Pubdate: Sat, 06 Oct 2001
Source: News-Press (FL)
Copyright: 2001 The News-Press
Contact:  http://www.news-press.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1133
Author: Charles Runnells
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

GIBBS: 'I WAS ABSOLUTELY UNINVOLVED'

Cape Chief Explains Daughter's Drug Case

"My daughter has made a serious mistake in electing to be associated with 
the possession and sale of drugs. This has caused myself and my family 
tremendous pain and anguish. However, I understand that being my daughter 
doesn't make her immune to mistakes, and I will stand by her and love her 
as much as ever to help her through this difficult time."

- - Arnold Gibbs, Cape Coral police chief

CAPE CORAL - Police Chief Arnold Gibbs said Friday he was not involved in 
his police department's Aug. 18 drug investigation that involved his daughter.

"On the night of the incident, I went to great pains to keep as far away 
and totally uninvolved from start to finish," he said in a written 
statement. "I was called sometime around 5 a.m. and advised that the 
investigation was over and that I could come and pick up my daughter. I was 
absolutely uninvolved."

Gibbs' daughter, Monique Manette Gibbs, 19, was arrested Thursday and 
charged with possession of cocaine.

In the statement issued Friday morning, Gibbs urged the public to read 
reports and his daughter's sworn statement about the drug bust, saying they 
detailed her involvement.

But police spokesman Angelo Bitsis later declined to release the reports, 
saying that the chief was mistaken and the documents were not yet open to 
public inspection.

"I can't give them to you yet," he said. "They're not yet public record. 
And sworn statements are never public record, according to them (the State 
Attorney's Office)."

Monique Gibbs' arrest stemmed from the Aug. 18 drug bust at the Del Prado 
Inn on Cape Coral Parkway.

The night before, Cape police documents said, police informers bought 
cocaine from Brandon Louis Graham, Monique Gibbs' boyfriend.

Later, police returned to the hotel with a search warrant and arrested 
Graham on charges of possessing cocaine found in the hotel room and sale of 
cocaine.

Although Monique Gibbs has admitted - according to the State's Attorney 
Office - to being in the room and flushing crack cocaine down the toilet, 
she wasn't arrested Aug. 18 and wasn't listed in the police reports made 
public after the drug bust.

Graham - a former Mariner High School football star and the younger brother 
of University of Florida running back Earnest Graham - pleaded not guilty 
Friday to one charge of selling cocaine. The possession charges against him 
were dropped.

His trial is set for Nov. 26. Monique Gibbs' arraignment hearing hasn't 
been set.

Tony Schall, spokesman for the State Attorney's Office, said reports about 
the drug bust won't be available until the attorneys for Monique Gibbs and 
Graham file for the documents. That could be early next week.

Schall said Monique Gibbs' sworn statement would not be public record.

The absence of Monique Gibbs' name on original police reports had prompted 
Graham's attorney to allege a police department cover-up.

"It is true that her name was not in the arrest report, but there is no 
reason for her name to be in that report," Gibbs said in his written 
statement Friday. He didn't elaborate and refused to be interviewed by The 
News-Press.

"However, her name was in several other reports, with a detailed account of 
her involvement as well a sworn statement taken from her during the course 
of the investigation."

Michael Hornung, Graham's attorney, called Gibbs' suggestion to look at the 
unavailable records "damage control." "That's just a smoke screen," he 
said. "Those reports aren't even public yet."

Interim City Manager Howard Kunik and Scott Johnson, president of the 
Cape's Fraternal Order of Police, issued statements Friday supporting Gibbs.

They said they'd reviewed the case file and found no evidence of a coverup.

"Chief Gibbs and the investigating officers made no attempt to hide the 
involvement of his daughter in this situation," Kunik wrote. "If that were 
the case, the opportunity presented itself very early on when police 
officers discovered the vehicle they were following was registered to Chief 
Gibbs."

It is unclear when Gibbs was contacted about police tracking his car, who 
was driving the car and when they told him about his daughter's involvement.

"Even though, upon discovering this fact, they could have delayed executing 
the arrest warrant for several days and waited until Monique was not 
present, they chose not to do so," Kunik said.

"The criticism now being leveled at the department and Chief Gibbs not only 
is unwarranted, but extremely disappointing," Kunik wrote. "At no time have 
I doubted the integrity of Chief Gibbs and the police department."

Deputy State Attorney Marshall Bower said he had no evidence of a police 
coverup. But he said there was evidence Monique Gibbs was in constructive 
possession of cocaine Aug. 18, which means she was in the motel room, "had 
knowledge of the contents of that room," and had "the ability to exercise 
control" over the cocaine.

Scott T. Moorey, Monique Gibbs' attorney, could not be reached for comment.

If convicted, Monique Gibbs could get up to five years in prison for the 
third-degree felony. But what's more likely for a first offender, Schall 
said, is probation or a pre-trial diversion program that would send her to 
counseling.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager