Pubdate: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 Source: Clarion-Ledger, The (MS) Copyright: 2001 The Clarion-Ledger Contact: http://www.clarionledger.com/about/letters.html Website: http://www.clarionledger.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/805 Author: Sherri Williams, Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption) EX-COPS GET HARSHEST SENTENCES IN PROTECTION CASES Former Officers Disgraced JPD, Judge Says Two former Jackson police officers who accepted money to protect FBI agents who were posing as drug dealers will spend more time in prison than the other officers sentenced. Former Jackson Patrolman Tim Henderson, one of six former officers charged together last year, was sentenced to eight years Thursday - the most of all the officers convicted. Henderson, a Jackson Police Department officer for 17 years, earlier pleaded guilty to accepting $500 to provide protection May 3, 2000, and June 6, 2000, for a 5-kilogram shipment of cocaine at the Greyhound Bus Station. Wallace Jones, a former detective, drew four years for accepting $1,000 and providing security Aug. 25, 2000, for a shipment of cocaine to the bus station. He was indicted in a separate sting investigation. "I don't know how either one of you can face yourselves in the mirror," U.S. District Judge William Barbour said after sentencing the two. Before sentencing, Joseph Hollomon, attorney for Henderson and Jones, appealed to Barbour to consider the sentences of the other former officers Barbour had sentenced for similar crimes. Former Detective Stanley Butler was sentenced to one year and former Patrolman Nate Thomas was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and five months' house arrest. However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Burkhalter said Butler and Thomas had only agreed to provide protection and accepted money but Henderson and Jones accepted money and actually escorted the undercover FBI agents they thought were drug dealers. "It is disturbing for the court to have to deal with rotten police officers," Barbour said. "The two of you have disgraced JPD and every law enforcement agency. Both of you were good officers for a long time and you blew it out of pure greed." Both will remain free on bond until they begin serving their sentences Jan. 21. Hollomon noted to Barbour that both his clients acted out of character in committing the crimes. He told Barbour that Jones was under financial stress, partially because he needed money to help pay legal fees for his sister, former JPD Detective Alvaine Baggett, 43. In January Baggett, a 15-year JPD veteran, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for accepting money from drug dealers to fix their cases. "Jones, it is particularly bad when you use the excuse of your sister's attorney's fees for engaging in some of the same activity," Barbour told him. "You followed her down the same road." Jones, 37, said before sentencing: "I just want it to be known that I do accept responsibility for the actions I took in the past. I accept full responsibility. I don't have any ill feelings against JPD, the FBI or Mr. Burkhalter. The actions that I took I did on my own." Said Henderson, 46: "I accept full responsibility for what I have done. I want to resolve this so I can get on with my life. I am not upset with JPD. I just want to get on with this so I can get back to my family and my wife." Hollomon said the ordeal has been stressful for Henderson and Jones. "It is a tragedy for these men, their families and everyone involved," he said. Burkhalter said the two failed the city when they committed the crimes. "There is no question these men took money with willingness to guard drugs coming through Jackson at the same time they were to safeguard the citizens of Jackson," he said. Henderson and Jones both would not comment after sentencing. Angela Todd, the 29-year-old niece of Henderson, said JPD should be punished as well as her uncle because it helped recruit the officers charged. "If the department would not have put that temptation in front of them they would not be here today," she said. "That shows that they had no trust in the people they are hiring." JPD spokesman Robert Graham said Acting Police Chief Jim French has not had time to review the sentences and he reserves comment until he has had time to do so. Detective Fredrick Fleming, president of the Jackson Police Officers Association, said he is first to admit that when officers do wrong they need to be punished. But he said the department should have stood behind the officers until they pleaded guilty. "I cannot say as far as this incident the department is at fault but I know that the department did not stand behind the officers at all," he said. "When you are accused of something the law says you are innocent until proven guilty. The department says you are guilty until proven innocent. That is a problem with JPD. That is why morale is so low." Former JPD Sgt. Ronald Youngblood testified at Butler's February trial that he was under investigation for taking payments for shielding drug dealers from police. So he agreed to help apprehend other officers who were later charged. Charges were dismissed without prejudice against Youngblood Dec. 14, meaning they could be brought up again. Only one other officer remains to be tried. Fred Gaddis, another of the six former police officers arrested last November after the 15-month FBI investigation, is scheduled for trial Monday. Charges were dismissed against the other former officer, Joe Wade. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl