Bad Cops

Tom Horne's Effort to Get Rid of FLDS-Lovin' Cops in Colorado City Killed in Legislature

By Matthew Hendley Fri., May 4 2012 at 11:31 AM
Categories: Bad Cops, For the Kids, I'm Only a Bill, Religulous, Those Wacky Mormons
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Attorney General Tom Horne's efforts to replace the police force in Colorado City with deputies from the Mohave County Sheriff's Office was killed in the state House yesterday, which turned out to be the last day of the legislative session.

Colorado City, for those joining late, is the city on the Utah/Arizona border that child rapist Warren Jeffs used to call home, and remains the home to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Horne pushed the bill to legislators, contending that the cops there -- often referred to as the "Marshalls" -- were way too sympathetic to polygamists and friends of Jeffs.

"Numerous cases have been documented where the 'Marshalls' refuse to investigate serious crimes against the property and persons of 'apostates' or other non followers of Warren Jeffs, when the perpetrators were followers of Mr. Jeffs," the AG's office said in February. "The 'Marshalls' have also prevented enforcement of court orders with respect who can occupy land. When a court appointed official came to Colorado City to enforce court orders, the Chief of Police pulled him over and threatened to arrest him for criminal trespass if he attempted to enforce court orders, as opposed to the desires of the FLDS Church."

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arizona, colorado city, fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter day saints, polygamy, tom horne, warren jeffs
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Border Disorder

Border Agent, Corrections Officer Charged With Helping Traffickers Smuggle Drugs Into U.S.

By James King Fri., Jan. 20 2012 at 2:09 PM
Categories: Bad Cops, Border Disorder
borderpatrol.jpg
​A U.S. Border Patrol agent and a corrections officer with the Arizona Department of Correction were arrested yesterday on charges that they helped a drug trafficking organization (DTO) smuggle drugs into the United States.

Ivhan Herrera-Chiang, 29, a U.S. Border Patrol agent stationed in Yuma, and Michael Lopez-Garcia, 28, a corrections officer at the Arizona State Prison Complex in San Luis, have been charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled substances with intent to distribute after federal authorities determined the pair had been helping the DTO since 2010.

According to the feds, Herrera would "obtain and disclose sensitive information--including sensor maps, combinations to gates located near the U.S/Mexican border, computer records concerning prior drug seizures, and the identity of confidential informants--to which he had access by virtue of his membership in a Border Patrol intelligence unit."



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arizona, arizona department of corrections, border patrol, drugs, Ivhan Herrera-Chiang, Michael Lopez-Garcia
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All the Sheriff's Shredders

Joe Arpaio Can be Sued by Detained Hispanics: Judge Grants Class Status in Lawsuit to Hispanics Stopped by Arpaio's Deputies, Orders Halt to Human-Smuggling Enforcement in Current Form

By Ray Stern Fri., Dec. 23 2011 at 4:30 PM
Categories: All the Sheriff's Shredders, Bad Cops









Image: Ray Stern
MCSO deputy hassling a Hispanic.
​
U.S. District G. Murray Snow ruled today that any Hispanic stopped by Sheriff Joe Arpaio's deputies since January 1, 2007 -- or will be stopped in the future -- can sue the Sheriff's Office in a class-action lawsuit. The ruling in the Melendres racial-profiling case also enjoins the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office from detaining any person based only on the belief that the person might be in the country illegally.

At yesterday's hearing, Arpaio's lawyer said such a prohibition would hamper the ability of MCSO to conduct law enforcement in general. While that may have been an exaggeration, it seems clear the ruling will make it difficult for the sheriff to conduct enforcement operations based on the state's human-smuggling law. That law is how Arpaio justifies the saturation patrols in which illegal immigrants are rounded up.




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district court, hispanics, judge g. murray snow, maricopa county, racial profiling, sheriff joe arpaio
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Bad Cops

Federal Judge Slams MCSO Policy, Says He'll Make Ruling in Melendres Racial-Profiling Case Within Two Days

By Ray Stern Thu., Dec. 22 2011 at 5:20 PM
Categories: Bad Cops

young stanley 2 with pochoda.jpg
Image: Ray Stern
Lawyer Stanley Young, (left), said he was "encouraged" by a judge's comments in today's hearing on a racial profiling lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office. Next to Young is Dan Pochoda of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona.

U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow today criticized the policies of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in a lawsuit alleging racial profiling by deputies, and says he'll make a decision in one or two days.

Overall, this morning's hearing in the Ortega Melendres vs. MCSO lawsuit seemed to go well for the plaintiffs in the case, who say they're victims of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's pattern of civil-rights violations.

The four-year-old case highlights the evidence that Arpaio has run race-based investigations and generally makes life tougher for the Valley's Hispanic population, all with the goal of appeasing his right-wing base.

The plaintiffs seek an injunction they hope would end Arpaio's race-based practices.

Today's hearing came just days after the U.S. Department of Justice announced findings that the MCSO routinely and intentionally targets Hispanics. In a probe that began in 2008, the feds said they came to the conclusion that Arpaio oversees the worst racial profiling by a police agency in U.S. history.

Stanley Young, a lawyer for Covington & Burling, (the firm that's representing the plaintiffs along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund), said he thought today's hearing was "encouraging in a number of respects."


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arizona, federal, maricopa county, murray snow, racial profiling, sheriff joe arpaio, stanley young, timothy casey, u.s. district
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Bad Cops

U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow Questions Maricopa County Sheriff's Office's Right to Detain People Based on Scant Evidence of Crime

By Ray Stern Thu., Dec. 22 2011 at 9:36 AM
Categories: Bad Cops







snow murray judge 500w.jpg
U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow
​
Does the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office have the right to detain you if you seem to be violating one element of a criminal statute?

The office's lawyer, Tim Casey, is arguing with U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow over that question right now in this morning's hearing in the Melendres vs. MCSO racial-profiling case.

Casey says yes, the deputies can.

Snow is highly critical of the stance. He asks whether MCSO could detain him under a simple premise: "If you'll fix my doorknob, then I'll take you to lunch."




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joe arpaio, maricopa county sheriff's office, murray snow, racial profiling
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Another Stupid-Sheriff Story

Joe Arpaio's Not the Only Cop in Phoenix Who Sucks at Investigating Sex Crimes

By James King Fri., Dec. 9 2011 at 5:45 PM
Categories: Another Stupid-Sheriff Story , Bad Cops
sexcrimeelmirage.jpg
Also known as El Mirage, Arizona.
​In the wake of the national media attention his office has received over hundreds of botched sex-crime investigations, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made no secret that there are "other local agencies" who absolutely suck at investigating sex crimes, too.

The sheriff hasn't named names, but we're stunned to find out he's right...kinda.

The Phoenix Police Department has run into its own issues when it comes to mishandled sex-crime investigations -- and its botched cases exclusively involve children.

Because the mishandled cases don't involve America's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff," the Phoenix P.D.'s blunders didn't receive national media attention -- and only garnered a small amount of publicity here in the Valley.

Phoenix Sergeant Trent Crump tells New Times that the department is in the process of reviewing more than 2,500 child sex-crime cases that had many of the same problems -- lack of supplements, lack of followup investigations, etc. -- as the MCSO's botched cases.

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arizona, joe arpaio, maricopa county sheriff's office, phoenix police department, sex crimes
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All the Sheriff's Men

Kevin Gerster, Inmate-Beating Former MCSO Detention Officer, Gets Jail Time *VIDEO*

By James King Fri., Oct. 21 2011 at 12:59 PM
Categories: All the Sheriff's Men, Bad Cops
gerster.jpg
MCSO
Former MCSO Detention Officer Kevin Gerster is now MCSO inmate Kevin Gerster.
​Former Maricopa County Sheriff's Detention Officer Kevin Gerster is heading back to jail -- only this time as an inmate.

Gerster initially was charged with five counts of aggravated assault for beating up inmates on at least two separate occasions (see the video below), and two counts of computer tampering for allegedly using a jail database to get the home address of a former inmate. He gave the address to a friend, Dennis McCarty, who then used the information to find the former inmate and assault him because he was dating McCarty's estranged wife.

This morning, Gerster pleaded guilty to reduced charges -- two counts of aggravated assault and one count of unauthorized access of criminal records.

For one of the assault charges, Gerster was sentenced to one year in county jail and two years probation. For the other assault, he was sentenced to six months in jail and two years probation. He was hit with a year of probation for the unauthorized access to criminal records.

The sentences will run concurrently.

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arizona, assault, detention officer, joe arpaio, kevin gerster, maricopa county sheriff's office
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Bad Cops

County Attorney Won't Charge Ex-Glendale Cop Accused of Sexting/Sexually Abusing Teen Girl *UPDATED*

By James King Tue., Oct. 4 2011 at 3:47 PM
Categories: Bad Cops
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Former Glendale police Officer Christopher Balmaceda won't be charged with any crimes, despite admitting to kissing a 17-year-old girl while on duty.
​UPDATE: See the Maricopa County Attorney's Office's explanation for not charging Balmaceda here.

A former Glendale cop accused of sexting several teenage girls, and sexually abusing another, won't be charged with any crimes.

Police recommended that former Glendale Officer Christopher Balmaceda be charged with one count of sexual abuse and four counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation. However, the MCAO won't charge Balmaceda with any of the aforementioned offenses.

Glendale police started investigating Balmaceda in January after parents of a student at Mountain Ridge High School -- where Balmaceda had done off-duty work -- told police their daughter's friends were getting inappropriate text messages from Balmaceda.

Turns out, Balmaceda allegedly sent 3,600 text messages to five different girls between September 2010 and January of this year.

One of the girls, a 17-year-old, told police Balmaceda kissed her and touched her inappropriately.


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arizona, christopher balmaceda, glendale police department, maricopa county attorney's office, sexual abuse
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Bad Cops

MCSO Busts Border Patrol Agent With Oxycodone and Fake Weed

By James King Fri., Sep. 30 2011 at 10:07 AM
Categories: Bad Cops
atondo.jpg
MCSO
Michel Atondo
​The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office's Human Smuggling Unit arrested a U.S. Border Patrol agent last night as he was allegedly speeding down State Route 85 in possession of oxycodone and fake marijuana.

According to the MCSO, the HSU was patrolling a known drug-smuggling route when they bumped into Michel Atondo, who was seen doing 90 mph in a 65-mph zone.

Deputies stopped Atondo, who told them he was a Border Patrol agent returning to work after visiting some friends in Glendale.

That was kinda true.

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arizona, border patrol, joe arpaio, maricopa county sheriff's office, michel atondo, oxycodone, synthetic marijuana
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Bad Cops

Phoenix Cop Sheldon Czegledi Leaves $5 Deposit For Sex With Texas Hooker -- Who Was Actually an Undercover Cop

By James King Tue., Aug. 30 2011 at 1:34 PM
Categories: Bad Cops
czegledi.jpg
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
Phoenix cop Sheldon Czegledi left a $5 deposit for sex with a woman he believed to be a Texas hooker. The hooker turned out to be an undercover cop.
​If $45 for sex with a Texas hooker seems like a deal that's too good to be true, that's because it probably is -- she could turn out to be a cop.

Just ask Phoenix police officer Sheldon Czegledi, who got popped in El Paso last week for trying to cash in on the aforementioned (gulp) bargain.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office last week launched a four-day "prostitution sting operation" in the central part of the city. The result: 15 arrests, including Czegledi, who on Friday allegedly left a $5 deposit for sex with a woman he believed to be a Texas hooker.

The "hooker," as is often the case, turned out to be an undercover female cop.

Phoenix Sergeant Steve Martos tells New Times Czegledi is a patrol officer in the Central City Precinct. He's been on the force for 14 years.

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arizona, el paso, phoenix police department, prostitution, sheldon czegledi, texas hooker
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