Deer Park Police Officer Kevin Yang Must Really Be Hungry: Caught Stealing From Police Department Fridge

Deer Park Police Officer Kevin Yang

Deer Park, Texas

I have yet to see a break room refrigerator that I would even consider going near. However, for Deer Park police officer Kevin Yang, it has become a ritual. In fact, he likes the station’s refrigerator food so much, that he’s been stealing from it.

That’s what fellow officers are saying, after they caught Yang on surveillance video. Officers set up a hidden camera after their food kept vanishing.

Yang was suspended for 30 days and is facing a misdemeanor theft charge.

Covington Residents Say They Live In Fear of Police

Covington, Texas

Right around the blinking light at State Highway 171 and FM 67, is the tiny town of Covington, usually off the radar for most folks. However, that has all changed as residents are reportedly living in fear of the police.

"They are scared to death now," said Covington City Council member Marty Smith. "They lock their doors, they lock the car doors because they are scared of the police."

Many in the town also fear the man behind the police force, Police Chief Wade Laurence.

"Wade Lawrence asked me what it was going to take to shut me up, and them to arrest me and handcuff me at a council meeting," Smith said. "I'm 69 years old and I don't need the hassle of it."

It seems the trouble began about a year ago, when Former Covington police officer Kayla Richardson says she discovered drugs missing from the police evidence locker. She said the only cop who didn't take a lie detector test was Laurence.

She said when nothing was done, she filed a complaint with outside authorities.

"I took this to the Texas Rangers and I also took this to Johnson County and gave it to them and told them what I thought was going on, and told them that people are starting to get threatened," Richardson said.

According to Richardson, with the lack of an investigative body in place, Police Chief Laurence’s bullying began.

"Once he found out that I was the one who told on him, he wanted me gone," she said.

Richardson was fired a month later. The police chief accused her of not showing up to work when she was supposed to.

At a city council meeting last November, Richardson says the chief ordered the arrests of her boyfriend and a former mayor. Richardson’s boyfriend was charged with assault. The ex-mayor was charged with credit card abuse. Both claim it was out of retaliation.

The day after the arrests, former Covington Fire Chief George Burnett gathered more than 60 signatures, nearly 25 percent of Covington residents, petitioning to have the police department disbanded.

That's when Burnett says he was threatened by the chief.

"The police chief and three other of his other police came down and were raising cane about me getting this petition signed," Burnett said. "They said I was starting a lot of trouble in town."

But the collected signatures have collected dust. The have never been presented to city council, because no meeting has taken place since November.

When town folks showed up for January's meeting, Mayor Pro-Tem Alan Snider abruptly canceled the meeting, saying he couldn’t get a majority of council members to attend. Yet there stood council members Marty Smith and Rose Diaz, ready to attend.

"I find it very suspicious," said Council Member Rose Diaz.

By nightfall, several residents had gathered out front of city hall and the conversations all turned toward the police chief and his department. Among them was former council member Emma Marbut.

"I was threatened to go to jail by one of the officers when I was on the Council," Marbut said. "I immediately resigned, because there's one thing I don't need in my life, and that's jail."

"The police have so much power and authority here, they've turned this into a little police state," said Covington resident John Whittington. "It's almost unbelievable."

And while Chief Laurence oversees a four-man police department in a town of 283 people, the city faces steep fines from the state for a dilapidated and leaking water system fluoride mixing tank.

The Texas Rangers have now opened a criminal investigation and an upcoming council meeting has been scheduled. .

But some say as long as the chief is in charge, they still live in fear and in hopes that the public will slow down and take notice.

Iola Volunteer Fire Fighting Family Charged With Embezzlement

Iola, Texas

Three members of the Iola Volunteer Fire Department, including the now-former fire chief, have been arrested after a January review by the Grimes County Auditor’s Office revealed numerous discrepancies.

According to deputies with the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office, auditors discovered some of the department’s funds were used to purchase personal items. In the days that followed the internal audit, sheriff’s investigators along with the Texas Rangers began to look into the alleged misappropriation of funds. During the investigation, authorities say they discovered three members of the Iola Volunteer Fire Department — Chief Earl Sword, along with the department’s accountant, Wanda Sword (who is also the chief’s mother), and the department’s secretary, Samantha Kimich (who is also the sister of the the former fire chief) — had used the money for personal gain. Sword has resigned as chief as a result. He had been in the position for about four years.

Arrests records indicate that collectively, the trio is accused of embezzling nearly $40,000 of department money. County officials say the investigation goes back at least two years. Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell confirms the Swords and Kimich are charged with Theft by a Public Servant, a second degree felony. Sowell says the investigation remains open and additional arrests could still be made, and that all three have confessed to the embezzlement. Tuesday night, an emergency meeting of the Iola Fire Department is being held at the fire station. It’s expected new officers will be elected at this time."

Houston Police Department: Burglary and Theft Cases Not Top Priority

Houston, Texas

The Houston Police Department has been accused of a number of things, brutality, corruption, misconduct...

And now there is another deficiency on the table -- low scores whenever it comes to solving burglary and theft cases. In fact, the problem is so wide-spread, KPRC-TV in Houston has taken a closer look and the statistics are disturbing.

HPD records show between January and October of last year the department's Burglary and Theft division "received" more than 100,000 cases. Of those cases, HPD records show only about 11 percent were solved.

"Did you actually speak to any detective on your cases?" asked Local 2 Investigator Robert Arnold. "I've never spoken to a detective on my case," one victim answered. She told Local 2 her home was burglarized twice.

Her sense of frustration is shared by many Local 2 spoke with and said they never spoke to a detective about their case. HPD records show out of the cases received by the burglary and theft division between January and October of last year, only approximately 8 percent were assigned to a detective.

"It was suggested I check pawn shops," the woman said.
"HPD told you, yourself, to go out and start checking pawn shops for your stuff?" Arnold asked.

"Yes," she answered.

There are only 50 investigators in HPD's burglary and theft division and HPD Lieutenant Mike Osina said each investigator gets one to two new cases every day, even when they're on vacation or out sick.

HPD records show even if there is a clue as to who committed the crime there may not be a detective available to work the case all the way to an arrest. HPD records how between January and October of last year about 16 percent of cases where "suspended" even though there were clues as to who committed the crime.

"Some of these cases can take a month to solve, some may take a year," said Osina.
"If your car is burglarized in Small Town, Texas where they have one burglary a day it's probably going to be solved. If it's burglarized in Houston, Texas it's probably not going to get solved," said Hunt. "I hate to say that but that's the reality of a department."

Dalworthington Gardens Police Sergeant Bobby Beasley Indicted For Sexual Assault

Sgt. Bobby L. Beasley

Dalworthington Gardens,Texas

A police sergeant in Dalworthington Gardens has been indicted in the sexual assault of a woman he reportedly had arrested and offered help.

Bobby L. Beasley, 51, was indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury Wednesday on a charge of sexual assault, a second-degree felony.

Beasley's attorney, Terri Moore, said her client maintains his innocence.

"Mr. Beasley looks forward to having his day in court," Moore said.

Investigators say the sexual assault occurred in December 2010, when Beasley went to serve an arrest warrant on a woman with outstanding traffic citations.

The woman did not report the incident until April, however, saying her family had told her that no one would believe her because she is black and Beasley is white, according to a sworn statement by police in seeking a warrant for Beasley's arrest.

According to the sworn statement, Beasley was wearing civilian clothing but had his badge and gun in plain view when he drove to the woman's house in Fort Worth to make an arrest.

While driving the woman to Dalworthington Gardens, Beasley reportedly told her that he would help her and offered to drive her home. The woman said Beasley touched her inappropriately while they were driving to Fort Worth, according to police.

Beasley was a member of the Dalworthington Gardens Police Department for three years.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Jury Speaks: Houston Police Officer Leslie Aikens Guilty on Corruption Charges

Houston Police Officer Leslie Aikens

Houston, Texas

After a two-day trial and less than two hours of deliberation, a jury found a former Houston police officer guilty of corruption.

According to authorities, Leslie Aikens, 46, provided an escort for drug runners carrying 7 kilograms of cocaine through the Houston area in his official HPD vehicle back in March. Those drug runners were undercover agents, officials said. Investigators said Aikens accepted a $2,000 bribe for his services.

Evidence included a video as well as audio tapes of the transaction.

The defense tried convincing the jury that Aikens had no knowledge of the cocaine. The jury didn’t buy it and found Aikens guilty on all counts.

Aikens faces 10 years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million.

Whitehouse Police Chief and Deputy Included in Financial Fraud Investigation

Whitehouse Police Chief Rick Waller

(Image courtesy KYTX CBS 19)

Whitehouse, Texas

A number of officials in Whitehouse are under investigation for financial irregularities and other undisclosed charges, according to Constable Dustin Rust, Smith County Precinct 3.

“We have been conducting the investigation for pretty close to five months now,” Rust said. “The only reason we released the information is because we had to notify the city [of Whitehouse].”

The list of those under investigation includes Ronny Fite, Chief of the Whitehouse Volunteer Fire Department, Whitehouse Police Chief Rick Waller, and other police personnel.

The focus of the investigation, as of today, involves fuel usage. Whitehouse has for more than a year used a program that dispenses fuel electronically and all use is tracked by computer, which includes the vehicle’s odometer reading and other data.

“Because of the complexity of the case, we have focused on one charge out of several at this time,” Rust said in a news release.

Rust said other charges for other officials, some possibly in the fire department, may be pending and that his office will forward the evidence to the Smith County District Attorney.

“We’ll turn it into the D.A. and grand jury to decide what they want to do with it,” he said.

Waller is being investigated for acquiring fuel in his personal vehicle from city pumps while being reimbursed by the city for a vehicle allowance. He was allegedly getting reimbursement from the city while using city fuel.