PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - U.S. government agents arrested six Philadelphia narcotics officers on Wednesday on charges they robbed and in some cases kidnapped drug dealers, including dangling one over an 18th story balcony to force him to give up a computer password.
The men are accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and items including a Rolex watch and a designer suit. In one instance, they are accused of seizing cocaine and reselling it on the street.
“The conduct is really egregious,” said U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger.
The officers: Perry Betts, 46; Thomas Liciardello, 38; Linwood Norman, 46; Brian Reynolds, 43; John Speiser 46; and Michael Spicer, 46, were taken into custody early on Wednesday at their homes, authorities said.
Charges include robbery, racketeering, civil rights violations and falsifying records. Speiser faces up to 40 years in prison while the other officers face life sentences.
The case stems from the arrest of Officer Jeffrey Walker during an FBI sting in 2013. According to court documents, Walker, working with an informant who was also cooperating with federal investigators, planted cocaine in a dealer's car, then stole his house keys during a traffic stop.
Walker stole $15,000 from the dealer's home and was arrested as he was leaving, authorities said.
After pleading guilty to robbery in February, he agreed to testify against his fellow officers, prosecutors said. Sentencing is scheduled for November.
The 42-page indictment describes scenes that Hollywood would have trouble topping, including a 2007 robbery during which Norman allegedly held a man over an 18th floor balcony to get him to divulge the password to his handheld computer.
In other instances, the officers are accused of kicking detainees in the teeth, hitting them in the head with metal bars and ordering takeout food with suspects' cash.
One victim told investigators that Reynolds and Betts stole $6,000, not from drug proceeds but from a federal payment to compensate her for flood damage, the indictment said.
Five of the men – all but Norman - were removed from the narcotics unit in December 2012, after Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams wrote a letter saying he could not rely on their testimony at trial.
Hundreds of drug cases were withdrawn as a result of the letter, according to prosecutors.
The District Attorney's Office said it will now go back and review cases the men worked on to see if post-conviction relief is warranted.
(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Eric Walsh)
cenctm02Some azzjack is going to say that these 6 give a whole department of "good" cops a bad name. Trouble is, a HUGE number of these "good" cops knew about what was going on, and know about other illegal activity perpetuated everyday by other cops, AND DID, AND DO, NOTHING TO STOP IT.
This makes them not only "bad" cops, who swore to uphold the law as it applies to ALL, but also criminals as well because they are accomplices due to their looking the other way and ignoring criminal behavior.Reply
Commenter06My father worked in law enforcement for decades in varying capacities from public to top-secret. He has proven 100% accurate that far too many in varying, many law enforcement and judicial capacities prove no better than criminals and at times, far worse.
He also accurately termed them all as inexcusable, unneeded, unacceptable, thieving, violent, dysfunctional, greed mongering, narcissistic, uncivilized, dishonest, society eroding, problem causing garbage no family, neighborhood, nor society needs, ever.
He also accurately termed those with the ongoing audacity to defend, protect, lessen, condone and rationalize those who commit crimes as no better and equally the same, even if they are not the ones who commit the crimes for they also help to ensure a far less civilized, respectful, peaceful, safe and viable society.Reply
Richard01Oklahoma is not much better check out some of these things Law Enforcement has done in our state;
June 2005: Yukon Conoco, a customer walked in on a clerk performing oral sex on a police officer in
uniform. After the store owner asked the clerk what was going on, she admitted to servicing several officers from the Yukon police force while they were on duty, because she felt threatened. In the resulting fallout: Corporal Phong Dang Nguyen, 34, resigned after allegedly admitting to an affair with the store clerk. Corporal David R. Darter, 45, resigned but denied having sex with the clerk. Officer Darrel J. Williams, 33, resigned but denied having sex with the clerk. Corporal Chad Mayberry, 29, was fired after refusing to resign. Sergeant Buddy Guth, 44, received a two-week, unpaid suspension. He was put on probation for a year and will not receive pay increases.
Feb 2005: In one of the standout careers of perversions, Sheriff Holly cemented his place as one of the all time single season offenders, racking up dozens of assaults on a tear heretofore un-thought of in the modern era. Racked with injures and self doubt, Holly embarked on a performance enhanced comeback after a main street shootout that left him sexually crippled. In 2005 Holly faced a total of 15 counts, including nine counts of sexual activity involving female inmates, unwanted sexual contact with three female employees and a staff member’s 16-year-old daughter, lying to the FBI and threatening to kill an inmate if she disclosed their relationship to investigators. He even got to the point where he was taking inmates as dates to Sheriffs’ meetings to discuss business.
May 2007: The Police Chief of Sawyer, OK, a town of about 700, molested a female motorist after pulling her over.
2007: Plaintiff Kyle Younger filed this action on June 14, 2007, alleging that he was injured as a result of an automobile accident while in an Oklahoma City Police Department patrol car. Plaintiff Younger is a Tulsa firefighter and was in Oklahoma City for a firefighting convention. Plaintiff Younger, as well as two additional Tulsa firefighters, requested a ride back to their hotel from several OCPD officers who were responding to a disturbance at a nightclub where the Plaintiff and the two other firefighters had been visiting. Officer Jeffrey Stonebreaker agreed to take Plaintiff Younger and the two firefighters to their hotel on the NW Expressway. During the drive to the hotel, Officer Stonebreaker accelerated his car to excess of 100 mph along a stretch of Interstate 44. Officer Stonebreaker subsequently lost control of the patrol car, causing it to crash into the concrete median. As a result of the accident and a subsequent investigation, Officer Stonebreaker resigned from the Police Department in lieu of termination. The suit was settled for $155,000 by the City of Oklahoma City.
Jan 2008: Okay Police Chief Lee turned himself in at his police station on January 31, 2008. After being booked at the Wagoner County Jail, Lee was released on $2,500 bond. The charge? Harboring his boyfriend Dustin Ray Chancellor after he had an arrest warrant issued because of 2005 domestic assault charges
In 2008, Heath Chappell, along with Gabriel "Gabe" Alexander were fired from Carter Country Detention Center for beating a man that had to go to the hospital for his injuries. The man was allegedly unable to defend himself in a restraint chair when he was assaulted. Sheriff Ken Grace stated he wouldn't release the names to the media because it was a "personnel issue". No charges were ever filed on either individual for the attack. Heath Chappell is currently a Tishomingo Police Officer and Gabe Alexander is currently a Konawa Police officer. Heath Chappell has been evading his responsibilities to pay child support for several years.
March 2009: Custer Count Sheriff Michael Burgess turned his jail into his own personal sex cauldron where he turned inmates into his sex slaves, possibly in an attempt to become a modern day Caligula. The only way this could be any more skeezy is if he piped in some Tom Jones music on the P.A. Some of his jailers also joined in on the action, refusing to provide medication or food to women if they didn’t flash their boobs or wear the skimpy gowns they were provided in lieu of clothing. 12 former jail inmates alleged Burgess and his employees had them engage in wet T-shirt contests and offered cigarettes to those who would flash their breasts. When friends of jailers or Burgess visited the jail, they were given the “Custer County Welcome” where the women were forced to flash their breasts in unison.
November 2009: Mangum Oklahoma Police Officer Brian Keith Ditmore and his wife were involved in a domestic dispute. She fled the house with 3 children and ran next door to her brother's house to call 911. Her brother, the Mangum Fire Chief, then went next door and was shot and wounded by Ditmore. Ditmore shot and killed himself.
In Feb of 2010, The police officers who stopped Oklahoma City motorist Chip Harrison and confiscated a sign from his car told him he has a right to his beliefs, but the Secret Service "could construe this as a threat against President Obama," according to the incident report released this morning. Capt. Steve McCool of the Oklahoma City Police Department is seen in this NewsOK.com video frame grab. McCool says an officer who wrongly pulled a man over last week and confiscated an anti-Barack Obama sign from his vehicle misinterpreted the sign as threatening. The sign, which read "Abort Obama Not the Unborn," was returned to Harrison later that day, the report said. Mr. Harrison had to retain an attorney who followed him to his home while Secret Service Agents waited outside his residence.
April, 2010, one unnamed Oklahoma City officer mistakenly shot another in the leg while trying to kill a dog. The dog escaped.
August 2010, Officer John Paull was on his way to a routine call. He was driving at 64 miles an hour in an area where the speed limit was only 35 miles per hour. He collided with another vehicle killing Raul Becerra. The department said the speeding officer did not have his emergency lights or sirens on at the time of the accident and did not intend to examine it policy toward responding to routine calls.
November 2010: BOSWELL, OK - Boswell Police are forced to arrest one of their own early Sunday morning for domestic violence of the officer's wife. Boswell Police Chief Bryon Gordon said 51-year-old Ricky Lewis Archer was arrested for assault and battery. Gordon said this is a first for the department and is troubling for the close group of officers. Gordon said Archer had been with the department for over than 17 years. Gordon said Archer was intoxicated at the time of the incident and told police he doesn't remember assaulting his wife. He's charged with domestic violence and abuse.
December 2010, the OCPD department agreed to pay $10,000 to a woman who was mistakenly arrested in front of her grandchildren in a case of mistaken identity.
July 2011, Oklahoma City police arrested about twenty children who were waiting outside a movie theatre after the movie ended. They were initially charged with curfew violations, although the arrests happened twenty minutes before the 11:00PM deadline. Police Chief Bill Citty admitted the officers involved made a mistake.
Feb 2011: The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has fired a 44-year-old trooper for professional misconduct amid allegations he had an affair with a teenage girl. Patrol spokesman Capt. Chris West says Ronnie Arganbright of Sayre was fired Tuesday. Arganbright's attorney, Josh Welch, says the former trooper isn't contesting the firing. Welch tells The Oklahoman that Arganbright made poor decisions but did not break the law. He acknowledged "allegations that Mr. Arganbright had a sexual relationship with the girl after she turned 16" and says that's "not against the law in Oklahoma." According to Arganbright's termination letter, an OHP report indicates he acknowledged having sex with the girl up to 20 times and that the girl corroborated his claims. The letter says most of the encounters "occurred in remote locations" in Arganbright's patrol car.
In March 2012, Officer Roland Benavides was convicted of gambling offenses and given a five-year deferred sentence. He had resigned from the force the preceding January, after he was caught.
March 2012: An Oklahoma City police officer was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in McIntosh County, Oklahoma on Thursday, March 1. Sergeant Benjamin Nikkel, a nine-year veteran with the Oklahoma City Police Department, was involved in a one-vehicle crash Thursday. He was off-duty at that time.
In August 2012, Sergeant Maurice Martinez, OCPD, pled guilty to a dozen counts of sexual abuse of boys in his care. A former Oklahoma City police sergeant accused of molesting his three adopted sons pleaded guilty Tuesday to multiple sexual abuse charges and was sentenced to two years in the county jail. With credit for time served, Martinez likely will be out in a year. Martinez pleaded guilty to 12 felonies, including nine counts of sexual abuse of a child, and one count each of attempting to prevent a witness from testifying and possession of child pornography and child abuse, records show. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of harboring a runaway and conspiracy to obstruct an officer.
November 2012: 11/26/2012 - MCALESTER, OK - A Muskogee woman allegedly tasered by a McAlester police officer last June following her arrest for suspected public intoxication has filed a lawsuit against the city of McAlester, its police chief and the officer. According to the lawsuit documents filed nearly two weeks ago at U.S. District Court in Muskogee, Nanika Williams seeks in excess of $1 million in damages from the defendants, one of whom is the officer accused of tasing her as she was handcuffed.
Officer Sterling Taylor-Santino, one of the defendants listed in the case, reportedly tased her in June when she was brought handcuffed into the booking area of the Pittsburg County jail and she reportedly spat on him. Following an investigation into the incident by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, he was charged in October in Pittsburg County District Court with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He is free on bond. The suit alleges Taylor-Santino during the incident on June 24, “pulled out his taser weapon, pointed it at the center of (Williams') chest and fired from point blank range striking her in the left breast.” The victim is 4-foot 11-inch tall, 130-pound woman who was “unarmed and handcuffed” and “surrounded by several police and law enforcement officers inside the jail.”
2013: A longtime Oklahoma City police officer was promoted in May to lieutenant, even though he was the focus of an internal police investigation. Phil A. Williams, 52, is accused of misconduct. “I had to promote him, by contract,” Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty said. Most notably, Williams is accused of leaking information to defense attorneys, including his good friend, prominent Oklahoma City defense attorney Scott Adams. He also is accused of soliciting money from several defense attorneys to pay back a $20,000 debt of his ex-wife. He also is accused of accepting cars at no cost from Adams, who represents a car dealership. Williams denies the accusations. “I challenge the assassination of my character through these false statements which have been painted in very broad strokes with a very wide brush,” he wrote in a sworn court affidavit Aug. 16. Williams has been an Oklahoma City police officer since January 1994. He worked for more than 10 years in a police Special Projects Group.
January 2013: Jan. 2013 - HOLLIS, Okla. The assistant police chief in Hollis has found himself on the wrong side of the law. Officials say 34-year-old Jayson Scott Vest was arrested following an investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving a female inmate at the Harmon County Jail. Vest is being held in the Jackson County Jail on a bond of $250,000. Authorities say he will be charged with rape of an inmate Tuesday during his arraignment.
February 2013: Feb. 2013 - Altus Oklahoma Police Officers Remain In Jail on $250,000 and $500,000 Bonds. The Altus Police officers involved were 17-year veteran Russell Hansel, and 11-year veteran Jose Arce. Hansel was jailed on complaints of grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny, but other anticipated charges were added on Thursday including being in possession of three firearms with the serial numbers removed and knowingly receiving stolen property. His bond was set at $500,000.
Arce was been jailed on a complaint of conspiracy to commit a felony. His bond was set at $250,000.
In March 2013: A Logan County Sheriff’s Deputy claimed he was stabbed during a home invasion attempt. He shot at the suspect. Several days later Guthrie, OK Police said the entire 9-1-1 call was a hoax by the Reserve Deputy. He was dismissed from the force.
March 2013: Carter County Sheriff's Department Employee, Stacie Sampson has been arrested. Carter County Jailer Stacie Sampson, was fired for Stealing Food Within The Carter County Jail and Allegedly Selling it on The Street. Stacie's Grandmother filed a police report on Stacie, day before yesterday, for allegedly stealing ten's of thousands from multiple bank accounts. Yesterday, Several more stolen checks came through the bank totaling over $1,000. Stacie's Grandmother had to file yet ANOTHER complaint on Stacie Sampson, yesterday. Stacie Sampson has been arrested for "uttering a forged instrument".
April 12, 2013 - Former Love County undersheriff, Jason Bone is charged with multiple counts of Felony Embezzlement. Bone resigned in late Feb. amid and O.S.B.I. investigation into tens of thousands in missing currency. Jason Bone was Seizing drug money off Interstate 35 in Love County, then going on spending sprees. Allegedly he was stealing thousands of dollars from the safe at the Sheriff's Dept
Oct 2013: A Moore police lieutenant was arrested Saturday afternoon on a complaint of personal injury accident while driving under the influence, officials confirmed. Police said Tony Ray Towery, 39, of Moore, a 13-year veteran with the Moore Police Department, caused a minor fender bender at 2800 N. Service Road in Moore. Towery was released on $2,500 bail, according to jail officials.
Oct 2013: An off-duty Durant Police officer charged with DUI had his next court appearance postponed until March. Brandon S. Carbaugh, 36, was scheduled on yesterday’s misdemeanor disposition docket but the case was then set for March . 20. This is the third time the case has been postponed. Carbaugh was charged in October 2013 for an Oct. 15 crash on Highway 91 near Achille. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Carbaugh was under the influence of alcohol when he rolled his pickup. He also was not wearing a seat belt, according to the OHP report. He was taken to the Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma to be treated for arm and leg injuries and released sometime later that day.
January 2014: Two Oklahoma County jail officers were fired this week after being arrested on complaints of assault and battery at the jail. Former detention deputy John Jacobson, 29, and former detention officer Jose Botello, 29, were arrested Wednesday in connection with an incident on Dec. 1. The firings and arrests were a result of an internal affairs investigation of the incident, Oklahoma County sheriff's office spokesman Mark Myers said. Botello and Jacobson are accused of assaulting inmate Cortez Meadows, causing injuries to his head, shoulders, wrist and back, according to the probable cause affidavit filed Thursday. The two intentionally twisted and pulled his wrists while Meadows was both handcuffed and free, according to the probable cause affidavit. Jacobson is also accused of continually forcing his head and face into a urine-soaked cell floor, the affidavit states, and Botello reportedly also punched Meadows in the torso while he was handcuffed.
Feb 2014: A former Bethany, OK police captain was arrested Friday for stealing drug evidence from the Bethany Police Department. Prosecutors charged former police Capt. Jack Ronald Jencks Thursday. In court papers, detectives revealed details of their Bethany corruption investigation. The investigation claims Jencks helped himself to dozens of pills held as evidence at the suburban police department. Prosecutors believe Jencks went as far as to replace pills with screws inside an evidence container.
March 2014: The Tulsa Police Department confirmed Monday that it has arrested a police officer after an investigation that indicated that he was involved in drug trafficking. Tyrone Jenkins, 40, who works as a patrol officer in the Riverside Division, was arrested Monday and booked at the Tulsa Jail around 4:30 p.m. on complaints of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, conspiring to traffic cocaine and violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act.
March 2014: An Oklahoma City police officer has been charged with assault after arresting a driver during a fit of road rage. Motorist Robert Biegler says he saw Sgt. Matthew Downing yelling at the female driver of a minivan stopped at a green light, according to KFOR. Feeling cheeky, Biegler rolled down his window as he drove past the scene of the traffic stop and shouted, 'Road rage sucks!" Thinking no more of his action, Biegler proceeded to a convenience store for a cup of coffee. Downing, however, curtailed his first traffic stop and chased after Biegler. Finding him in the coffee shop, Biegler alleges Downing threw him onto the ground outside and arrested him. The police officer said Biegler seemed mentally unstable and wrote him a citation for failing to devote his attention to the road. But Downing's supervisors felt differently, and the motorist was released shortly after they arrived on the scene. "What our investigation is saying, is that we don't believe that the officer had justification for making the arrest at all," said Capt. Dexter Nelson, with the Oklahoma City Police Department. Nelson noted that every citizen has a right to free speech. Downing is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
May 2014: Officer arrested after stolen theft ring. Minco Police Officer Robby A. Smith, 33, of Minco, was arrested Wednesday on complaints of larceny of implements of husbandry and conspiracy to commit a felony, Canadian County Undersheriff Chris West said.
May 2014: SEQUOYAH COUNTY, Oklahoma - A Fort Smith police officer who was arrested after Sequoyah County Sheriff's Office deputies said he fired a gun inside his home and held a gun to a five-year-old's head has resigned. Naaman Adcock resigned from the Fort Smith Police Department early Wednesday. Adcock was arrested Tuesday on complaints of suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, reckless conduct with a firearm, felonious pointing a firearm and child endangerment. Deputies also arrested his wife, Tabatha Adcock, on complaints of failure to protect a child, child endangerment, possession of a firearm while intoxicated and reckless conduct with a firearm.
May 2014: An Ardmore police sergeant faces a misdemeanor charge after prosecutors accused him of attempting to poison dogs in his neighborhood. Sgt. Barry Antwine was charged Wednesday with laying out poison for domestic animals. According to court records, Antwine is accused of putting ethylene glycol in a Cool Whip container outside his home. The chemical is found in antifreeze and brake fluid. It's unknown whether any dogs were harmed. Ardmore Police Chief Ken Grace says Antwine is on administrative leave until the case is resolved. Grace says the case was investigated by the district attorney's office because it involved a member of the police department.
May 2014: ADA, OK - Thursday night sheriff's deputy Tyler Mackey was booked into the Pontotoc County Justice Center. Sheriff John Christian says he's shocked. "Very surprised," Christian said. "Tyler is one of my best deputies; he's very active in the community and helping out with different organizations." Mackey is facing a charge of embezzlement. and knowingly concealing stolen property. In January Mackey allegedly took the upper of an AR-15 rifle from an arrest and failed to put it into evidence.
The sheriff said when he found out in March he told Mackey to log it in immediately. Thursday night an OSBI investigation confirmed the upper still hadn't been put into evidence. "it was determined that he had failed to document it, that he still had it in his possession," said Christian
June 2014: A former Edmond police officer will stand trial on charges of stealing from an evidence locker. Benjamin Northcutt, 36, faces grand larceny charges after allegedly stealing $8,000 from the Edmond Police Department. The money was confiscated during a drug investigation in 2011. A witness said that Northcutt was caught acting suspicious on video entering the evidence room 14 times.
June 2014: ADA, OK -- Yesterday the sheriff's office says a detention officer was arrested after sexual accusations made by a female inmate. Pontotoc County Sheriff John Christian says he's concerned after a second employee has been accused of a crime in the past month. "This again is a violation of that trust put upon us by the citizens of Pontotoc County," said Christian. The sheriff says 42-year old Kevin Clark, a detention officer at the Pontotoc County Justice Center, was arrested on a charge of forcible sodomy and two counts of rape by instrumentation. A court affidavit states the first encounter between Clark and the female inmate occurred on June 7. It says Clark grabbed the female by the back of her head before she performed oral sex on him. The affidavit goes on to describe two more encounters between the jailer and inmate. The sheriff says the center's video cameras aided an investigation done by the district attorney's office to verify the inmate's claims.
July 2014: SALLISAW, Okla. - An Oklahoma state trooper has been arrested in Sequoyah County for driving under the influence of alcohol while on duty after he crashed an Oklahoma Highway Patrol sport utility vehicle that was towing an OHP boat. Capt. George Brown said Monday that Trooper Joshua Davies was arrested Thursday following the accident on U.S. Highway 59 near Sallisaw after investigating troopers said he showed signs of intoxication - then registered above the legal limit of 0.08 for blood alcohol content on a breath test. Brown says Davies is on paid leave pending an internal investigation. Brown declined to say what disciplinary action Davies may face if he is convicted of DUI.
July 2014: Spavinaw Police Chief, Clarence Gregory, Jr, has been arrested by agents of the OSBI for molesting two young girls. The Chief is 75 years old. Both girls are grade school age. The OSBI is quoted as saying the abuse has been going on for a couple of years.
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