Pubdate: Sat, 07 May 2005 Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) Copyright: 2005 The Commercial Appeal Contact: http://www.commercialappeal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/95 Author: Sherri Drake Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States) EX-POLICE PROPERTY MANAGER FINED Put On Probation, To Work 600 Hours A former Memphis police employee who stole from the department's property room -- after he was brought in to clean it up -- was sentenced Friday. U.S. Dist. Judge Jon McCalla sentenced Jay T. Liner to three years of probation, 600 hours of community service and fined him $3,000. Liner, 54, faced up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but prosecutors recommended that he not go to prison, based on information he gave them about others involved in the high-profile property room scandal. In September 2003, 16 people were indicted in a scheme that put more than 560 pounds of marijuana, 320 pounds of cocaine, and 66 guns that had been stored in the property room back on the street. When Liner surrendered, he turned over several items stolen from the property room, including a pistol, Rolex watch, golf clubs, laptop computers and champagne. "This offense was basically stealing personal property for personal use," said federal prosecutor Thomas Colthurst. Liner pleaded guilty in July 2004 to taking a gun from the property room. McCalla thanked Liner for his cooperation with prosecutors and for providing them with information, "which has been important to the public and is not concluded." Liner, a retired Washington Police Department lieutenant and former property room manager, was hired by the Memphis Police Department in December 2000. Friday, he apologized to the court and his family. "I have lived on the side of the law all of my life," he said. "I am so embarrassed at the position I've put myself in." "The next time you see me will be in Heaven," he told McCalla. "You will never see me in this court again." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth