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This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #727)

An ugly strip search scandal brews in Milwaukee, a bogus pot bust get cops in hot water in Pittsburgh, plus a crooked border deputy, a crooked Puerto Rico cop, and a crooked prison guard. Let's get to it:

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, eight Milwaukee police officers are under investigation for conducting unlawful strip searches on people they suspected were carrying drugs. Complaints are piling up that officers in District 5 on the city's north side sexually assaulted people and violated their civil rights while conducting rectal searches for drugs on the street. Those under suspicion include Sgt. Jason Mucha, who has been investigated in the past after suspects accused him of beating them and planting drugs on them, and Officer Michael Gasser. Under state law, it is illegal for police to perform a cavity search involving someone's genitals. Such a search must be done by licensed medical personnel once a suspect has been arrested.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, two Pittsburgh police officers are the targets of a lawsuit filed last Monday by a Hampton man who alleges they falsely arrested him for buying marijuana at a car wash. Officers Kenneth Simon and Anthony Scarpine arrested Timothy Joyce, 23, after Simon claimed he saw Joyce buy weed from a man at the car wash. That led to Joyce being jailed for several days on a charge he violated probation on a misdemeanor drug possession charge. Video surveillance at the car wash showed that Joyce did not interact with the man the officer claimed sold him the marijuana, and the charges were dropped. Joyce is suing the city and the two police officers for unlawful arrest, unlawful search and seizure, and malicious prosecution.

In McAllen, Texas, a former Hidalgo County sheriff's deputy was sentenced last Monday to 11 years in federal prison for his role in a 2009 drug conspiracy. Heriberto Diaz and another deputy raided a house filled with 354 pounds of marijuana, but instead of arresting the occupants, they arranged to have one of their informants steal it. The plot unraveled when a Mission police officer came upon the informant as he was removing the marijuana from the property. Diaz was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and lying on an official report.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, a former San Juan Municipal Police officer was convicted last Wednesday for his role in providing security for drug transactions. Arcadio Hernandez-Soto, 35, was convicted in San Juan of three counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, four counts of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, and four counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug transaction. He provided security for what he believed were illegal cocaine deals, but which in fact were part of an undercover FBI operation. In return for the security he provided, Amaro-Santiago received a cash payment of between $2,000 and $3,000 for each transaction. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

In Bloomfield, New Jersey, a Bloomfield prison guard was sentenced last Friday to five years in state prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle drugs, cell phones, and other contraband into the Essex County Correctional Facility. Corrections officer Joseph Mastriani, 32, was the mastermind of the ring and made $1,000 a week in the operation. He had pleaded guilty in November to one count of second-degree official misconduct. Under the terms of the plea agreement, he is required to serve five years in prison before being eligible for parole.

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

Rwolf (not verified)

According to news reports, complaints were lodged against Milwaukee police for allegedly sexually assaulting people in District 5 and violating persons’ civil rights while conducting rectal searches for drugs on the street. Reading the news reports, one can’t help recall numerous complaints against TSA for alleged sexual mistreatment, humiliation and general abrasive handling of Americans at airports. U.S. Citizens have the option not to fly (to avoid being strip-searched and  X-rayed by TSA). However—could that “option” not be available to Americans after TSA establishes thousands of checkpoints on highways, at bus and train stops and ports? Is it problematic outspoken Americans that lawfully defend the Constitution, e.g., writers bloggers and activists will be deemed undesirable or belligerents by U.S. Government—repeatedly stopped at checkpoints, strip-searched, interrogated by police; without probable cause forced to endure countless X-ray scans? Had the Nazi police or Gestapo had X-ray scanners, no doubt the Nazis would have manufactured any reason or no reason to repeatedly x-ray at checkpoints—persons the Reich deemed politically or socially undesirable until either a targeted person was too ill to travel or dead. The Obama government recently ordered 500 X-ray vans that Government and Police will use with little oversight to X-ray Citizens on the street, inside their private homes and vehicles, exposing Americans and their families to radiation. Obama’s X-ray Vans can be used by the military or police to secure perimeters to contain civil unrest and instances of revolt; scan Citizens at a distance that might be carrying guns, cameras; any item. Does Obama expect Americans to revolt?

 

One can only guess how much radiation is covertly transmitted into the bodies of Americans by U.S. Government and Police repeated scanning of private homes without warrants; Americans walking on the street; driving vehicles and “Persons of Interests”—potentially damaging their health.

Thu, 03/29/2012 - 2:37pm Permalink
citizen patrol (not verified)

the feds need to investigate Chris reioux, James brawner and Chris hwnkin for corruptions. Selling drugs they siezed to family members and friends to distribute to addicts and turn around busting them.
Sat, 07/21/2012 - 9:20pm Permalink

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