Irwindale
police officer charged with stealing $250,000 from elderly father
LOS ANGELES - An Irwindale police officer pleaded not guilty
Wednesday to stealing his 89-year-old father's life savings, $250,000, which
was hidden in a garage.
Dennis Alva, 47, was arraigned at Los Angeles Superior Court
on charges of grand theft, second-degree burglary and elder abuse, according to
Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office.
She said the father notified Azusa police after discovering
the money he had hidden throughout his garage in Azusa was missing. She said
the money was the father's life savings.
Alva, who is a patrol officer with the Irwindale Police
Department, surrendered Wednesday in court. He'll be back in court May 6 so a
date can be set for his preliminary hearing.
If convicted of all the charges, Robison said Alva faces up
to four years in county jail.
Azusa police Lt. Steve Hunt said the money hasn't been
recovered. The victim reported the theft on Dec. 24, he said,
The alleged theft took place over several years, according
to Hunt. Detectives don't know what Alva spent the money on.
Azusa police presented the case in March to the District
Attorney's Justice System Integrity Division which filed the charges against
Alva on Wednesday.
Irwindale Police Chief Dennis Smith wouldn't say if Alva is
on leave, when the department started its administrative investigation and when
it will be completed.
"I can't comment on a personnel matter," he said.
It's not clear if Alva is out on bond because his name
doesn't appear in the sheriff's booking system. Two other members of the Irwindale Police are also being
investigated, Both for alleged sexual misconduct.
Ex-McHenry
police officer gets 6 months for thefts
WOODSTOCK – In an interview with his superiors, former
McHenry Police Officer Dale Hojnacki admitted to taking drugs and money from
the department's evidence room, testimony revealed Wednesday. The taped interview was played before McHenry County Judge
Sharon Prather, who sentenced Hojnacki to six months in McHenry County Jail.
Hojnacki, an 11-year veteran of the police department,
previously pleaded guilty to charges of theft under $10,000 and official
misconduct for taking seized drug money....
Part-Time
Officer Charged with $16K Theft
STREETSBORO, Ohio — A part-time police officer has found
himself on the wrong side of the law after he allegedly stole a large sum of
money from his place of work.
Steven W. Clark, 35, of Chesterland, is charged with felony
theft of the fourth-degree.
Streetsboro police say on April 1, the management at the
Loews on SR 303 reported that one of their employees had stolen $16,480 from
them.
After investigating the matter, Streetsboro police detectives
arrested Clark in connection to the incident.
He was an employee of the store at the time of the theft, in
addition to being a part-time police officer with the Village of Windham.
Windham Police Chief Gene Fixler confirmed on Tuesday that
Clark had resigned his position on the force.
His case has been forwarded to a grand jury.
Further details were not immediately released.
Cop
sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) - A Helena-West Helena officer was
sentenced to 30 months in prison Thursday as part of Operation: Delta Blues.
A jury found that Marlene Kalb, while in uniform and on
duty, gave a protective police escort for a man she believed to be a drug
trafficker and his cocaine on September 9 and 26, 2011. The
"trafficker" was actually a confidential informant working with the
FBI.
She was convicted on December 14 on two counts each of
attempted extortion and attempt to possess cocaine with the intent to
distribute. She was acquitted on a money-laundering charge. Kalb will also serve
three years of supervised release after leaving jail.
Her attorney has said they plan to appeal the convictions.
The FBI's Operation: Delta Blues targeted corrupt officers
in the Arkansas section of the Mississippi Delta, including Helena-West Helena.
Four other officers charged as part of the operation already pleaded guilty.
Suspended
Oxford officer admits mistake requesting $500 for request
Oxford police officer Todd Baracco was suspended for telling
a caller he had to pay $500 in exchange for police help, practiced his mantra
on Wednesday.
Regardless of what was said when Nathaniel Bennett, 29,
called the Oxford Village Police Department Sunday afternoon, “I shouldn’t have
said what I said,” Barraco told Bennett at a meeting at the department
Wednesday.
The initial call came through around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, when
Bennett called the department for help retrieving property from his
ex-girlfriend’s home.
There was some tension in the aftermath of a breakup, said
Police Chief Mike Neymanowski, and Bennett didn’t want a dispute.
“It was a legitimate request,” Neymanowski added. “As police
officers, we have to keep the peace ... be referees at times.”
The chief said he listened to a recording of the call. When
Bennett was transferred to Officer Baracco, he once again explained his plight.
Bennett told the officer that he wanted a few dress shirts,
a dinner plate, an extension cord and other items back from his ex, but that
she had previously told him he was not allowed at her home and she would call
the police if he showed up.
He was also bombarded by calls and text messages from the
woman, seemingly contradicting her request to not be in contact with Bennett.
"Friday alone, she tried calling my cell phone over 100
times," Bennett said.
According to the pair, Barraco then told Bennett: “$500 is
my fee” for coming to his girlfriend's home. Bennett claimed extortion and went
to the media with his case — he had made a recording on his smart phone — when
the officer wouldn’t recant.
Bennett was surprised when FOX 2 picked up the story, he
said. Soon, both men were getting calls nonstop.
After their discussion Wednesday, the two agreed that
emotions were high for both of them, and that, really, "it wasn't what it
was made out to be on TV," said Barraco.
A part-time officer going on his fourth year at the
department, Barraco is currently suspended while the incident remains open.
Investigators will give the case to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for
review, but Chief Neymanowski said, “I firmly believe that the officer’s
intention was not to take $500.”
Nevertheless, policy was broken, he added, and Barraco was
ordered verbal counseling in the past for an incident involving being
overaggressive with a resident.
“He's a good officer,” said Neymanowksi, “and he's very
apologetic.”
Bennett got his items back Wednesday at the meeting with the
officer. He accepted Barraco's apology.
His ex-girlfriend was also served a personal protection
order that afternoon — by the Oxford police chief.
Irwindale,
California: A police officer pleaded not guilty to grand
theft, second-degree burglary, and elder abuse for allegedly stealing $250,000
in cash that was hidden in his father’s detached garage. ow.ly/jY82Q
Update:
Newark, New Jersey (First reported: 06-11-12): A
police officer was sentenced to 48 months in prison for his role in a
conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, two courts of loan application
fraud and bank bribery. He conspired to defraud a bank by providing false
statements and documents so he could secure a $1.92 million loan. ow.ly/jY32G
Griffith, Indiana: A police officer was suspended without
pay after being accused of stealing state police grant money. He is accused of
taking about $1,600 by falsifying work hour records. ow.ly/jVEB7
Jerry
Hardesty, Canton Police Officer, Charged With Stealing Department Rifle
(CANTON, Mich.) -- A Canton police officer accused of
stealing a department rifle was arraigned on three federal charges on Tuesday,
according to the Detroit Free Press.
Lt. Jerry Hardesty, 55, faces charges of larceny of a
firearm, receiving and concealing stolen property and felony firearm. Hardesty,
a 24-year veteran on the force, has been placed on administrative leave and
faces up to 17 years in prison should he be found guilty of all three charges.
Canton police noticed that they were missing a gun from
their inventory in February, and an investigation involving the help of
Michigan State Police found that Hardesty had taken the rife. Officials have
not said what type of rifle it was, other than that it was for SWAT team use.
Suspended
Dickson officer now no longer with DPD
The Dickson Police officer suspended recently for an
unrevealed reason is “no longer employed with the City of Dickson Police
Department,” said Police Chief Rick Chandler on Tuesday afternoon.
Chandler would not provide any further details.
Jerl “Dee” Richardson, of Waverly, who is no longer with the
police department as of Tuesday, had been employed as an officer with the city
since 2010.
Allegations had recently surfaced about this conduct while
on duty.
Chandler said the police department is in the process of
turning the information over to the district attorney’s office.
Dickson
police officer quits amid investigation
A Dickson police officer who was on administrative leave has
left his job.
Police officials have not released many details but said
Officer Jerl "Dee" Richardson had been suspended with pay after some
undisclosed allegations were brought against him.
Richardson worked as a patrol officer and had been with the
Dickson Police Department since June 2010.
Recently, several allegations surfaced about his conduct,
and the chief in Dickson confirmed the allegations involved behavior while on
duty.
However, Richardson told Channel 4 News it was
"personal stuff" that happened off the clock. Richardson said he was
"blindsided" by the allegations last week.
The officer's personnel file does not include any sort of
disciplinary issues other than an incident where his gun misfired.
Before resigning, Richardson had said nothing inappropriate
happened while on the job. The district attorney is looking at the case and
could pursue criminal charges