published Friday, Jan 30, 2015)

Two married San Diego Police officers convicted of drug sales and burglary charges were sentenced to three years in state prison in a downtown courtroom Friday.

Bryce Charpentier, 32, and Jennifer Charpentier, 41, admitted to selling and furnishing a narcotic substance, possession of a firearm by an addict, conspiracy to commit first-degree residential burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime and possession and sale of a controlled substance.

As a result, the two resigned from the SDPD in November. Jennifer also lost partial custody of her kids after her arrest.

In court Friday, Bryce was teary as he apologized to the department and his family. The prosecution, however, called him "manipulative."

In an attempt to argue against jail time, the defense said the two never used their authority status and witnesses did not know they were cops. They also said the two have gotten clean and are active in 12-step programs, and that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder contributed to their actions.

Prosecutors asked for maximum sentences for both, saying other officers who suffer addiction and PTSD don't start distribution labs.

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said in a press conference following the sentencing that "no one is above the law."

"As police officers, their job was to protect the citizens of San Diego; not to victimize them," she said.

Both officers initially pleaded not guilty, but changed their pleas after new charges were filed against the couple, accusing them of stealing prescription medication from their parent, burglarizing a home while on the clock as officers and leading a distribution chain.

Bryce, a six-year veteran of the SDPD, and Jennifer, an 18-year veteran, were arrested in June during a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department narcotics investigation.

San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman also spoke out about the case saying, "It is reprehensible that these two former officers made the terrible decision to betray and discredit our badge and our profession."

Zimmerman said after the launch of the Sheriff's Department's investigation, she and her department cooperated fully and "the public trust is too important for anything less."

Sheriff Bill Gore joined Dumanis and Zimmerman at the press conference.

"I know I speak for everyone up here today when I say that we'd rather be up here for almost any other reason than to discuss the sentencing and prosecution of law enforcement officers," Gore said.

He said he thinks the collaborative efforts between SDPD and the sheriff's office were successful, adding, "It's been said that trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair."

Search warrants said Jennifer got seven different drugs in 71 prescriptions from seven separate doctors and then traveled to 17 pharmacies to fill them. Bryce went as far as Oakhurst near Yosemite to fill 79 prescriptions from six different doctors.

One victim was Jennifer's own mother. During a visit to their home, Bryce texted his wife he was coming back and pulling into the driveway. At that point, Jennifer texted she was taking her mother into the backyard, presumably to distract her while Bryce took prescription medication from her.

Before the couple's sentencing, Jennifer said she and her mom have worked things out and her mom wrote a letter to the court.

The judge said she gave probation serious consideration, but the case does not involve simple street corner drug sales, and denied the motion. However, the two are out of custody until Feb. 6 and will only serve 50 percent of their sentence on good behavior.

The couple was also ordered to pay $5,000 each in restitution.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

WE NEED TO CHANGE THE COPS, NOT ENCOURAGE THEIR AWFUL BEHAVIOR

Boycott the following companies for hosting the Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games

Apple Federal Credit Union,

LMI,

Noblis,

B.F. Saul Company,

Galls LLC,

Sage Communications,

Macerich,

Glory Days Grill,

Reston Limousine,

City of Fairfax, Karin’s Florist,

NOVA Media Services,

Clyde’s Restaurant Group,

Level3 Communications,

Verizon

Globe, Dewberry,

IMC, ESPN 980,

Serco,

Loudoun County,

Grant Thornton,

Prince William Convention and Visitors Bureau and

Booz Allen Hamilton.

Bottom line, if politicians don’t fear that you can harm their careers, then you don’t exist. They don’t see you, they don’t hear you. You don’t matter.