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Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #511)
Drug War Issues

Two Atlanta cops are headed to prison in the Kathryn Johnston killing, an NYPD narc goes down for drug running, and a strung-out Pennsylvania cop heads to jail for peddling pills. Let's get to it:

In Atlanta, two Atlanta police officers were ordered Monday to report to prison to begin serving their sentences for their roles of the killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston in a drug raid gone bad a year ago this week. In that incident, the officers involved lied to a judge to obtain a search warrant for Johnston's home, shot at her 39 times after she shot once at them as they broke her door down, planted marijuana in her basement, and tried to get an informant to say he had provided the information for the warrant. No drugs other than the planted pot were found at her home. Officers Jason Smith and Gregg Junnier pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other state charges and to federal allegations of conspiracy to violate a person's civil rights ending in death. They have been cooperating with federal authorities in an ongoing investigation into the incident and broader issues of misconduct in the Atlanta narcotics squad, but now a federal judge has ordered them to report to prison by December 3. They have not yet been sentenced, but in their plea bargain agreements, the deal was that Smith would get no more than 12 years and Junnier no more than 10, with possible sentence cuts depending on their degree of cooperation. A third officer involved in the incident, Arthur Tesler, faces state charges. His trial will probably begin in April.

In New York City, an NYPD narcotics officer was arrested last Friday on charges he used inside knowledge to run drugs for a Bronx-based cocaine and heroin trafficking ring. Detective James Calderon, a 13-year veteran of the force, was arraigned on drug possession and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors allege that Calderon smuggled a total of eight kilos of cocaine from New York City to Virginia on two trips in 2004 and 2005. Calderon went down after attempting to get an impounded minivan released from police custody. NYPD officers at the 44th Precinct refused to release the vehicle to Calderon, then searched it and found a kilo of heroin inside.

In Scranton, Pennsylvania, a former Scranton police officer was sentenced Tuesday on Oxycontin delivery charges. Then Scranton Police Officer Mark Conway was arrested in March after an informant told police he had bought drugs from Conway on more than one occasion. He pleaded guilty in August and resigned from the force. Now, he will do one month in prison on a three-to-18 month sentence, and then he will be placed on work release. Conway's defense attorney said he wasn't a "drug pusher," but a drug user who occasionally sold drugs to others.

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)

THAT,S PRETTY GOOD, A COP CAN USE THE CRY FOR HELP BECAUSE OF BEING THE USER, AND THE ADDICT JUST DETTING BY TO SUPPORT THIS OWN HABIT. THE SYSTEM AGREES WITH HIM, BECAUSE HE WAS A COP BUT US ADDICTS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND WE CRY FOR HELP WE ARE LABLED CRIMINALS, WHY BECAUSE WE DIDN,T SERVE ON THE FORCE??? WE WAS THE CORRUPT COP, IN THE LEGEAL SYSTEM, I JUST WONDER WHAT OTHER CRIMES HE COMMITED WHILE A COP AND EVEN TO OUR FELLOW ADDICT THAT COULD HAVE SUFFERED FROM HIS HANDS, I DON,T BLAME HIM BUT OUR COURT SYSTEM, I,M SURE HE COULDN,T HAVE ASK FOR HELP AT WORK WITH HIS DRUG PROBLEM, SO THERE OUR LEGEL SYSTEM HAS FAIL... THE SAME STORY YOU CAN,T GET HELP FROM THE POLICE, EVEN IF IT,S ONE OF YOUR OWN, THEN THE LEGAL SYSTEM FAILED BE CAUSE OF THIS SENTENCE, AND I,M NOT SAYING HE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE TIME, THEY SHOULD HAVE EVEN OFFERED HIM TREATMENT IN MY VIEW BUT MY POINT IS THE GUY AFTER HIM WITH THE SAME CHARGES, BECAUSE HE WASN,T A COP ,, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN 6 MONTHS OR MORE, SO IS THAT FAIR?? ONCE AGAIN THE GREATEST NATION IN THE WOULD LEGAL SYSTEM HAS FAIL!!!! AS ALWAYS... THANK YOU

Wed, 11/28/2007 - 9:32am Permalink
Only Weed for me (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

      He was an addict even b4 he was on the job. After getting clean he went to cop school and followed other border line criminal friends into the field. He was a good cop...... He was reported to be seen snorting cocaine while in uniform but in his private vehicle several months b4 his arrest. It was not cocaine but oxycontin. He had a script for perc's due to a shoulder injury so he passed the urine test and was put back to work. I was instantly informed that he was now under investigation by the county drug force and told him so. I saw the progression and told him..... We are going to look back in a few months and you know what i'm gonna say.... I TOLD YOU SO!  That was early in the fall, probably around September. They asked if he had a problem, they offered help and because of the union his job would be secure and waiting, and rightfully so. I have NO idea how he made it through that winter. He used to keep from getting sick on the job but if he was off duty he was out of mother fucking control. He was a good guy and most of you would have got along with him. He let many an addict walk and never kept any drug evidence for himself. Me? It would have been way worse. Fast forward to 2013 and he was busted 1 or 2 more times with no jail time.... WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS... Yep, he's even trying to set up once close friends. Ones that only smoke pot. I'm happy to say that weed saved my life. While not legal in Pa it has kept that itch scratched that wants me sticking needles in my arms. MARK, if you read this you know who this is. Not only are you being USED..... You are also being watched again. Ur phone is tapped as is mine. I miss fishing with you.

Tue, 06/24/2014 - 5:24pm Permalink
darrellbcaldwell (not verified)

We, the Badge Collectors have been trying for years to get a homocide investigation started concerning the beleived murder of Willeen Joy Barrett, her son Brent Frisbee, Fulton County Arkansas Sheriff Jack Collins, and Oregon County Missouri resident Gene Hollis, just for starters.

You can read this story of Police corruption in the Thayer Missouri Forums starting with "the mysterios life of W.J. Barrett" posted in the Thayer topix.

Also see "skeletons in Thayer", Thayer Police Officer; the yellow cadillac,
"why Marge Shipp should be our mayor", Bridge 2", "rumor has it" Mailman,
"chesnut Inn Fire", "rumor has it", Escape from Alca-seltzer, Your Town, Sam Noakes arrested, "worst mayor of Thayer, murder at myrtle, murder at Hurricane Creek, former Sheriff busted for Meth, in west Plains Missouri, Patriotism in the West Plains Missouri Forums, Murder at Hurricane Creek is posted in the Alton Missouri forums.

All of these topix have something in them concerning the unexplained deaths of Joy Barrett, Brent Frisbee, Jack Collins, Gene Hollis, and others, plus info concerning the drug dealors the former Sheriff and former Thayer Police protected plus info on the former Sheriff growing pot to sell.

Who do we get to investigate Joy Barretts death as a police murder?

Thu, 06/04/2009 - 10:00am Permalink
Michael Collins (not verified)

In reply to by darrellbcaldwell (not verified)

It's been many years since you posted this, I'd like to know more about this story especially because Fulton County Arkansas Sheriff, Jack Collins is my 1st cousin. I always told my Father his death was questionable. They say he had a heart attack at 39, but I remember him being strong and in good shape. Odd to find this article... Jack was a good man from what I remember of him. He took us riding around in his police car before he was Sheriff. God rest his soul!

Wed, 08/01/2018 - 11:51pm Permalink

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