Pubdate: Sun, 31 Aug 2003
Source: Athens Banner-Herald (GA)
Copyright: 2003 Athens Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.onlineathens.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1535
Author: Daniel Yee, A P
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

EX-ATLANTA POLICE MAJOR INDICTED MAIL FRAUD CHARGES

ATLANTA - A retired police major and his wife pleaded not guilty
Friday to more than three dozen federal fraud and conspiracy charges
accusing them of using police information for a business that falsely
claimed cash seized by officers.

Former Atlanta Police Department Maj. John Woodard and his wife, Debra
Woodard, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Alan Baverman in
U.S. District Court Friday. The couple wore T-shirts and jeans.
Baverman set a $75,000 bond each for the couple. John Woodard, who
retired from the police department last fall, was also required to
surrender his service revolver to Atlanta police and turn over other
firearms to a third-party custodian by Monday.

''It's been a long day,'' John Woodard said, jokingly asking a TV
reporter not to film him as he left the courtroom with his wife, both
in handcuffs. John Woodard, a 29-year-veteran of the department, was
arrested Thursday by FBI agents at his home in Douglas County on 38
counts of fraud charges. Debra Woodard, 47, turned herself in to
authorities to face the same charges.

John Woodard, 53, is accused of using his position to get the
information in police files and records. The information was given to
his wife's business.

Daniel Kane, the Woodards' attorney, said Friday that he thought ''the
indictment is dismissable'' and that his clients were not involved in
any wrongdoing.

''Debra Woodard provided a service for people to obtain their
property,'' he said.

Debra Woodard's business, known as R.A.P. Limited, charged people a
fee to reclaim property from the Atlanta Police Department. The
federal grand jury indictment - unsealed Friday - says the company
falsely told the rightful owners of the money that they needed R.A.P.
as an intermediary to get their money back.

At other times, according to the indictment, the couple used forged
documents and other tricks to get the seized cash for themselves. The
indictment says that, between 1992 and 1994, the Woodards and others
''caused the Atlanta Police Department to issue checks ... totaling
$207,382 for the return of money that had been seized or held as
property.'' From 1995 to 1998, more than $55,000 of unclaimed money
was deposited in Debra Woodard's personal bank account. In July, Debra
Woodard also was indicted on six counts of underreporting income on
individual and corporate federal tax returns. She pleaded not guilty
to those charges, which previously were under seal, on Friday.

Faye Coffield, a private investigator who previously was an Atlanta
police sergeant, says the federal indictment of John Woodard made her
feel vindicated, as she says she brought similar allegations against
the former major in 1996 to the city.

''God, this is good,'' she said of seeing the couple in the courtroom.
''I also blame the city because the city knew about the allegations
but they chose not to'' pursue the matter in 1996. The couple's
arraignment comes on the heels of other high-profile arrests of police
officers in the metro Atlanta area. Earlier this month, David Alan
Freeman, the Atlanta Police department ''Officer of the Year,'' was
arrested and charged with helping the Diablos gang avoid
prosecution.

A federal grand jury has indicted Freeman, a 12-year police veteran,
with allegedly warning the Diablos of police investigations,
confiscating drugs from arrested suspects in rival gangs and
attempting to recruit gang members.
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