HOUSTON - Three Houston Police Officers at the center of a
ticket-rigging scandal have abruptly left the force, the I-Team has
learned.
HPD Spokesman Victor Senties confirmed Officer Gregory
Rosa and John Garcia resigned Monday. Senties said Officer Robert
Manzanales took a dishonorable retirement.
A termination hearing
had been scheduled but the officers left before Chief Charles McClelland
could fire them, according to Senties.
In August, the I-team
revealed records which listed officers in two places at once. Dozens of
speeding tickets showed how the officers listed each other as witnesses
on tickets at one location, but at the same exact time were writing
tickets to someone else at another location miles away..
Chief
McClelland put the three officers on desk duty in August. A fourth
officer, Rudolph Farias, committed suicide when the scandal broke.
"We certainly had enough information and evidence that we believe warrants an investigation," Chief McClelland said in August.
The
alleged motivation for the ticket rigging scheme was to appear in court
more often to collect more overtime. In September, the City Attorney's
office dismissed more than 6,000 speeding tickets written by the
officers.
"In the interest of justice and fairness it's the right thing to do," Chief McClelland said in September.
Chief
McClelland had no comment Tuesday. The Houston Police Officers' Union
said it would not comment while the Harris County District Attorney's
Office reviews the case for possible criminal prosecution.
The
officers' actions will in effect, go on their permanent record,
according to police union President Ray Hunt. Houston Police must report
the dishonorable retirement and the resignations amide a criminal
investigation to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
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1 comment:
NOW THEY TOO CAN GET ON FOOD STAMPS, DEAL WITH THE WELFARE OFFICES AND ALL THE ILLEGALS THAT ARE GETTING MORE THAN THEY WILL GET....WHAT A SHAME!!
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