Pubdate: Fri, 11 Nov 2005
Source: Star-News (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Wilmington Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.wilmingtonstar.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/500
Author: Ken Little

EX-LELAND COP PLEADS GUILTY

Former Leland police officer Brett H. Hobbs pleaded guilty Thursday in
Brunswick County Superior Court to a felony count of conspiring to
traffic in cocaine and a misdemeanor obstructing justice offense.

Mr. Hobbs, 27, will serve 30 days in jail, probably on weekends, as a
condition of the convictions, his lawyer said. Judge William C. Gore
Jr. gave Mr. Hobbs a suspended jail sentence of six to eight months
and placed him on 24 months of supervised probation.

One of the sentencing conditions is that Mr. Hobbs not work again in
law enforcement or related fields, like security. He cannot own a gun,
Brunswick County District Attorney Rex Gore said.

Mr. Hobbs could have served up to 14 years in prison on the cocaine
trafficking conviction. Other than some speeding tickets, he had a
clean record, Assistant District Attorney Chris Thomas said Thursday.

"All our evidence indicated he was involved in narcotics dealing prior
to him becoming a police officer," he said. "That activity compromises
him as a police officer."

Mr. Hobbs, a former Leland Police Department corporal, was charged May
5 following an investigation by the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office,
State Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration. He resigned from the force in June.

After the arrest, Mr. Thomas said the drug distribution network Mr.
Hobbs was associated with has been active since at least 1998 and was
the focus of a multi-agency investigation called "Operation Riptide."
Mr. Thomas said the Mexico-based drug ring imported more than 100
pounds of pure cocaine into Brunswick County in 1999 and 2000.

Mr. Hobbs' plea includes a stipulation that the drug-related offenses
were committed before he became a Leland police officer in April 2002.
Mr. Hobbs made no statement in court and was not available for comment
afterward.

"Really, it is a case of guilt by association. He was friends with
some individuals early in life who were involved in things he wasn't
involved in," lawyer Roy Trest said. "You can't avoid the consequences
of your past. All young people should be aware of who they associate
with."

Mr. Hobbs lives in Leland and is taking classes at Cape Fear Community
College. His father, Gordon Hobbs, won re-election this week to the
Leland Town Council. Brett Hobbs has no plans to leave Brunswick
County, Mr. Trest said.

"It proves again you have to pay for past mistakes. He resigned a
number of months ago (from the police department) and accepted
responsibility for his actions," he said.

Mr. Hobbs served as departmental K-9 officer, SWAT Team commander and
narcotics officer. His arrest had a negative effect on other cases
prosecuted by the District Attorney's Office, which had to throw out
at least 25 criminal cases stemming from arrests made this year by Mr.
Hobbs. Among them were at least five felonies.

Operation Riptide investigators did not become aware of Mr. Hobbs'
involvement in the drug ring until after he had become a police
officer, Mr. Thomas said. While on duty in the summer of 2004, Mr.
Hobbs told a State Bureau of Investigation agent that he did not know
the other defendants in the case, leading to the obstruction of
justice charge.

Prison time for Mr. Hobbs was not necessarily the focus of the
District Attorney's Office.

"A greater priority was to ensure he could never work in law
enforcement again," Mr. Thomas said. "I think it was no less a serious
situation that he did it before."

As a police officer, Mr. Hobbs could have been compromised by people
who knew about his past and used the situation to their advantage, Mr.
Thomas said.

"Your reputation and credibility is everything. If you can't trust the
people who are in there, the whole system breaks down," he said.

Leland police Chief Osey Sanders joined the force after Mr. Hobbs was
hired. Chief Sanders said Thursday he has had no contact with Mr.
Hobbs since his resignation.

Chief Sanders has said Mr. Hobbs was a good police officer and
reiterated that view Thursday. The chief was aware Mr. Hobbs was the
subject of a criminal investigation in the months before his arrest
and promoted him to corporal in February.

"We never had any indication (of criminal wrongdoing) when he served
as a law enforcement officer with us," Chief Sanders said. "His
performance was satisfactory or above."

Chief Sanders said his department let justice take its course in Mr.
Hobbs' case.

"If the matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of the district
attorney and the courts, it should close a chapter on this issue," he
said.
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