Weekly:
This
Week's
Corrupt
Cops
Stories
8/26/05
A crooked police chief in Louisiana, a pair of crooked cops in Massachusetts, a quartet of crooked cops in Tennessee. But it wouldn't be "This Week's Corrupt Cops" if we didn't have at least one drug-dealing prison guard. We do. Let's get to it: In Boston, two Worcester police officers appeared in federal court Thursday to face federal drug charges. The pair, Heriberto Arroyo, a 10-year veteran, and Brian Benedict, a 9-year veteran, were arrested Wednesday along with sports supplement store owner Thomas Viglatura, TV NewsCenter 5 reported. The charges are unclear. Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme would not disclose the nature of the charges. "We didn't duck and say, 'No comment,'" Gemme said as he ducked and refused to comment. In Memphis, federal prosecutors Monday indicted three Memphis police officers and a Shelby County (Memphis) sheriff's deputy on charges they stole money they thought belonged to drug dealers and conspired with undercover agents they thought were drug dealers. Memphis officer Charles Smith, 39, is accused of warning another officer he was about to be set up by the feds. He is charged with obstruction of justice and lying to a federal official. Officer Roderick Smith, 37, (no relation) is charged with theft and attempted cocaine possession. Officer Deshone Skinner, 32, is charged with conspiracy and theft. Shelby County Deputy Marvin Wilson, 40, faces two counts of theft. In Orange, New Jersey, Essex County jail guard Jay Griggs, 35, a 10-year employee, was charged last week with official misconduct, conspiracy to violate state narcotics laws, and possession of marijuana, heroin, and cocaine with the intent to distribute, the Orange Transcript reported. Griggs was arrested August 11 after entering the jail with numerous garbage bags filled with dope and other contraband, including 30 plastic bags of marijuana, five glassine folds of heroin, three bottles of cocaine, two packs of rolling paper, one cell phone and charger, three boxes of cigarettes, 30 packs of cigarette tobacco, and three boxes of cigars. In Lutcher, Louisiana, Lutcher Police Chief Corey Pittman was arrested August 17 on federal drug dealing charges after undercover agents told a federal grand jury they had bought drugs from him on at least five occasions. The chief made $5,200 selling them crack cocaine and hydrocodone, they testified. Pittman was selling powder cocaine by the ounce, as well as crack and hydrocodone pills, they said, according to reports on KATC-TV in Lafayette. Pittman may argue that he was conducting his own undercover drug operation, but witnesses called before the grand jury have so far failed to back him up, the station reported.
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