Pubdate: Sat, 04 Jan 2003
Source: Cape Cod Times (MA)
Copyright: 2003 Cape Cod Times
Contact:  http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/72
Author: Karen Jeffrey, Staff Writer

DRUG AGENTS' TRANSFER STALLED

A Court Finds Three Cape Officers Likely Were Reassigned Because of 
Complaints Against Their Supervisor

BOSTON - A federal court judge has given a slap to the U.S. Drug 
Enforcement Administration, saying the agency apparently retaliated against 
three whistleblowers - including two once assigned to the Cape - by 
transferring them out of New England to less desirable assignments.

Chief Administrative Judge William Carroll said the agency expected the 
agents to show "loyalty and blind obedience" to a supervisor who he said 
was "readily recognized as a total incompetent."

Carroll issued a stay temporarily preventing the DEA from transferring the 
three agents. Sometime in the next two months the cases will go before 
Carroll for a full hearing.

If Carroll finds in favor of the agents, the transfers will be rescinded 
and the agents will be allowed to remain in their New England assignments.

If Carroll finds in favor of the federal agency, the transfers to DEA 
offices in the Southwest will go through.

The three agents - Todd Shea, Paul Bock and Christopher Grenier - claim DEA 
is trying to punish them for repeatedly complaining about their supervisor, 
Special Agent in Charge John Shaefer.

Shaefer was responsible for DEA investigations on Cape Cod, the islands and 
New Bedford from September 1999 until his unscheduled retirement last June.

According to court documents, the agents alleged that during his tenure 
Shaefer:

Created a hostile work environment by threatening DEA subordinates and 
fomenting conflict with state and municipal police

Endangered the lives of undercover officers and the public, in one instance 
by instigating a high speed chase of a drug suspect without maintaining 
contact with all the officers involved.

Challenged a state police lieutenant and a New Bedford police officer to 
fist fights

Openly bragged about threatening the lives and careers of a U.S. attorney 
in Illinois and DEA employees with whom he'd worked in Austria

Despite objections by other officers, insisted on working with a New 
Bedford police officer who was under investigation for corruption.

Attempts to reach Schaefer were unsuccessful. He reportedly has sold his 
house on the Cape and returned to his home state of Illinois.

DEA spokesman Anthony Pettigrew declined to comment on the judge's ruling 
or the case in general.

"The case is still under litigation, and until it is finished we will not 
have anything to say," Pettigrew said.

Efforts to reach Shea, Bock and Grenier were also unsuccessful.

In court papers, the three DEA agents claim they repeatedly told superiors 
in Boston of their concerns about Schaefer, believing they did so in 
confidence. Instead, they discovered Schaefer was informed of the 
allegations against him and in turn, he threatened their careers.

Schaefer was transferred to the Cape in September 1999 but within a year 
virtually abandoned that office to work in New Bedford, although 
technically he was still responsible for supervising DEA cases on the Cape 
and islands.

Police who worked with him on the Cape and in New Bedford described 
Shaeffer's behavior as a deteriorating downward spiral and likened him to 
Capt. Queeg, the character portrayed by Humphrey Bogart in "The Caine Mutiny."

According to one source, shortly before his retirement, Schaefer allegedly 
began wearing a military style helmet while working in the New Bedford DEA 
office.

And, police and DEA agents working there allegedly began wearing bullet 
proof vests inside the office after Schaefer made veiled threats and 
dry-fired his weapon in the office.

According to several law enforcement officers, Schaefer retaliated against 
his subordinates by closing down a multi-state cocaine investigation they 
had begun.

Ironically the case was re-opened by state police and DEA from Boston and 
Rhode Island in December 2001 when a state police cruiser stopped a tractor 
trailer carrying 600 pounds of cocaine into New Bedford.

The seizure of cocaine, worth an estimated $28 million, was described as 
the largest single cocaine seizure in Massachusetts. Twenty -one people 
were arrested, and, to date, 20 of them have been convicted.

The allegations against Schaefer came as no surprise to state police drug 
investigators on the Cape.

They blame Schaefer for the dissolution of a 19-year partnership among DEA, 
state and municipal police known as the Cape Cod Drug Task Force.

In October 2001 state police Lt. Robert Melia of the Cape Cod Drug Task 
Force wrote to Schaefer's superiors in Boston describing him as incompetent 
and dangerous.

Melia wrote that Schaefer's propensity for bragging and threatening 
alienated police as well as other federal officers who had frequently 
worked with the drug task force including agents from the Customs Service, 
Postal Service, IRS and the U.S. Attorney's office.

Melia warned that Schaefer's behavior jeopardized professional working 
relationships as well as on-going investigations.

State police Lt. Detective John Allen, head of state police detectives on 
the Cape, also warned DEA officials in Boston that Schaefer appeared 
emotionally unstable and in need of help.

Together they warned Schaefer's supervisors that officer safety was being 
compromised during drug investigations.

DEA's reaction was to strike back at the state police.

In December 2001, the federal agency decided to withdraw from the 
partnership and reorganize its drug operations on the Cape.

At the time, DEA said it wanted to focus on long-term investigations 
targeting high-level drug dealers and take the cases to federal court 
rather than state court.

This represented a shift away from the mid- and street-level drug dealers 
more common on the Cape.

 From its inception in 1982 until December 2001, the drug task force, 
operating as a combined federal, state, county and local effort, made 1,518 
arrests, seized $2.28 million in cash and $15.5 million in assests - money 
and property that was divided among the participating law enforcement agencies.

The DEA continues to have an office on the Cape, with police officers from 
Barnstable and Plymouth assigned to work with DEA agents.

The Cape Cod Drug Task Force - the original investigatory group - also 
continues with state police working with municipal departments targeting 
mid- and street-level drug dealers.

The two task forces meet weekly along with officers from municipal 
departments to discuss on-going investigations, but continue to operate as 
distinct investigatory groups.
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