Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #577)
Drug War Issues

This week, we have some drug cops whose misbehavior may not reach the standard of corruption, but is certainly worth noting. And then we have the usual corrupt cops. Let's get to it:

[inline:seizedcash.jpg align=right caption="too much drug cash can corrupt cops"]In Orlando, Florida, Orange County Sheriff's Office narcs are under investigation for allegedly failing to turn up for drug searches after drinking cocktails for lunch as supervisors watched. The Sheriff's Office has confirmed it is investigating at least a half-dozen officers, including at least two sergeants, and there could be a "pattern" of bad behavior in the unit. The unit was already under fire after drug cases had to be dropped because officers got caught lying. This latest investigation came as a result of yet another investigation, this one of one of the narcotics sergeants involved and some missing evidence.

In Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a Manitowoc DARE officer was arrested March 2 for driving while intoxicated. Officer Michaelyn Culligan, 40, was arrested after the car she was driving got stuck in snow bank. Culligan has resigned from her DARE position, but is still on the force pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

In New York City, a New York prison guard was arrested March 4 after being caught with 15 kilograms of cocaine. Officer Edinson Rosales, 29, was ensnared in a sting operation by the DEA, NYPD, and Department of Corrections investigators, and agreed to carry the cocaine to Detroit for $15,000. He was to return from Motor City with $400,000 in cash proceeds from the sale of the cocaine, for which he was to have earned another $5,000. Now he faces charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance and eight to 20 years in state prison.

In Boston, an MIT police officer was arrested Saturday upon taking possession of a Fedex package containing 340 OxyContin tablets. Fedex workers had become suspicious of the package and notified police it contained a large quantity of prescription drugs. Officer Joseph D'Amelio was in uniform and driving an MIT police cruiser when he went to pick up the pills -- and Boston police were waiting for him. He is now charged with trafficking more than a hundred grams of OxyContin, for which he faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence if convicted.

In New York City, a former Customs and Border Protection supervisor at JFK International Airport pleaded guilty March 12 to charges relating to bribery and drug importation. Walter Golembiowksi, 66, was arrested during a long-term investigation into the trafficking of large quantities of hashish, other drugs, and other contraband into the US through JFK. The feds seized more than 600 pounds of hash and arrested 60 people involved in the ring. Golembiowski was caught on tape on multiple occasions accepting bribes from co-conspirators to allow illegal drugs and counterfeit goods to pass through Customs without inspection. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import narcotics, conspiracy to commit bribery, and conspiracy to commit bribery during an undercover sting operation (who knew?). He's looking at up to 50 years in prison.

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)

Will Government Electronic Spying Be Used To Forfeit Property from American and European Citizens and visitors to U.S.?

In the U.S., some private security corporations work so closely with Law enforcement—providing intelligence information, they appear to have merged with police.The possibilities for police corruption are endless. Concurrently—U.S. contracted private army corporations continue to expand their intelligence gathering capabilities.

Provisions of the USA Patriot Act appear to have opened the door for U.S. Government to pay large sums to private-contractors to assist the U.S. Government fight terrorism. And to forfeit assets belonging to businesses and individuals: Americans should ask their Congressional Representative to clarify whether U.S. Government is employing U.S. Corporations to facilitate the forfeiture of assets from American Citizens.

Several European countries have entered into asset forfeiture sharing agreements with the United States and are expanding their own forfeiture programs. U.S. mutual forfeiture sharing agreements with other countries usually consider for asset forfeiture jurisdiction, The United States Code, mainly Title 18: And “USA Patriot Act” provisions that reference Title 18 for “Civil Asset Forfeiture.”

U.S. Civil Asset Forfeiture requires a lower standard of proof than criminal evidence, “only a Civil Preponderance of Evidence”, little more than hearsay to confiscate property. Under federal “civil asset forfeiture laws” no one need be charged with a crime for U.S. Justice Department to take their property. The U.S. has 200 federal laws and violations that can make property subject to “civil asset forfeiture.” U.S. Government has cooperation forfeiture sharing agreements with several countries including Canada.

Of great concern, what might happen to “Fair Justice” in countries where police and government become dependent on forfeiting property from others to pay their salaries and budgets?

It is problematic international law enforcement and private government-contractors may want access to NSA and other governments’ wiretap information to secure evidence to go back decades in countries to make arrests or to forfeit peoples’ assets.
Americans are at risk because police in another country can use Patriot Act and other U.S. laws, e.g., utilize the low standard of evidence for “U.S. Civil Asset forfeiture” to allege that an American’s intercepted hastily written email, fax or phone call committed a crime or violation to cause an American or visitor in the U.S., civil asset forfeiture.

The U.S. Congress could stop most U.S. Government and Police “Civil Asset Forfeiture Abuse” by passing legislation—raising the standard of proof U.S. Government must use for Civil Asset Forfeiture from a mere “Preponderance of Evidence” to “Clear and Convincing Evidence.”

Fri, 03/20/2009 - 12:47pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

I am amazed anyone with a badge would even try such a maneuver....15 kilo's is a lot of powder....and $400,000. is alot of cash.
Doesn't this illustrate how easy it must be to get dope anywhere, even inside the jails ?? Maybe in jail it is easier to get than on the street; in which case if you're a junkie you would do good in the joint.
Doesn't sound like 'corrections' to me.

Sat, 03/21/2009 - 12:45am Permalink

The corrupt,cowardly criminals in congress cover up crimes
by the fbi/cia and in return the fbi/cia allow them to do pretty much as they please.

http://www.newciv.org/nl/newslog.php/_v194/__show_article/_a000194-000201.htm

http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/part4-worldinabo.html

Tue, 05/25/2010 - 4:11pm Permalink

Add new comment


Source URL: https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2009/mar/20/law_enforcement_weeks_corrupt_co