Pubdate: Fri, 30 May 2008
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 2008 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst
Newspaper
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/198
Author: Harvey Rice, and Richard Stewart
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

2 AREA POLICE DEPARTMENTS HIT BY TURMOIL

Lost evidence leads to cases being dismissed; detective resigns,
ex-clerk indicted

Criminal cases are being dismissed, a police detective has resigned
and a former clerk has been indicted as  police departments in two
Houston-area communities deal  with the disappearance of evidence,
including drugs.

In the Brazoria County town of West Columbia, a  detective quit the
force after he couldn't comply with  the chief's request that he
produce cocaine that was held in evidence.

In Galveston, a grand jury has indicted a former clerk on a charge of
stealing evidence from the Galveston  police property room, causing
the dismissal of 18  criminal cases.

The Galveston County grand jury Wednesday indicted former property
room clerk Heidi Aline Domino, 27, of  Texas City, on a charge of
theft by a public servant, a  felony punishable by up to 10 years in
prison. If  convicted, she would face a minimum sentence of two years
in prison.

The investigation that led to Domino's indictment began after an
undisclosed amount of cash was discovered missing from the property
room in February.

The Sheriff's Office began an investigation, and Galveston County
District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk asked  the Texas Rangers to take it
over.

The investigation uncovered missing cash, drugs and weapons held as
evidence in the property room, leading  to the dismissal of 18
criminal cases.

Seven of the dismissed cases were felonies, six for drug possession
and one for sale of cocaine near a  school. The remainder were
misdemeanor drug and gambling violations.

The dismissal of the cases led Sistrunk to ask the Texas Rangers to
conduct an audit of the property room  in addition to the criminal
investigation.

Officials also are dismissing seven to 10 drug cases investigated by
a West Columbia police detective who  resigned after being asked to
produce some missing  cocaine.

Joe McElroy, who had worked for the Brazoria County town's department
since October, resigned May 20, chief  Michael Palmer said Thursday.

Palmer said all the cases McElroy handled individually will be
dismissed. "I don't want to erroneously put  anybody in jail," the
chief said.

Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne said the cases being
dismissed "covered a very short period of  time" and included small-
to moderate-size drug cases.

McElroy has not been charged, but Yenne said a grand  jury will likely
review the case.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin