More crooked prison guards, more crooked cops, and in a first for this newsletter, a crooked Fish and Wildlife officer. Let's get to it:
In Baltimore, four current or former Maryland state prison guards were among two dozen people indicted by a federal grand jury April 16 [5] on drug conspiracy and other charges. The guards allegedly worked to provide imprisoned Black Guerrilla Family gang leaders with heroin, ecstasy, tobacco, cell phones, and other contraband. Gang members would sell the drugs inside the prison and use the cell phones to set up drug deals on the outside. Current prison guards Asia Burrus, 22, and Musheerah Habeebullah, 27, were indicted, as was former guard Terry Robe, 26, and former prison kitchen employee, Takevia Smith, 24. Another half dozen guards were also implicated, but have not yet been charged.
In Wellston, Missouri, a former Wellston police officer was indicted April 16 [6] for paying prostitutes for sex and providing them with heroin. Former officer David Dausman, 35, was arrested in January and fired shortly thereafter. He is charged with corruption by a public servant, felony drug delivery, patronizing a prostitute. He also faces federal charges of making and possessing counterfeit currency and forging the seal of a federal agency.
In Rochester, Minnesota, a Rochester police officer was arrested April 15 [7] for providing information about Rochester Narcotics Unit members to people being investigated for drug offenses. Officer Vanessa Nicole Mason, 31, also allegedly was seen using drugs and hanging out with known drug offenders. She now faces charges of public officer misconduct and bribery. She was disciplined in 2006 for failing to report drug use by a fellow officer and warned she would be terminated if there were any new disciplinary issues. Her job security right now appears pretty shaky.
In Stock Island, Florida, two Florida Keys law enforcement officers were arrested last week [8] after being snagged in an undercover sting in which they thought they were transporting drugs for drug dealers. Monroe County Sheriff's Office corrections officer Shawn Hernandez and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Jonathan Jacox are in federal custody in Miami charged with possession with the intent to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to traffic in narcotics and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony. Between them, the pair carried what they thought were shipments of heroin or cocaine at least five times as the DEA and a raft of other law enforcement agencies watched.