Pubdate: Wed, 01 Dec 2010
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Kent Spencer

COP PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG TRAFFICKING

Addict tipped off police

"Rogue" cop Peter Hodson pleaded guilty in B.C. Provincial Court
Tuesday to breaching his trust as a Vancouver police officer and
trafficking in marijuana.

Hodson, who was branded a "rogue" and fired by police Chief Jim Chu on
April 21, admitted to entering the police computer illegally and
peddling weed while on duty in the Downtown Eastside.

"Our hope is to enter a plea to three of four offences," Hodson's
lawyer, Vincent Michaels, told the Vancouver court.

"I'm happy to do it," said Judge Gregory Rideout.

A 31-year-old White Rock father of three, Hodson was an elite
basketball player at the University of B.C. before joining the force
five years ago.

Tall and clean-cut, Hodson was accompanied in court by several family
members.

After Rideout scheduled a three-day sentencing hearing, beginning June
1, Hodson offered a "no comment" outside court.

He remains free on $65,000 bail, but has a midnight to 6 a.m. curfew
and is not allowed to consume alcohol outside his home.

His arrest followed an elaborate police undercover operation last
spring involving a couple of dozen officers over a period of several
weeks.

The tipoff came from self-confessed drug addict Tyson Pappas, who was
doing deals for Hodson. Pappas, who has faced 47 criminal counts in
B.C., told police Hodson had broken into his apartment and said he was
afraid for his life.

Plain-clothes agents watching from vans secretly videotaped about 10
Hodson-Pappas drug deals in places such as fast-food parking lots.

"We observed behaviour that suggested Hodson was trafficking
street-level amounts of marijuana both on and off duty," Chu said at
the time. "It was shocking, highly disturbing and disgraceful."

After the bust, Pappas was given a letter of commendation by police
Superintendent Rob Rothwell for "bravely disclosing"
information.

Pappas said Tuesday he is "proud" of what he did.

"It just shows that someone in my position can tell the truth. I told
the truth and that's why he got convicted," Pappas said.

Hodson pleaded guilty to two breaches of trust. One was for
trafficking in marijuana and the other concerned an illegal entry into
the police computer system to check up on a Pappas arrest that did not
involve Hodson.

A charge of break-and-enter into Pappas's apartment, with intent to
commit extortion, was stayed.
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