State trooper indicted; charged with stealing and selling drugs

[Joanne98]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--troopercharged0621jun21,0,1745537,print.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey
June 21, 2007, 3:22 PM EDT

ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) _ A New Jersey state trooper was indicted Thursday on charges he stole drugs that had been seized by police and sold them.

The trooper, Brian Holmes, surrendered and was held on $500,000 bail at the Union County Jail, county Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow said.

Holmes has been suspended without pay since May 2006, shortly after his partner, Trooper Moises Hernandez, pleaded guilty to aiding members of a drug ring. Hernandez was fired and is serving a 24-year state prison term after pleading guilty to money laundering, official misconduct and other charges.

Holmes, 41, of Elizabeth, faces 13 charges, including official misconduct, theft, falsifying records and drug trafficking.

A lawyer for Holmes, Hassen Ibn Abdellah, said, "Obviously, he maintains his innocence." Abdellah declined further comment.

A state police spokesman, Lt. Gerald Lewis Jr., said the agency cooperated fully with the investigation.

Romankow said the charges against Holmes involved three incidents.

Holmes is charged with stealing more than 10 pounds of a 123-pound cocaine seizure from a warehouse in Newark on Aug. 21, 2002, and giving the drugs to Hernandez to sell.

"Holmes netted over $20,000 after the drugs were sold," Romankow said.

Holmes is also charged with stealing 1,000 Ecstasy pills from a seizure in Elizabeth on Oct. 14, 2002, and sold them with Hernandez. Holmes is also accused of falsifying police reports by changing the amount of the drug seizures to cover both thefts, the indictment said.

In the third incident, which happened between October and December 2002, Holmes and Hernandez used their status as troopers to intimidate someone that Hernandez and another man owed a significant gambling debt, Romankow said.

Holmes was also charged with official misconduct for failing to take action against Hernandez for his criminal acts.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--troopercharged0621jun21,0,1745537,print.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

[Mythsaje]

1. Another example of how well the drug war is going...n/t

[Sonia4Him]

3. disgraced trooper is also a loser for a dad

I was married to trooper hernandez. He has not seen our son in almost 8 years. I have never ever stopped him from seeing our son and he has never written or called our son. He is a loser an evil monster. I only wish he would rot in jail instead getting parole in 5years for "good" behaior!?

[Suich]

2. What a couple of schmucks!

I bet this happens more than just the cases we hear about.

I had no idea DU had a Justice Forum...looks interesting!