Skip to main content

Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #595)
Drug War Issues

Drug war-related corruption extends beyond cops and deputies, and this week is a good example. We've got a federal probation agent in trouble, a US Navy police officer in trouble, a prosecutor heading for prison, as well as a crooked narc and an Ecstasty-dealing deputy. Unusually, what we don't have this week is a dope-smuggling prison guard. Let's get to it:

In McAllen, Texas, a federal probation officer was arrested July 15 for using government data bases to run background checks on truck drivers for a drug trafficking organization. Armando Mora, 36, is charged with drug trafficking and bribery. He allegedly took payments from drug traffickers to do the background checks and warned them against hiring three truck drivers this year because two were undercover agents and one was one of his own probationers and an FBI informant. Mora got paid $5,000 for that last bit of information.

In Benton Harbor, Michigan, a Benton Harbor police narcotics supervisor was arrested last Friday after being indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges. Bernard Hall, 33, had supervised former Officer Andrew Collins, who was convicted of planting drug evidence and falsifying search warrants in January. Collins is currently serving 37 months in federal prison. Hall is accused of conspiring with Collins to falsify search warrants and plant drugs, as well as unlawfully seizing cash and personal property during drug raids. A second count charges him with making false statement to a grand jury investigating Collins, and the third count charges him with making false statements to the FBI and the US Attorney's Office about a drug deal by a snitch he had overseen. That drug deal never took place. Hall stepped down after being arrested. Local prosecutors are reviewing more than 100 drug cases and convictions in which Hall and Collins were involved.

In Billings, Montana, a former Carbon County prosecutor was sentenced to 2 ½ years in federal prison July 16 on a single count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. Robert Eddleman hosted cocaine parties at his residence before and after becoming the country prosecutor in 2006. He was convicted on state cocaine charges and resigned in March. Prosecutors said he tried to scuttle at least one drug case to cover up his own activities.

In Bridgeport, Connecticut, a US Navy police officer pleaded not guilty Monday to cocaine possession and distribution charges. Andy Regalado, 36, has been in custody since he was pulled over for driving erratically last month. Police turned up nine pounds of cocaine when they searched his vehicle.

In New Orleans, a Tangipahoa Parish sheriff's deputy was indicted July 16 by a federal grand jury after being arrested by federal agents earlier this month and charged with possession with the intent to distribute Ecstasy. Kevin Whittington, 44, faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

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)

Conviction of the Michigan police narcotics supervisor highlights how easy it is for a corrupt cop to plant drugs to cause an arrest, ruin an innocent person’s life and or forfeit their property. One has to wonder how many people are in jail because they were framed by police.

Fri, 07/24/2009 - 1:56pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

How sick is it that! I for one, would like to know who his friends were that attended his coke parties. What kind of people would a prosecutor invite to his home to enjoy his coke? Where did he buy his coke or did he. We will never know the answers to these questions.

Fri, 07/24/2009 - 3:47pm Permalink
msfreeh (not verified)

to view a partial list of crimes committed by FBI agents over 1500 pages long see
forums.signonsandiego.com/showthread.php?t=59139

to view a partial list of FBI agents arrested for pedophilia see
dallasnews.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3574

Fri, 07/24/2009 - 4:54pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The 'States Rights' issue will come first from those that support the 2nd Amendment to our US Constitution. Recall that this sacred document was designed to limit the Federal government.

Even though firearms are not the main issue of relegalizing cannabis, it will help our cause. Whether you are liberal or conservative or libertarian, this issue (2nd Amendment) will further our cause.

I urge every law abiding (other than cannabis usage) citizen to support the 2nd Amendment. In doing so you will directly affect our cause.

Sun, 07/26/2009 - 8:34pm Permalink

who can you contact about corruption in FBOP. We need help bad if you just post it and let us know. We have been sitting back letting the CO treat our people any kind of way and there's nothing we can do. That have been make their own rules placing our love ones in the hold and leaving there for months and then shipping them off to other federal penitentiary . No one to get invole with Fed anything dealing with the Fed. How this Prison if off the hook and someone need to go there and investagate what is going in NOW it is getting out of hand. The rewrite the books and hand the guys shots that are uncall for and the main reason is to have a high head count to save their jobs which is crazy. Please advise us who we can call because this is off the hook and they will tell you there is nothing anyone can do to help you.

Mon, 06/14/2010 - 11:47am Permalink

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.