Pubdate: Tue, 08 May 2012
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2012 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Peter Small

POLICE CORRUPTION TRIAL: CROWN GRILLS DRUG SQUAD BOSS

Discrepancies between a drug squad boss's notes and an application for
a search warrant show he was a mercenary, fabricating evidence to
cover up his theft of $31,000, the Crown alleges.

"You and your crew were not foot soldiers in the war on drugs, you
were mercenaries who found another way to make money out of it,"
prosecutor John Pearson suggested at a cop corruption trial Monday.

"No, sir," said John Schertzer, 54, former head of the elite Team 3 of
the Central Field Command drug squad.

Schertzer, and four of his former crew - Steven Correia, 45, Raymond
Pollard, 48, Joseph Miched, 53, and Ned Maodus, 49 - are on trial for
attempt to obstruct justice, theft, assault and extortion between 1997
and 2002.

One-time marijuana dealer Christopher Quigley, 46, has testified
Schertzer slapped his face in a police station on the night of April
30, 1998.

Then Maodus and another constable, Richard Benoit, "pulverized" him
over several hours, Quigley testified.

All three "basically tuned up" the prisoner, Pearson suggested Monday,
which Schertzer denied.

The next morning, Schertzer and Correia executed a search warrant for
a CIBC safety deposit box belonging to Quigley's mother, Greeba.

Schertzer reported seizing $22,850 of the drug dealer's money. But
Quigley claimed the box contained $54,000, and the officers pocketed
the $31,150 difference.

Schertzer's memo book notes indicate that, when his crew searched the
home of Quigley's mother the night before, she told him there was
$20,000 to $25,000 of her son's money in her safety deposit box.

She also identified the box number as 416, according to Schertzer's
notes.

But Correia, who prepared the application for a search warrant for the
safety deposit box, did not include the amount of money or the box
number.

"It was only after you found out how much money was in the safety
deposit box that you constructed fake notes," Pearson alleged. "They
were all written the next day as part of a cover-up."

"No, sir," Schertzer replied.

"Greeba Quigley never told anybody how much money was in the safety
deposit box," Pearson suggested.

Schertzer disagreed.

Pearson also accused Schertzer of taking $2,000 from heroin dealer
Kai-Sum Yeung on April 7, 1998, although he only reported seizing $350.

"I put to you that Mr. Yeung had the $2,000 that he claimed he had and
you skimmed $1,650," Pearson said.

"No, sir," Schertzer replied.

The Ontario Superior Court trial continues Tuesday.
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