Convicted
Tulsa police officer testifies about falsified search warrants
A convicted Tulsa police officer testified Monday that
former Officer John K. "J.J." Gray told him about falsifying search
warrants and forming investigations for the purpose of profiting from stolen
drugs.
Both retired Cpl. Harold R. Wells and Gray testified Monday about their involvement in a 1997 drug case against Jeffrey Dan Williams, who eventually pleaded guilty, court records show.
U.S. District Judge James Payne granted Williams a hearing on his motion to change his plea, which Williams has unsuccessfully tried to change since 1997. The hearing began last month.
A federal investigation of Tulsa police officers, including Gray and Wells, and a federal agent began as early as 2008 and resulted in charges against six current or former Tulsa police officers and the federal agent, as well as accusations of criminal behavior against five officers who were never indicted.
Wells was sentenced to prison in December and is serving a 10-year sentence.
Gray was released from prison on May 1 after being convicted of stealing money. He had pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators and was sentenced to about four months, according to court records.
Wells, who was granted immunity for his testimony, testified that he did not recall much of the 1997 case against Williams.
But under questioning from defense attorney William Widell, Wells said he had knowledge about Gray falsifying search warrants.
"No, he's not an honest person," Wells said. "He did falsify information on affidavits. ... That comes from his statements. I didn't know (about it) at the time."
Wells' testimony about Gray bolstered the defense, which has tried to establish that Gray filed false search warrants against Williams in 1997.
Wells also answered a series of questions from Payne about the use of confidential informants in general and specifically about the informant whose information led to a drug buy that led to a search warrant in Williams' case.
Payne posed similar questions to Gray, as well as to another subpoenaed police officer and two federal agents who have not faced charges related to the police corruption investigation.
In addition to Gray and Wells, Payne questioned Tulsa Police Capt. Nick Hondros and federal agents Dave Argo and Pat Lynch about their knowledge of a confidential informant used in the Williams case, as well as on related issues.
Gray was questioned about his involvement in the Williams case but testified that he did not recall the case.
"I've testified again and again: I don't remember this incident, period," Gray said.
Gray denied having sold drugs and having asked Eddie Farner, a former informant, to intercept a Tulsa police van carrying evidence to a depository in Oklahoma City. Both accusations had been made by Farner in earlier proceedings.
However, Gray confirmed that Farner "was an informant of mine back then."
Gray also testified about police policy on using confidential informants to obtain search warrants, which Gray admitted to falsifying in several cases.
Gray said officers often didn't keep records on informants in 1997, despite police policies.
"That was a policy, but it wasn't enforced," he said.
Attorneys in Williams' hearing will be filing some last motions before filing closing arguments in the next several weeks, according to Payne.