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This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #940)
Drug War Issues

From Key West to Alaska, law enforcement and prison and jail guard misconduct is exposed. Just another week on the crooked cop front. Let's get to it:

In Nashville, Tennessee, a Nashville Metro Police officer was arrested last Tuesday for punching a drug suspect in the face after she got stuck with a needle hidden in the suspect's bra. Officer Elizabeth Berry-Loucks was searching the woman suspect after arresting her on heroin and gun charges, and reacted to the needle-stick by immediately hitting her in the face. She is now charged with misdemeanor assault.

In Key West, Florida, a Monroe County jail deputy was arrested last Thursday after he allegedly agreed to let a convicted drug dealer escape in exchange for $400,000 in cash he needed to pay off credit card debts. Elizardo Ortueta, 50, was caught red-handed picking up cash from an undercover informant. First, Ortueta asked the imprisoned drug dealer for $50,000 in exchange for preferential treatment, but then approached him seeking $400,000 and offering to help him escape. The drug dealer instead ratted him out, and he went down in an undercover sting. He now faces felony charges of receiving unlawful compensation for official behavior, smuggling contraband into a corrections facility, use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony and a misdemeanor charge of not having a valid Florida driver's license, although he has a valid one from North Carolina.

In Kinston, North Carolina, a state prison guard was arrested Saturday after being caught with marijuana on his person as he came to work. Guard Kristopher Williams, 22, got nailed with three grams of the green. He is charged with possession of a controlled substance on prison premises.

In Point MacKenzie, Alaska, a former state prison guard pleaded guilty last Monday to smuggling heroin and marijuana into the Goose Creek Correctional Center. Adam Jason Spindler copped to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Spindler went down after the Department of Corrections warned the FBI it had information he was smuggling drugs into the prison. He's looking at up to 20 years in federal prison, but will probably get much less since he pleaded guilty.

In Auburn, Georgia, a former Auburn police officer pleaded guilty last Friday to stealing drugs and money from one drug trafficker while working for another. Charles Hubbard, 51, conducted fake police stops to steal drugs in exchange for cash payments. He got $5,000 for one such incident. In another incident, he stole money from a confidential informant, giving him a receipt from the "East Metro Drug Task Force," which does not actually exist. He copped to drug trafficking and conspiracy charges and will be sentenced in November.

In Rome, Georgia, a former Floyd County sheriff's deputy was sentenced last Thursday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to repeatedly stealing prescription pills. Jessie Stiles had been indicted on 53 counts, including multiple counts of theft by taking and drug possession, as well as five counts of exploiting an elderly person, three counts of burglary, and 10 counts of violating his oath of office. It wasn't clear which counts he actually copped to.

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

sicntired (not verified)

except the government.those bastards get paid at both ends.If the elites weren't making a fortune on the whole thing,it'd change.The soldiers on the government side are every bit as corrupt as anyone.They just have to pretend this is just a little problem.They get caught,they become fodder for the prison to prison pipeline.

Thu, 08/25/2016 - 12:32am Permalink

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