Jim Leach began his law enforcement career in 1975, and he shares his insights as a Criminal Justice Consultant for Golden Media Group. Mr. Leach was honored to serve as 1st Vice President of the Tennessee Narcotics Officers Association.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 20 drug conspiracy-related indictments were handed down a few weeks ago. The indictments say the conspirators agreed to distribute and sell illegal drugs in the Mississippi Delta region. Among the people indicted were 14 current or former law enforcement officers. Two Mississippi sheriffs – Milton Gaston, Washington Co., and Bruce Williams, Humphreys Co., were arrested in the round-up.
Here’s some of what the indictments allege:
Police served as armed escorts for what they believed to be drug shipments. It sounds like one shipment weighed 25 kilos (a kilo is 2.2 pounds), and the report goes on to say that shipments of this size occurred on multiple occasions. Officers were also said to have provided protection for cash proceeds derived from drug transactions.
Federal authorities say that the Sheriffs gave the operations their “blessing” in exchange for payoffs. In other words, they would “look the other way.” Gaston tried to cover up the payoffs by calling them campaign contributions, but allegedly, he didn’t report them correctly.
The bribes were said to be as large as $37,000. Not much money when you consider the loss of a career, fines, and the possibility of going to jail for several years.
FBI undercover agents posed as members of a Mexican drug cartel. It is reasonable to expect that some conversations in furtherance of the conspiracy, as well as actual transactions, were recorded by the authorities.
It has always amazed me that police officers would believe they could trust folks who make a living selling drugs. They will “give you up” in a heartbeat. Drug dealers understand that many times, the quickest way to “get some help” on a charge is to provide information on a dope dealing officer.
One of the big problems with working cases of this nature is that the dealers will fabricate stories about the POlice. You must do your best to ensure the story the informant is giving you is not an effort to get a good officer in trouble because he busted this informant in the past.
When I was working undercover for the TBI, it was not unusual for a dope dealer to try to impress me (he thought I was another dealer) by telling me what police officers he had “in his pocket.”
I kept waiting for one of them to tell me about having that Leach guy that worked for the TBI bought off. I would have had some fun with that.
