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| NEWS > 03 March 2010 |
Other related articles:
Shelton cop fired for "serious violations"
A Shelton police officer who had been on paid administrative leave since being charged with fifth-degree larceny by State Police in 2008, has been fired.
The larceny charge against Loren Casertano stemmed from an incident in which a girl stole an iPod from Casertano's daughter at Shelton Intermediate School.
Casertano said he and his wife, Kim-Marie, who was also implicated in the incident, recently opted for accelerated rehabilitation in the case in order to save mounting attorney's fees. State Superior Court Judge Richard Arnold in Milford earlier this month granted AR, whi... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Eyewitness News Memphis
03 March 2010
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Memphis Police Department, TN
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3 Memphis Cops Arrested in FBI
Three Memphis cops were busted by the FBI on Friday, February 26, 2010, in a police corruption case that angered MPD Director Larry Godwin.
Three of his officers, including a veteran of the force, are charged with taking thousands of dollars in bribes from a local nightclub owner in exchange for information and protection.
The FBI picked the officers up Friday for questioning. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, all three admitted to taking payoffs from the club owner. They accepted the bribes from last September up until this week, grabbing the cash while on duty and in uniform.
"I'm fed up with it," Director Godwin said during a news conference at the U.S. Attorney's office just hours after he received word of the arrests. Godwin says he was at a retreat with other top law enforcement officials when he got the news that more of his officers were accused of being on the wrong side of the law.
Lt. Tim Green, a 24-year veteran of the department, along with Patrolman Chris Crawford and Patrolman Mike Young, face federal bribery and extortion charges.
"I've said that before I retire," Godwin told reporters, "I will rid this department of criminal activity and thugs. I'm sick of it because it overshadows the hardwork of every good officer in this county."
U.S. Attorney Lawrence Laurenzi says Crawford and Young were paid $100 a pop and Lt. Green received more than $1,000 every time they paid a visit to the club.
Laurenzi says the officers would get paid for "cleaning the lot", forcing patrons to leave the parking lot after the club closed. They also notified the club's owners about police raids and an ongoing investigation by the MPD's Organized Crime Unit. Lt. Green is also accused of falsifying police reports to cover up crimes at the club.
The information and money were usually traded in the club's bathroom or office, and most exchanges were recorded by the FBI on audio and videotape.
Federal investigators say Lt. Green received 11 payments since October, totaling $8,000.
Officer Crawford accepted 14 payments, totaling more than $1,400.
Officer Young received 27 payments, adding up to more than $2,600.
The cops' bribery scheme was discovered while the FBI and an MPD task force were conducting an investigation into the club's activities. Their source inside the club, according to investigators, was an individual who was brought in for questioning in September. This person claimed to be a silent partner in the nightclub with a $15,000 to $20,000 investment in the business. That source then began working as a manager at the club and provided federal investigators with most of the information contained in the criminal complaint.
With the arrests of Green, Crawford and Young, this brings the number of Memphis Police Officers accused of wrongdoing in recent months to 23. A total of 55 local law enforcement officers have been charged with crimes in the last six years.
"We understand that the community expects and they demand," says Laurenzi, "that there not be corruption in law enforcement. Everybody up here understands that good and effective law enforcement starts with honest law enforcement."
"I'll tell you this," says Director Godwin, "you can send this message: you come on the Memphis Police Department and you think you're going to commit criminal activity, we will lock you up.
Lt. Green is suspended from the MPD with pay. Officers Crawford and Young both resigned. All three have bonds set at $10,000. Saturday evening, an MPD spokesperson said the trio was still behind bars at the federal facility in Mason, Tennessee. When released, the officers will be subject to home detention and electronic monitoring.
The club owner faces no charges at this time and federal investigators won't identify the nightclub involved, saying it's an ongoing investigation. They did say the club is in the Ridgeway area. All three officers worked out of the Ridgeway precinct.
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