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| NEWS > 24 October 2007 |
Other related articles:
The dark side of the force
Sad to say tha 14 policemen have been killed this year, some citizens (even decent, law-abiding and highly educated ones) remain devoid of sympathy, trust and respect for the constabulary. Over the years, the behaviour of a few cops has caused this.
Police corruption, excesses, reckless abandon, unprofessional behaviour, extrajudicial killings and extortion alienate civilians, compromise the efficiency of the force, serve to entrench and even promulgate criminality. Some inner-city residents exist symbiotically with gangsters because they discern very little difference between them... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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South Bend Tribune - South Ben
24 October 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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South Bend Police Department,
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Corruption case unfolds
SOUTH BEND -- Two handguns identified in a federal police corruption probe have been linked to the shooting of an undercover South Bend police officer three years ago.
Four local men, including one police officer and two former officers, are scheduled to appear today in federal court in Hammond in connection with the corruption case, officials said.
An indictment alleges that the officers used their police connections to conspire with a convicted felon to steal and sell drugs and other items.
During today's hearing, the U.S. attorney's office plans to ask to have the men held in prison until trial, officials said Tuesday.
The four are Cpl. Jamie Buford, 38, a South Bend police officer who has been on paid leave since May 2006; Ryan Huston, 33, and Andrew Taghon, 33, who were both fired in July 2006 from their jobs as St. Joseph County police officers; and Daniel Alvarez, a 34-year-old convicted felon from South Bend.
Buford, Huston and Taghon face wire fraud and drug charges, the indictment reveals, and Taghon also faces multiple charges for selling stolen guns to a felon. In addition, Alvarez faces charges of selling stolen guns and making false statements to the FBI.
Guns linked to shooting
The serial numbers and descriptions of two handguns identified in the FBI investigation match those on two handguns linked to Willard King, who earlier had pleaded guilty to a gun charge in connection with the shooting of South Bend police officer Rick Ruszkowski.
Ruszkowski was shot on Aug. 17, 2004, during what officials described as a drug investigation that went bad.
Reports indicated that King had approached Ruszkowski and fellow officer Marc Mersich, who were wearing plain clothes, without knowing they were police officers.
King reportedly demanded money that he thought the pair owed for drugs that had been sold to them. The disagreement ended in gunfire, and Ruszkowski suffered a leg wound.
The county prosecutor filed charges against King but later dropped them because he said the case was weak. King later was indicted in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a gun.
He pleaded guilty in August 2005 and served a 16-month sentence in a federal prison until his release on April 7, 2006.
King, 40, was taken into federal custody again last month after being accused of illegally selling cocaine and marijuana.
St. Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak on Tuesday declined to comment on the guns that link the FBI investigation and Ruszkowski's shooting, saying only that his office had referred King's case to the U.S. attorney's office.
Scheme detailed
Officials on Tuesday revealed that an ATF investigation into stolen guns prompted the larger FBI corruption probe and said Indiana State Police assisted.
Beyond that, they offered little information beyond what was detailed in the federal indictment.
From July 2004 through March 2005, court documents allege, Buford, Taghon and Huston through their police work learned the locations of house trailers containing stolen cocaine and merchandise.
Authorities declined to specify the location of the trailers beyond saying that they were in St. Joseph County.
The officers stole the items and the cocaine and sought out an unidentified convicted felon to steal additional items from the trailers while also tipping off an unidentified person to police patrols in the area -- all while the trailers' owner was incarcerated, court documents say.
Next, court documents allege, the officers sold some of the items, including clothing and video games, on the online auction forum eBay.
They further solicited Alvarez to sell the cocaine, according to the indictment. Alvarez in 2003 had pleaded guilty to a state charge of receiving stolen property in a scheme that also involved selling stolen items on eBay.
The officers face wire fraud charges because payment for stolen items was deposited into their accounts, court documents say.
In addition, court documents allege, Taghon sold two stolen handguns -- a .38-caliber revolver and a 9-millimeter pistol -- to an unidentified convicted felon who in turn sold the guns to Alvarez. Those are the guns other federal court documents link to Ruszkowski's shooting.
Taghon's lawyer responds
Attempts to reach the officers Monday and Tuesday were unsuccessful. But LaPorte attorney Martin Kus, who is representing Taghon, said his client was not at fault.
"Andy Taghon is innocent. He looks forward to his day in court," he said. "I think he's in a good frame of mind; this is not a total surprise."
Kus said he went to the Lake County Jail in Crown Point on Tuesday to prepare for today's hearing.
"We plan to do all we can tomorrow. We're looking to get him out on bond," Kus said. "He deserves that. He's not a danger to the community and not a flight risk."
Kus said he is eager to know what is behind the indictment and the identities of the unnamed people noted in it.
"We're looking to find out what's going on here," he said.
Police react
South Bend Police Chief Thomas Fautz and St. Joseph County Sheriff Frank Canarecci said they found the allegations distressing, and they praised the FBI for its investigation.
"The information contained in the indictment is very troubling," Fautz said, later adding: "I hope this doesn't in any way influence the public trust of our people. ... This type of behavior will not be tolerated at any level."
Fautz also said the city's Board of Public Safety must decide whether to place Buford on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the charges. The board has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday.
Canarecci emphasized that he placed Huston and Taghon on leave and began an internal investigation when contacted by the FBI, and he noted that the two were fired after refusing to cooperate with the internal investigation.
"No one is more upset with the alleged actions of these individuals than those of us in the law enforcement community," he said, reading from a statement.
Lt. Scott Ruszkowski, the city's FOP president and brother of Rick Ruszkowski, said the indictment revealed a "sad" situation.
"As the FOP president, this is obviously a very sensitive and sad situation for us," he said. "All we ask in the FOP is that the officers receive the due process that they are entitled to. I feel absolutely horrible for the families that are involved."
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