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Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #585)
Drug War Issues

A suburban Pittsburgh cop gets probation, two Kentucky cops cop pleas, and a Massachusetts cop gets arrested at work. Just another week in the drug war. Let's get to it.

In Worcester, Massachusetts, a Worcester police officer was arrested at work May 7 and charged with an unspecified drug offense. Police would not confirm the exact charges, but said he was one of 17 people arrested during a six-month investigation that involved wiretaps. Officer Carlos L. Burgos, 39, has bailed out and is on unpaid leave, but had to turn in his gun and badge.

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, two former Glasgow Police Department majors pleaded guilty April 22 to illegally distributing prescription pain pills and witness tampering. Johnny Travis, 41, and Maxie Murray, 36, admitted to conspiring to illegally possess hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance. They also admitted trying to persuade a witness not to share information about their crimes to law enforcement. They each face up to 21 years in federal prison and a $251,000 fine. Sentencing is set for August 4.

In Pittsburgh, a retired Penn Hills police lieutenant was sentenced Wednesday to five years probation for stealing thousands of dollars worth of heroin and cocaine from the department's evidence lockers. William Markel, 55, was arrested in March 2008 by detectives from the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office and later pleaded guilty to theft and drug possession charges in exchange for no jail time. The 29-year veteran of the force claimed he stole the drugs for personal use in coping with back problems and has since enrolled in several drug treatment programs.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

Penn Hills retired police officer steals thousands of dollars of HARD drugs and in exchange for his confession he gets no jail time!!!!!! WTF, try getting pulled over with no more than a gram of both of these drugs on and see if your personal, paid-for possession doesn't get you at least 30 days (and only if no priors).

But if you wear a badge and you still infinitely more than that recreational amount you can avoid jail time, and allegedely, not even lose your retirement and pension.

Or you can not be a cop, get caught with Mary Jane and watch the government confiscate your car and house and cash to pay the pensions and retirement funds of their dirty cops.

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 3:30pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The Chief of Holland Mass. has resigned in Shame as the State Police inventory his evidence locker. Charges of stealing and smoking marijuana from the evidence room and using cocaine with his "escort service" girlfriend are just some of the claims being made against Ex-Chief Kevin P. Gleason as he steps down.
Appointed Chief of Police in Sept of 2002, one of his first acts as Chief was to fill an affidavit with lies to raid and shut up then Holland Resident High Times Freedom Fighter Captain Joint. (Raid was March 27, 2003, with claims on the affidavit that Captain Joint sold Marijuana from home when in fact, he was in the hospital following surgery) That landed Gleason in a Federal lawsuite. He went on to sexually harass and threaten a fellow officer, another Federal Lawsuite, one the Town payed out $50,000.00 to quiet.
Now it seems he is in yet another Federal lawsuite and the whole town is screaming for his head as talk of illegal land deals and other crimes are coming to the surface. The town web page 01521.com has Kevin P. Gleason all over it, with not any good words being said about him. Their is a link to the FBI for tips on the Holland situation, and a tip # on the site to refer to. A google Search on "Chief Kevin P. Gleason" leads to link after link of Federal documents and Court papers.

I would like to see Kevin P. Gleason in the Corrupt Cop Hall of Fame. He is a One Man Crime Wave!

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 7:30pm Permalink
captain joint (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

It Seems the Crimes of X-Chief Gleason have caught up with him...

 

Bitch went to jail on Oct. 1, 2009.

 

Seems he bought guns with police town money, then sold them and kept the cash.... and the drugs and money went missing from the Holland Police evidence room...

 

Hope he's someones bitch in Jail...

Fri, 07/30/2010 - 1:43am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Don'tcha just love it; when the shame based cop that forces the do as "I say not as I do" attitude on citizens is given a free pass by a judge for "Their good service to the community".

Justice has to apply equally if this is to remain a free country. We ("We the People"), are going to have to raise hell until things are put right!

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 10:03pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Anyone have the stats for drugs and or money stolen from evidence lockers during '08. Also are their any stats on how much drugs have been destroyed during '08.

I wonder why the amount of drugs law enforcement has destroyed doesn't get more attention?

Sat, 05/16/2009 - 2:32am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

"We've been had" are the famous words uttered by Malcolm X, regarding the apathy that has struck our society. People, wake up and smell the weed!

Sat, 05/16/2009 - 10:18am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The head CIA in the state of Nebraska is on trial in the Federal Courts for the miss handly of blood evidences, tempering with evidences and falsifyilng informations. That left two incest men and jail. Don't beleive for one mintue that these our the only incest people he have sent to jail. There are many more!!!

Sat, 05/16/2009 - 1:29pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

That God for officers like that... Imagine if all obeyed the stupid laws, I think the real opressors in this case are the internal affairs people who spend time trying to jail these cops instead of the ones causing brutality violence and murder.

Remember these corrupt cops will be our last hope when the chemical police grow to strong.

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 4:42pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

North Portland Police- They file false Police reports and thrash on you, they also deceive and claim you where resisting arrest, when you complied completely. It is so unfair. Their lies believed, over the complete truth. I wanted to take a polygraph and have the Police officer also take a polygraph, but the state rather convict innocent people than see their cops are corrupt. Therefore, the Judges are corrupt also. I am a law-abiding citizen, never arrested before; this conviction was and is unjust. Now I have a misdemeanor on my record. If convicted on every false charge, he said I did. I would now be a felon, which he tried hard to convict me of his lies. The Good Lord above and I know I am innocent of the charge convicted of, and I do not understand how this happens.

Thanks North Portland Police, I used to trust and respect the Police. Now I get happy if an Officer gets hurts, "well that's karma, they probably was a lying rogue cop I say to myself" Before my encounter with this immoral so-called Peace Officer, I used to think, "Oh no why would this happen. Now what is their poor family going to do"? That thought no longer enters my mind anymore, and that is sad. For a few bad cops, I now no longer trust any. My case had nothing to do with drugs, but all should be legal. That is our rights...and we no longer have any.

Known Corrupted Cops
Officer Bacigalupi #30878
Officer Sery #36878
All officers that worked or collaborated with Bacigalupi #30878.
Officer John Hughes #45063
However, I would bet there are so many more.

I wish my jurors were informed. Not my luck I had idiots.
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Mon, 05/25/2009 - 1:17am Permalink

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