Pubdate: Sat, 17 Nov 2001
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2001 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author:  Todd Bensman, The Dallas Morning News
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

UNIT'S PROBLEMS MAY CHALLENGE DRUG CASE

6 Task Force Members Have Faced Own Investigations

At least six law enforcement personnel who worked with the FBI's 
Denton/Collin County Drug Task Force have faced criminal or internal police 
investigations that could affect a major drug case that goes to trial next 
month, records show.

Problems with the task force had been cited last week by Denton County
prosecutors, who dismissed a drug charge against former Dallas Cowboys
wide receiver Michael Irvin. They said three disciplinary
investigations against task force members who arrested Mr. Irvin had
undermined the case.

The 12-member task force began operating two years ago in response to
a series of heroin deaths in Plano.

"It's crazy," said Denton lawyer Chris Blanton, who is representing
several defendants in a task force case against an alleged crack
cocaine ring known as the Catlin organization. "You get this task
force in there, and the only distinction you can find between members
of the task force and members of the conspiracy is who is wearing a
badge."

Dallas-area FBI officials and some police chiefs acknowledged the
personnel problems but said that they had little to do with the
officers' work and that the task force's work remains credible.

They said 68 drug trafficking convictions and the demise of several
major drug organizations are proof of the task force's effectiveness
in combating drug use in the suburbs.

The task force "continues to have very worthwhile cases they are
investigating right now," said Edward Lueckenhoff, the Dallas FBI's
assistant special agent in charge, who oversees the force.

Among the investigations:

. Three police employees who have worked on task force cases - from
the Allen, University of North Texas, and Denton police departments -
have been fired after being charged or indicted in crimes.

. A Plano police officer was removed from the task force after coming
under an internal investigation for what one senior department
official called "serious" allegations.

. An FBI agent assigned to the task force was transferred amid
allegations that provoked another internal investigation.

. McKinney police Officer Paul Cogwell was fired last December for
several reasons, including lying about an alcohol-related driving
incident and failing to report a prior firearm arrest on his police
employment application, records show.

In all, the allegations have resulted in the removal of four permanent
members of the task force.

Several law enforcement experts said that the FBI has little say about
the officers assigned to its task forces. The selections are often
left up to midlevel police department supervisors.

They also said the Denton/Collin County task force's internal problems
raise questions about whether hundreds of joint federal task forces
formed nationwide over the last decade are managed well enough to
safeguard their credibility at trial time. About 93 police officers
work on a dozen FBI joint task forces in North Texas.

Credibility issues about the task force may extend beyond the Irvin
drug case, records showed.

Two fired officers, Mr. Cogwell in McKinney and former University of
North Texas police Officer Jimmy Ray Porter, are expected to be called
as government witnesses next month for a federal trial against four
leaders of the Catlin drug trafficking organization, according to a
prosecutor's letter informing defense attorneys of the disciplinary
problems.

The FBI continued using Mr. Cogwell as a paid transcriber after he was
fired in December for lying about the alcohol-related driving
incident, according to the letter and Dallas FBI Special Agent in
Charge Danny Defenbaugh. Mr. Porter, who was not a member of the task
force but assisted in the Catlin investigation, recently pleaded
guilty to stealing a professor's identity in a credit-card scam.

Mr. Cogwell could not be reached for comment.

Property Room Thefts

A third police employee who handled Catlin investigation evidence,
Denton Police Department property room technician Danni Drake Credeur,
this month pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1,500 from the
property room.

Plano Police Chief Greg Rushin, a former FBI agent, said complaints
that spawn automatic internal investigations against good task force
officers should be expected. Most turn out to be frivolous and should
not undercut solid evidence, he said.

Chief Rushin said that allegations leveled against Officer Brent
Reedle, who was among task force officers who arrested Mr. Irvin, were
serious enough to transfer the officer from the task force to a patrol
job. The chief said an internal investigation, which is nearly
complete, might lead to some discipline. Officer Reedle could not be
reached for comment.

Questions About Search

In his motion to dismiss the Irvin case, Denton County prosecutor
Roger Jones also cited the discovery an Allen officer, later
identified as Tara Fletcher Rike, conducted an improper search inside
the apartment where task force members found Mr. Irvin.

Allen police commanders later fired Ms. Rike for her involvement in an
unrelated search and seizure. She said she has done nothing wrong and
is fighting to regain her job. A Collin County grand jury declined to
indict her.

In May, another task force member, Dallas FBI Special Agent Robert
Dodge, wrote a letter to the Allen city manager complaining that Ms.
Rike was being mistreated. In the letter, Agent Dodge suggested that
agents believe Allen police put Ms. Rike on the task force with too
little training.

Agent Dodge was later transferred from the task force amid an internal
investigation he said was spurred by his defense of Ms. Rike. His
letter cites complaints against him by Allen police officials for meddling.

FBI officials have declined to comment about Agent Dodge's
case.

Agent Lueckenhoff said he believes no other task force drug case will
have the problems cited by Denton prosecutors in dismissing Mr.
Irvin's case.

"The task force's prior cases were all long-term investigations, which
produced overwhelming evidence through undercover drug purchases,
telephone intercepts, and other investigative methods," he said.

Reward Or Punishment

Law enforcement experts say that some police supervisors award their
best officers with task force appointments, while others view task
forces as an opportunity to get rid of problem officers or train
inexperienced ones. Once they clear a federal background check, the
officers are relatively free of employer supervision, several experts
said.

"If I'm a supervisor, why would I want to lose my best people? I can't
claim credit for big busts. I only get points when I make busts in my
city, so why would I give my best person?" said Edward Connors,
president of the Institute for Law and Justice, a research and
consulting firm in Alexandria, Va.

Agent Defenbaugh said the FBI checks police internal affairs files and
conducts extensive background checks on officers before accepting them.

He also said he has verbal agreements with all area police chiefs to
talk to one another about good candidates and bad behavior.

Agent Defenbaugh said the policy isn't always foolproof. "There have
been some bumps," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake