Pubdate: Wed, 05 Dec 2007
Source: Times Recorder (Zanesville, OH)
Copyright: 2007 Times Recorder
Contact: 
http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=CUSTOMERSERVICE20
Website: http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2740
Author: Kathy Thompson, Staff Writer

FORMER ZANESVILLE COP TO REMAIN IN JAIL UNTIL MARCH
TRIAL

COLUMBUS - A former Zanesville police officer has to  stay in jail
until his trial in March, a federal judge  ruled Tuesday because of
the severity of the charges.

Sean Beck, 28, was indicted by a federal grand jury  Oct. 25 on six
federal charges - two counts of drug  trafficking in Percocet, three
counts of possession of  a firearm in the commission of a drug
trafficking crime  and one count of conspiracy to traffic drugs.

On Friday Beck was in Judge Terrance Kemp's court  asking to be
allowed out of the Franklin County Jail on  bond to await his trial.
According to Kemp's ruling, he  took into consideration that the
charges had risen out  of a pattern of criminal activity involving the
seizure  of drugs and re-distribution of those drugs from  suspected
drug traffickers in the Zanesville area and a  plan to obtain
additional drugs by stealing them from a  drug supplier.

Beck was "armed during many, if not all, of these  transactions," Kemp
stated. "Both the drug charges and  the firearms charges in the
indictment carry a  presumption that the defendant is both a danger to
the  community and a flight risk."

The U.S. Attorney's Office is pleased with the ruling,  according to
spokesperson Fred Alverson.

"Now we'll move through the pretrial process and  prepare for trial in
March," Alverson said.

Beck's defense attorney, J. Scott Weisman, told Kemp on  Friday that
his client was in no position to flee and  has strong family support.

Weisman could not be reached for comment on the ruling.

Kemp decided that the case against Beck is "strong and  he engaged in
multiple acts inconsistent with his  position as a sworn police officer."

The Pretrial Service Report, which recommended release  of Beck, was
generally favorable and stated that Beck  had a good employment
history with the police  department, substantial ties to the central
Ohio area,  and he lacked a criminal record. But Kemp felt the
multiple charges, the strength of the evidence and the  amount of time
Beck faces if convicted, outweighed the  recommendation.

"This case does involve both narcotics and weapons,"  Kemp wrote. "The
misuse of authority and disregard for  the law demonstrated by a sworn
police officer are very  troubling and are an indication that the
defendant  would not be likely to abide by conditions of release  if
they were set in this case."

Kemp also took into consideration taped conversations  Be
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath