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Veteran Officer Pleads Guilty To Corruption
Pubdate: Wed, 30 Aug 2006
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2006 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Mike McIntyre
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?188 (Outlaw Bikers)
VETERAN OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO CORRUPTION
Repeatedly Tried To Help Hells Associate
A veteran Winnipeg police constable admits he repeatedly tried to
help an angry Hells Angels associate hunt down people who stole
$462,000 in drug money and then went on the run.
Bruce Huynen, 40, pleaded guilty yesterday to unauthorized use of a
police computer that involved nearly a dozen illegal name, address
and background searches in 2003 and 2004.
Huynen was caught in police wiretap conversations discussing the
missing money, background of the biker and results of the computer
checks with his Calgary-based friend, Gordon McPake.
McPake had asked Huynen for help on behalf of his own friend, an
associate of the Manitoba Hells who'd been ripped off by his
ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.
The man wanted McPake to use his police connections to help track the
pair down and recover his money, which was obtained through the
proceeds of crime, court was told.
Huynen was aware of the biker's background, as he checked Winnipeg
police records that had him flagged as a "hazard" and a Hells associate.
"I'll drive to Thunder Bay tomorrow and (expletive) kill him," McPake
tells Huynen of the woman's new boyfriend, suspecting they'd headed
east. He also conveyed to Huynen how angry the biker was over getting burned.
"I'll beat him right into a (expletive) coma," McPake continues.
"He trusted his woman way too much," Huynen says of the biker. Later,
the officer suggests the woman might have gone to police about the
biker and the stolen money.
"I guarantee she's singing like a (expletive) bird," says Huynen.
Crown prosecutor Marty Minuk said yesterday Huynen and McPake also
discussed the biker's involvement in the drug trade. On one occasion,
McPake mentions the man being involved in a "big deal" involving a
"(expletive) load of drugs".
"This is not the type of activity the public expects of police
officers," Minuk told court yesterday.
"It's an offence against the community, and attack against public
confidence and integrity of the system."
Huynen faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but Minuk
didn't make any specific recommendation for penalty. Defence lawyer
Hymie Weinstein asked for an absolute discharge, which would prevent
Huynen from having a criminal record. Chief provincial court Judge
Ray Wyant reserved his sentencing decision until next month.
Weinstein said his client has suffered enough, having already
resigned from his $65,000-a-year job when it was clear he was likely
going to be fired. Huynen is now making about $33,000 a year
installing duct work and is having trouble finding other work because
of the publicity surrounding his case.
"In hindsight, I see I've made some poor decisions. All I was doing
is looking out for my friend and his father. It looked like they were
having trouble with a business partner," Huynen told court yesterday.
The business partner -- the biker who was ripped off -- claimed to be
involved in an industrial cleaning business and had met McPake and
his father years earlier through their similar enterprise.
Huynen said yesterday he never received any payment for helping
McPake and never had knowledge of criminal activity taking place or
interfered with any ongoing investigations.
"I've definitely suffered emotionally, mentally, financially. I just
want to put this behind me and move on with my life. I feel like I've
already been punished severely," he said.
Weinstein suggested yesterday that other police officers routinely
conduct illegal computer checks as favours for friends and relatives
without even being charged or punished. He said the lawyer
representing the Winnipeg Police Association has told him of "many" such cases.
"What Mr. Huynen did was foolish, for a friend. But it was not evil,"
said Weinstein.
Huynen first drew the suspicion of RCMP in late 2003 while they were
in the early stages of investigating a massive North America
ephedrine smuggling operation with big ties to Manitoba. It's alleged
the ephedrine was being used to make crystal methamphetamine. One of
the key police targets was the Hells associate now connected to
Huynen. Huynen is the first of dozens of people caught up in the case
to go to court.
RCMP noticed Huynen was running background checks through the secure
police computer systems on the target and contacted Winnipeg police,
who began an internal investigation.
Minuk said there were already concerns about Huynen stemming from an
earlier drug case in which he was suspected -- but never proven -- to
have tipped off the target of a pending drug raid.
Winnipeg police began tracking Huynen's movements and obtained a
warrant to wiretap his telephone. Hundreds of conversations were
monitored over the course of several months.
Huynen was finally arrested in September 2004 at the exact time
police in Canada and the United States conducted a series of
early-morning raids connected to the ephedrine investigation. The
Hells biker was one of those arrested. He remains before the courts.
Huynen was briefly detained in custody and the Crown opposed his
release on bail. A judge agreed to let him out on strict conditions,
and he has remained free ever since.
The Crown is expected to stay 13 other serious criminal charges
against Huynen today which involve other allegations of corruption.
One of the charges involves an Aug. 13 allegation that Huynen
disclosed the identity of a confidential Winnipeg police informant to
one of the targets of the operation.
Weinstein said yesterday there was absolutely no merit to those
claims by police and said Huynen never had any personal discussions
at any time with the Hells associate. All of his chats were with McPake.
Huynen started with the police in 1988 and worked in the police gang
unit between 1999 and 2003, then was transferred to the community
service centre on Broadway, where he worked until his arrest.
[Sidebar]
Officer Passed Bizarre Police 'Integrity Test'
BRUCE Huynen was subjected to a bizarre "integrity test" in the days
before he was arrested for abusing his access to an internal computer
system, court heard yesterday.
Defence lawyer Hymie Weinstein blasted the professional standards
unit for setting up an elaborate scenario that involved planting
drugs and money in a city hotel room.
Huynen was told by one of his superiors -- who was in on the ruse --
that the man inside the suite had just committed suicide.
The "dead" man's family would be coming in to the city and Huynen was
asked by police to go to the hotel room and collect his belongings.
The test was to see whether Huynen would pocket the estimated $2,000
in cash and drugs inside the room or turn it over to police.
"He passed their integrity test, perhaps disappointing some of the
officers," Weinstein said yesterday while staring directly at two PSU
officers sitting inside the courtroom.
"In my opinion, this was a cheap, despicable attempt at entrapment."
Huynen was arrested days later and briefly held in custody before
being released on bail.
Weinstein said his client tried to speak directly with police Chief
Jack Ewatski to explain his side of the story.
"Once he started talking, Chief Ewatski said 'stop', because he
didn't want to become a witness," said Weinstein.
Huynen was immediately suspended without pay, which is a rare move by
the police. He was then told his permanent status would be determined
before he dealt with his charges in court.
"He wanted them to wait until after the court case was completed, but
they refused," said Weinstein.
"It became apparent that no matter what the outcome of the court case
was, he was going to lose his job. They had their minds made up."
Huynen tendered his resignation in April 2005 rather than be fired, he said.
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