Pubdate: Tue, 15 Apr 2014
Source: Windsor Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 The Windsor Star
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501
Author: Trevor Wilhelm
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)

COP ARRESTED FOR DRUGS AT BORDER

Crack Cocaine Allegedly Found in Bshouty's Car

A clearly angry and frustrated Windsor police chief faced the media 
Monday as one of his officers sat behind bars in Detroit for 
allegedly trying to smuggle crack cocaine over the border.

Const. David Bshouty, with only five years on the job, remains in 
custody in Detroit after his arraignment for felony possession of a 
controlled substance less than 25 grams. He allegedly tried to 
smuggle about three grams of crack cocaine into Detroit on Saturday.

Frederick, flanked by his senior management and media relations 
teams, held a news conference late Monday afternoon to give details 
of the two-month internal probe that brought down the "selfish" 
officer. He said outrage and disbelief about the case has rippled 
through the ranks from new cadets to top brass.

"We're extremely angry, we're frustrated from top to bottom," 
Frederick said. "It is absolutely not reflective of the commitment of 
our frontline staff. Day after day, the amount of work that's going 
on in our community, on behalf of the community, the great successes 
that we're having across the board - this diminishes all of that."

The investigation of Bshouty, who worked patrol since joining the 
force as a cadet in 2009, began Feb. 10.

Windsor police frontline staff received an anonymous tip about 
illegal drug activity. The investigation moved quickly, using "covert 
measures and assets." "Without question there is no excuse for 
criminal activity," said Frederick. "This is a case where this 
officer's peers took a shred of evidence and engaged in a thorough 
investigation in the relentless pursuit of holding Bshouty accountable."

On Feb. 14, Windsor police reached out to U.S. Homeland Security 
about what they'd learned.

"Some of the information, as the investigation unfolded, was that he 
was crossing the border," said Frederick.

Three or four Windsor officers worked the case on a consistent basis 
for two months, with even more working on it at different times.

The investigation came to a head Saturday when Bshouty made a trip 
across the Ambassador Bridge. Officers and special agents with the 
Detroit Border Enforcement Security Task Force, a team spearheaded by 
Homeland Security Investigations, stopped him around 1:40 p.m. They 
searched his car and found the drugs.

Frederick said Bshouty was on the way to some kind of "social 
activity" when he was stopped at the bridge.

He said police didn't know when Bshouty would be crossing the border, 
but they gave U.S. Homeland Security a heads up to target him and his 
vehicle whenever they appeared.

"We didn't know when that would occur, but it happened obviously on 
Saturday," said Frederick. "They conducted a search and located the 
contraband."

He was arraigned Monday in Detroit's 36th District Court and remains 
in custody. Frederick has suspended Bshouty. But under provincial 
rules, the police service is required to continue paying him.

Bshouty was with three other people when officers stopped him. 
Frederick said none of them are officers, and none of them are known 
to police. They haven't been charged.

Asked why Bshouty wasn't slapped with other charges including the 
importation of narcotics, Frederick said those choices were made by 
U.S. authorities. But police said there is no evidence of drug 
trafficking at this point.

Khaalid Walls, a spokesman with U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement, said earlier in the day he couldn't comment further 
because the investigation isn't over.

Despite repeated and very public efforts to clamp down on wrongdoing, 
this was the second time in a week that Frederick has had to address 
the alleged illegal actions of an officer.

The Star reported Friday that Const. Warren Braganza, 37, is 
suspended with pay after being charged with assault and forcible 
confinement for allegedly assaulting his wife. Braganza is also 
scheduled to appear at a Police Act hearing later this month in 
relation to a car crash in Windsor last summer.

Despite such high-profile cases, Frederick stressed the people facing 
charges are just a few among hundreds of good officers.

"This is the action of one person engaged in alleged criminal 
conduct, and it is not in relation to his duties," Frederick said of 
Bshouty. "That, unfortunately, still reflects on all of us. The 
reaction by our frontline staff was a relentless and thorough 
investigation designed to hold Bshouty accountable."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom