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Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #457)
Drug War Issues

A tawdry tale out of Tulsa, a New York cop gets off easy, and the Boston Police aren't sure where all the dope went. Just another week of drug prohibition-related police corruption. Let's get to it:

hot times in Tulsa
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the husband of an exotic dancer is shining a light on some sordid business involving a pair of Tulsa Police Department officers. The lawsuit was filed by Shannon Coyle, the husband of dancer Crystal Garr. Coyle was arrested on drug charges last year by Officer Travis Ludwig, after Coyle filed an internal affairs complaint against Ludwig because Ludwig was sleeping with Garr. Coyle was arrested first on marijuana possession charges, then again on methamphetamine and paraphernalia charges in raids led by Ludwig. When Coyle found out Ludwig was sleeping with his wife, he text-messaged him, warning him to stay away. Ludwig then took those messages to a deputy prosecutor who okayed another arrest for Coyle, this time for intimidating a witness -- Ludwig. All the charges were dropped once officials became aware of the affair, and Ludwig has been disciplined by the department, but he still faces Coyle's lawsuit. So does Officer Israel Rodriguez, whom Coyle also accuses of sleeping with his wife. Ludwig and Garr currently live together, although she remains married to Coyle, the father of her four children. Oh, by the way, the deputy prosecutor who okayed Coyle's third arrest? She had also been sleeping with the busy Ludwig. Read all about this Oklahoma law enforcement Peyton Place in the Newsday reported. Former detective Julio Vasquez, 46, was among five NYPD cops arrested in the scheme, which unraveled when federal agents staking out a drug suspect saw him robbed by Vasquez and fellow cop Thomas Rachko. All of the other cops have pleaded guilty, too. Vasquez got a sweet six-year sentence from federal Judge Carol Amon on October 5 after prosecutors filed a letter saying he had cooperated with investigators. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, he would have faced between 17 and 22 years.

In Boston, an audit of the Boston Police drug depository has revealed that the department cannot account for some of the drugs seized over the years, the Boston Globe reported Sunday. Police Commissioner Albert Goslin told the Globe it was too early to suggest corruption and that the drugs -- seized as evidence over the years -- may just be lost. As the audit continues, three officers are trying to track down the drug evidence in some 190,000 cases, some dating back more than 20 years.

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)

Ramond Thompson a Pacolet SC City police officer. Reported his car stolen from a rental company in spartanburg sc.The rumor in the town and county is officer thompson saw his car a few days later being driven down the road and started chase he was off duty at the time in a personal car at which he started shooting out the window at said suspect,stopped stolen car.Now suspect carlcedric williams was arested and charged spent 6 months in county jail was sentanced to time served for car theft officer thompson was given the option of leaving job or being terminated, the strange thing is he was never charged for shooting at suspect no investegation was ever done now he is an officer in another city.Seems thats the way it always is police cover up for other police officers and get away with almost anything never really want to get the big drug dealers just the poor little street dealers that deal to feed there own habit.And these poor addicts have no where to go to get help just prison for many years while people that rape our children get a slap on the hand.Wonder why? Money, we are letting our children be raped and abused and only thinking about the bad drug dealers with no where to go to get help to get off drugs because it costs to much.But we spend billions keeping them locked away for 25 years.But the real dealers make tons of money and live the good life wonder how much money goes under the table?Besides if we spend money on drug rehab get help for people instead of locking them away we take away jobs in the prison industry.So does it really make any sense to help these people its a joke we all need to start a movement to change all the laws and vote people in office that will listen to the people not waste our money.

Fri, 10/13/2006 - 3:24pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Not all law enforcement officers are corrupt and that is something that everyone seems to forget.

Sun, 01/07/2007 - 3:13pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

alot more cops are crooked, alot more then you think. even this cop that lives in oklahoma and had a affair with a married woman, isnt there some kind of oath of honor that they have to take in order to keep their job's? I mean after all, they are supposed to protect...not to commit adultry!

Sun, 03/30/2008 - 5:22am Permalink

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