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This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #493)
Drug War Issues

The allure of Oxycontin (and its profits) snags two cops, a deputy can't keep his paws off the meth, and a South Carolina cop gets charged with drug dealing. Just another week in the drug war. Let's get to it:

In Louisville, Kentucky, a Lebanon Junction police sergeant was arrested June 25 on charges he planned to sell Oxycontin. Sgt. Daniel Carr, 33, and his girlfriend were both arrested by DEA agents on charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute the popular narcotic pain reliever. Federal officials said the arrests came after a months-long investigation that resulted in several purchases of the drug from an informant, culminating with a final buy attempt that ended with the pair going to jail. Carr, a career law enforcement officer, was fired immediately upon arrest. He and his girlfriend face up to 20 years in federal prison.

In Newark, New Jersey, a former Newark narc was sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison June 26 for his role in an Oyxcontin distribution ring. John Fernandez, 37, pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiring to possess the drug with the intent to distribute. According to federal officials, Hernandez sold more than 3,000 of the pills between September 2004 and September 2005. His defense attorney said Hernandez got the pills legally for injuries suffered on the job, but was persuaded to sell them by another Newark police officer who has also been charged in the case, but has been cooperating with authorities. Hernandez must report to federal prison by July 23.

In Deming, New Mexico, a former Luna County sheriff's deputy got a year's probation for stealing methamphetamine from a motorist. Former Deputy Tommy Salas pleaded guilty June 25 to a misdemeanor count of attempted possession of meth after being arrested in July 2006 for taking the dope off a driver at a traffic stop, but failing to log it in. Salas, who had been on leave since his arrest, resigned his position July 2 as part of the plea agreement, with his attorney saying "he needs to move on."

In Lake City, South Carolina, a Lake City police officer was charged July 2 with drug trafficking and other offenses. Officer Shanita McKnight, 34, went down after an investigation by the FBI, the State Law Enforcement Division, and the Florence County Sheriff's Office. She is also charged with extortion, and faces from 10 years to life in prison on the drug counts. Little other information has been forthcoming.

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)

I could not have said it better, just with more proof. It sad and true, our own protectors have become the new criminals with the legal power to engage in criminal activities. Sad, land of the free home of the brave. Land of the oppressed, home of injustice.

Sun, 07/15/2007 - 1:08am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The hardest drug for a tenager to get is . . . you got it: a six-pac of beer.

That's because there are rational laws to regulate and tax beer, thus:
1. Keeping its cost down within reasonable llimits through the competition that exists in a free market, and
2. Keeping the sale and distribution of (beer) open and aboveboard and away from the sole domain of criminals.

Carrying that logic forward by a quantum leap, through our prohibition of drugs we are providing real & effective price support for the street price of drugs AND encourageing and enabling drug crime on every level - from the simple sale of one joint between two middle school students - up through & including the financing of world-wide terrorism.

What cops or politicians would get involved in the confiscation and illegal sale of drugs that sell on the street for a profit margin of mere pennies?

Did you ever hear of a bunch of people getting shot up because of a beer deal gone bad?

DRT
Portsmouth, Virginia

Wed, 07/18/2007 - 2:12pm Permalink

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