4 accused of pocketing drug money
Indictments list 3 ex-Crittenden officers
By Bartholomew Sullivan
July 26, 2002
Four drug enforcement officers who worked the interstate highways of Crittenden County were indicted late Thursday by a federal grand jury and charged with stealing money from suspected drug couriers.
Deputy Barry A. Davis, a Crittenden County sheriff's deputy now on leave; former deputy Louis F. Pirani; former West Memphis Police Sgt. E. A. 'Tony' Bradley; and Joseph W. Applegate, who worked at times for both departments, were charged in multicount indictments by a grand jury working for months in Little Rock.
Separate indictments spell out that in four traffic stops at which officers seized a total of $522,975, one or another of the officers pocketed a total of $116,690. They are also alleged to have engaged in mail fraud and various financial schemes intended to obscure the source of purchases that also violate federal laws.
Records indicate that $5.4 million has been seized in Crittenden County over the past 2 d years - slightly more than half of all cash seized statewide in that period. The long-awaited indictments come as the Crittenden County Drug Task Force has come under heavy criticism by local county lawmakers.
In addition to the police officers, Pirani's wife, Angela Pirani, and his brother, Stephen Pirani, were charged with making false statements to federal agents and to the grand jury investigating the interstate traffic stops.
In a written statement, U.S. Atty. H. E. 'Bud' Cummins said that "the acts alleged in these indictments, if proven, dishonor each of the thousands of honest law enforcement officers who protect us each and every day. Dishonesty on the part of any single officer threatens the civil rights of every citizen. It cannot be tolerated and will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Arkansas."
Cummins said the investigation is ongoing.
The newspaper was not able to reach any of those indicted or their lawyers Thursday night.
The Crittenden County interstate drug interdiction effort has apparently been under investigation at least since West Memphis Police Chief Robert H. Paudert went to the FBI with his suspicions shortly after taking office in 1999, although some of the alleged offenses occurred as early as 1995.
Paudert said Thursday night that the indictments were a sad reflection on past practices, adding that he hopes they sent the message that corruption won't be accepted.
Paudert is the former head of Metro Narcotics under former Shelby County Sheriff Jack Owens and a former Bartlett police chief.
By March 2001, Paudert's concerns began to bear fruit with the FBI working at least two "sting" operations.
Applegate, who has since moved to Oklahoma, is named in two of the indictments. In one, he is alleged to have violated Internal Revenue Service regulations by buying an $18,953 Harley-Davidson motorcycle by structuring two payments of $9,000 and $9,953 to avoid having the dealership report the transaction to the IRS.
In another, Applegate and deputy Louis Pirani allegedly stopped a car and seized about $56,400, but reported only $30,240 for forfeiture, pock eting $26,140.
Bradley is accused in two counts. In one, he is charged with stealing money from the FBI after allegedly reporting a seizure of only $40,000 when the FBI had placed $43,000 in a Mazda 626 parked at the Southland Greyhound Park. In the other count, he is alleged to have pocketed $10,000 of a $36,575 seizure made in February 1997.
Both Applegate's and Bradley's homes were searched by the FBI on July 17, 2001, and both were fired for violating departmental policies last October. Until Thursday, neither had been charged with a crime.
West Memphis Police Insp. James Sudbury, whose duties included the narcotics unit, also was fired last year for violating policies regarding cash seizures.
In recent months, the FBI and Internal Revenue Service appeared to be focusing on members and former members of the Crittenden County Sheriff's drug task force. On June 6, they executed search warrants at the homes of both Barry A. Davis and former deputy Pirani.
In the indictments handed up Thursday, Davis is alleged to have pocketed $77,550 of $400,000 he seized on the interstate in March 1995.
In addition to the money he allegedly seized along with Applegate, Louis Pirani is accused of covering up his purchase of a 1980 Cessna 182Q airplane, which records reflect is owned by his brother, Stephen.
Louis Pirani also is accused of lying to FBI agents about his ownership of a 1997 Pro Star Ski Boat, which he allegedly bought for $26,500, shelled out in $100 bills. Pirani got a job as a federal air marshal after leaving the sheriff's department earlier this year.
The charges against Angela Pirani also stem from statements she made to federal agents and in sworn testimony last September to the grand jury in which she said her husband, Louis, had no ownership interest in the plane.
Each count of the indictment carries maximum penalties of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
The interstate drug teams in Crittenden County have long been a source of suspicion. Davis, Sudbury, Bradley, current sheriff's task force coordinator Mickey Thornton and others were listed as suspects in an earlier, 1993 probe of drug interdiction efforts in Crittenden County when West Memphis and the sheriff's office worked as one, coordinated task force. Their efforts have since been separated.
In that probe, conducted by the Arkansas State Police at the request of Pros. Atty. Brent Davis, the prosecutor elected not to pursue charges of theft of property against the officers. But he wrote the directors of the task force that what had been uncovered was, at a minimum, a "lack of good judgment" and probably violated individual departments' policies.
Indictments list 3 ex-Crittenden officers
By Bartholomew Sullivan
July 26, 2002
Four drug enforcement officers who worked the interstate highways of Crittenden County were indicted late Thursday by a federal grand jury and charged with stealing money from suspected drug couriers.
Deputy Barry A. Davis, a Crittenden County sheriff's deputy now on leave; former deputy Louis F. Pirani; former West Memphis Police Sgt. E. A. 'Tony' Bradley; and Joseph W. Applegate, who worked at times for both departments, were charged in multicount indictments by a grand jury working for months in Little Rock.
Separate indictments spell out that in four traffic stops at which officers seized a total of $522,975, one or another of the officers pocketed a total of $116,690. They are also alleged to have engaged in mail fraud and various financial schemes intended to obscure the source of purchases that also violate federal laws.
Records indicate that $5.4 million has been seized in Crittenden County over the past 2 d years - slightly more than half of all cash seized statewide in that period. The long-awaited indictments come as the Crittenden County Drug Task Force has come under heavy criticism by local county lawmakers.
In addition to the police officers, Pirani's wife, Angela Pirani, and his brother, Stephen Pirani, were charged with making false statements to federal agents and to the grand jury investigating the interstate traffic stops.
In a written statement, U.S. Atty. H. E. 'Bud' Cummins said that "the acts alleged in these indictments, if proven, dishonor each of the thousands of honest law enforcement officers who protect us each and every day. Dishonesty on the part of any single officer threatens the civil rights of every citizen. It cannot be tolerated and will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Arkansas."
Cummins said the investigation is ongoing.
The newspaper was not able to reach any of those indicted or their lawyers Thursday night.
The Crittenden County interstate drug interdiction effort has apparently been under investigation at least since West Memphis Police Chief Robert H. Paudert went to the FBI with his suspicions shortly after taking office in 1999, although some of the alleged offenses occurred as early as 1995.
Paudert said Thursday night that the indictments were a sad reflection on past practices, adding that he hopes they sent the message that corruption won't be accepted.
Paudert is the former head of Metro Narcotics under former Shelby County Sheriff Jack Owens and a former Bartlett police chief.
By March 2001, Paudert's concerns began to bear fruit with the FBI working at least two "sting" operations.
Applegate, who has since moved to Oklahoma, is named in two of the indictments. In one, he is alleged to have violated Internal Revenue Service regulations by buying an $18,953 Harley-Davidson motorcycle by structuring two payments of $9,000 and $9,953 to avoid having the dealership report the transaction to the IRS.
In another, Applegate and deputy Louis Pirani allegedly stopped a car and seized about $56,400, but reported only $30,240 for forfeiture, pock eting $26,140.
Bradley is accused in two counts. In one, he is charged with stealing money from the FBI after allegedly reporting a seizure of only $40,000 when the FBI had placed $43,000 in a Mazda 626 parked at the Southland Greyhound Park. In the other count, he is alleged to have pocketed $10,000 of a $36,575 seizure made in February 1997.
Both Applegate's and Bradley's homes were searched by the FBI on July 17, 2001, and both were fired for violating departmental policies last October. Until Thursday, neither had been charged with a crime.
West Memphis Police Insp. James Sudbury, whose duties included the narcotics unit, also was fired last year for violating policies regarding cash seizures.
In recent months, the FBI and Internal Revenue Service appeared to be focusing on members and former members of the Crittenden County Sheriff's drug task force. On June 6, they executed search warrants at the homes of both Barry A. Davis and former deputy Pirani.
In the indictments handed up Thursday, Davis is alleged to have pocketed $77,550 of $400,000 he seized on the interstate in March 1995.
In addition to the money he allegedly seized along with Applegate, Louis Pirani is accused of covering up his purchase of a 1980 Cessna 182Q airplane, which records reflect is owned by his brother, Stephen.
Louis Pirani also is accused of lying to FBI agents about his ownership of a 1997 Pro Star Ski Boat, which he allegedly bought for $26,500, shelled out in $100 bills. Pirani got a job as a federal air marshal after leaving the sheriff's department earlier this year.
The charges against Angela Pirani also stem from statements she made to federal agents and in sworn testimony last September to the grand jury in which she said her husband, Louis, had no ownership interest in the plane.
Each count of the indictment carries maximum penalties of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
The interstate drug teams in Crittenden County have long been a source of suspicion. Davis, Sudbury, Bradley, current sheriff's task force coordinator Mickey Thornton and others were listed as suspects in an earlier, 1993 probe of drug interdiction efforts in Crittenden County when West Memphis and the sheriff's office worked as one, coordinated task force. Their efforts have since been separated.
In that probe, conducted by the Arkansas State Police at the request of Pros. Atty. Brent Davis, the prosecutor elected not to pursue charges of theft of property against the officers. But he wrote the directors of the task force that what had been uncovered was, at a minimum, a "lack of good judgment" and probably violated individual departments' policies.
