Pubdate: Thu, 19 Jul 2007
Source: Daily Advance, The (Elizabeth City, NC)
Copyright: 2007 Cox Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.dailyadvance.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1700
Author: David Macaulay

WARRANT: COP HAS MISSING MONEY

Davidson Says He Has $5k In Seized Money

An Edenton police officer charged with altering evidence in a criminal
case has acknowledged having nearly $5,000 seized in another case,
court documents show.

According to an application for a search warrant, detective Michael
Aaron Davidson told Edenton Police Chief Greg Bonner July 12 that he
had in his possession $4,975.21 seized from drug suspect William Bland
in 2005. Bonner had asked Davidson, currently on administrative leave
from the Edenton department, about the money after it turned up
missing during a State Bureau of Investigation review of Davidson's
cases, the search warrant application states.

Bonner had requested the review after the SBI searched the Edenton
Police Department for money seized during the arrest of another drug
suspect, Martha Basnight Gregory, and those funds also turned up
missing. Davidson, 32, already faces felony charges of altering
evidence in Gregory's case. According to a separate search warrant
application the SBI filed, Gregory is one of several crime suspects
who've alleged Davidson planted evidence to implicate them in crimes.

In its request for a search warrant in the Bland matter, the SBI
stated that Bland had $5,740 in cash and $78 in coins when he was
arrested June 18, 2005 on drug charges. After $842.79 was deducted for
taxes he owed, the remainder -- $4,975.21 -- was entrusted to the
custody of the Edenton Police Department. The department's records
indicate Davidson was the last person to have custody of the money
seized from Bland.

It was not clear Wednesday if the money seized from Bland has been
recovered. The application indicates the warrant to search Davidson's
home for the $4,975.21 was not used.

A spokeswoman for the SBI declined to comment on why the search
warrant was not executed, and District Attorney Frank Parrish could
not be reached Wednesday. Davidson, who worked for the Edenton Police
Department for four years, was arrested July 10 and then released on a
$1,000 unsecured bond. Davidson had his first appearance in Chowan
District Court on the charges Tuesday. The name of Davidson's attorney
could not be learned Wednesday.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Steve Heath