Drug War Issues
A Virginia sheriff is under investigation for dipping into asset forfeiture funds, a Dallas-area narc's credibility is under question, a small-town Missouri cop gets caught buying coke to replace coke he pilfered, and, of course, two more jail or prison guards get busted. Let's get to it:
In Chesapeake, Virginia, the Middlesex County sheriff is under investigation for embezzlement. Last week, investigators filed search warrants for two bank accounts, one a personal account for Sheriff Guy Abbott; the other, the sheriff's asset forfeiture account. Investigators said they found evidence to support allegations of embezzlement and misuse of county and state funds. No charges have yet been filed.
In Garland, Texas, a Dallas County judge last Friday threw out two drug indictments after coworkers challenged the credibility of former Garland narcotics Detective Dennis Morrow. Two co-workers and a police supervisor testified that Morrow lied in police reports to strengthen his cases and that the lies were part of a pattern of behavior by Morrow.
In Winfield, Missouri, a Winfield police officer fired last month was charged June 17 with evidence tampering and theft of evidence for stealing cocaine and marijuana from the department's evidence room. Former officer Bud Chrum's career unraveled last month when he and his brother were arrested as they attempted to buy cocaine to replace some of what Chrum had stolen from the department. During the arrest, police seized two evidence envelopes from Chrum's vehicle. According to court documents, the evidence bags were supposed to contain a black pipe and marijuana and cocaine. At the police chief's request, the Missouri Highway Patrol is now investigating departmental evidence-handling policies and procedures.
In Atlanta, a Fulton county sheriff's deputy was arrested Wednesday for allegedly bringing marijuana into the Fulton County Jail to sell to inmates. Deputy Raheim Lowery, 30, was arrested when caught with pot as he arrived for work on the night shift. He is charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and crossing the guard lines of a jail with prohibited items. He is now an inmate in the jail and will be fired Friday, the sheriff's office said. He was a probationary employee hired in December.
In La Tuna, Texas, a guard at the Federal Corrections Institution there was arrested June 16, accused of smuggling heroin into the facility. Guard Randy Smith, 28, went down in a sting after agreeing to smuggle an ounce of smack into the prison in exchange for $5,000. He was arrested after taking money and heroin from an undercover federal agent.
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Warrant-less Searches Expanded To Internet Communications?
Increasing Americans read about corrupt police planting evidence and falsifying evidence to imprison Citizens. Recently Homeland Security got the power to monitor U.S. Citizensâ private Internet communications. One of many concerns is that Government too easily can take an innocent personâs hastily written email, Internet fax or phone call out of context to allege a crime or violation was committed to cause someone's arrest or Civil Asset Forfeiture of their property.
Any information that government derives from warrant-less electronic searches (that does not involve terrorism) should not be shared with law enforcement or allowed admissible in criminal and civil courtsâwhen the purposeâof the surveillance, even with a warrant, was to prevent terrorism. While major media has reported on Homeland Securityâs new power to monitor Americansâ private Internet communications and other activity not one media asked, can Homeland Security use their new monitoring power to extract information from Citizenâs private Internet communications to prosecute Americans and forfeit their property for alleged crimes that have nothing to do with terrorism? If that is the case, government buried the Fourth Amendment.
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