2011 Sheriff of the Year - Rat with a Badge

It deeply pains me to write this post.

Over the last few years I have grown very aware of the corruption within the law enforcement ranks. I have responded to a number of posts with shock and anger over the multiple and well documented abuses across the United States over the last decade.

It has hit home.

Over the last few months a veteran of the Leon County (FL) Sheriff's Department and one of the most well respected members of the force in Tallahassee has befriended, lied to, manipulated, and robbed a family member that is very dear to me.

Let me tell you a little bit about my relative, he is a 91-year old man, a former minister, a moral, hard-working man who spent his entire life working day-in and day-out to provide for his family and provide a role model for the entire family. He grew up during the depression, married young with almost no money to his name. He spent his whole life working hard for his wife and family. During WWII he served his country as a training officer, preparing recruits for the challenges of war. He was an entrepreneur running several businesses, from a Mom and Pop Malt Shop to owning and operating a hotel with his wife. He became a builder and developer and has never retired. To this day, he works on several properties that he owns, maintaining them and providing for his family.

The entire family gathered for his 90th birthday. We may have been scattered all over the country but we all returned, every single one of us, to tell him how much he meant to us.

Article

Now to the crime. This Sheriff was in change of the financial crimes division. My relative feared that he was being targeted and found that money had been stolen from his home. He met with the officer and confided in him. The officer set up cameras and led him to believe that there was an open investigation on going. In reality the officer was laying the groundwork for the scam. The case was officially closed, but the officer never informed my relative and convinced him that the investigation was still underway. He escorted my relative to and from the bank.

This officer helped him "safely" secure his money within his home. Just like during the great depression my relative wanted to protect his own money and he trusted law enforcement to help. Unfortunately, the world is not what it once was. This officer, over a period of months, secretly stole money and property from within my relatives home. The article says that it could amount to 50-60,000 dollars. The real figure is north of 100k.

So I am devastated and scared for my relative. The officer is out on bail, I fear the dirty Sheriff's department will never prosecute. I fear they will never recover or return the savings stolen.

As much as I fear for my relative, I fear for all of us, your mother, your father, or your grandparents who will be the next victim of the strong arm of the law.

Our family is at a loss as to what we can do. What will the future of this country be like if this type of corruption can continue? I want to know what the ATS community thinks of this situation, has anyone gone through something like this before?

I hope this post is a warning to those that think they can "trust" those in power to do the right thing.

I know one thing I will never trust the police.

Well I would say that since Sheriff Campbell stated that Graham admitted to the crime and Campbell said that this was a crime of "opportunity" then someone should take the "opportunity" to hang this no-good thieving SOB from the flagpole at the Sheriff's office. Afterall the POS deputy has fully admitted to the crime, there is absolutely no way he can claim it was an accident, and since he was entrusted with serving and protecting the citizens of Leon County then justice should swift and vengeful.

It is really disturbing when you actually stop to realize the extreme increase in police malfeasance that we have been seeing over the last several years. it was once said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Personally I think that is why we are seeing such and increase in police brutality/corruption, they have been elevated to being above the law and given absolute power.

I am so glad I moved from that hell-hole of a state, it has some of the most crooked, corrupt law enforcement officers and agencies in the nation.

reply to post by Nucleardiver


Nucleardiver - Yes, I hope that this officer is tarred and feathered for this cowardly act. I fear his fellow LEO's will rally the troops to protect him. I am worried this is a set-up, maybe they "forgot" to read him his Miranda rights or something prior to the confession to make his confession inadmissible in court. I won't be satisfied till he is behind bars for a long time.

Not trying to bump up my own thread but I just found this article:

Examiner

In this article the author defends the Sheriff and fabricates a lie about the family trying to steal the money!! He has no evidence for this claim, and as a family member myself I can guarantee that it could not be further from the truth. Nothing could make me prouder than my fellow ATSers standing up to this garbage. Please email him with your opinion of this case!!

Hoping to get some input from the weekday crowd who may have missed this post last Saturday.

Wow, dunno what to say.
Leaves me pretty angry.
People are predictable, they abuse even the slightest amount of power if they can get their hands on it.

Makes you wonder how many other people this douche bag ripped off.

reply to post by IgnorantSpecies


There really isn't that much to say is there? Just sad really. Thanks for reading.

I hope everyone that reads this post takes the message to heart that you can not trust those in a position of authority to have your best interest in mind.

Cops win again, as if we didn't know this is how it would go down. No words to describe my sadness and anger.

Graham confessed to taking those in a videotaped statement he gave to fellow deputies before his arrest, but his attorneys argued Graham did that when forced to make a choice between admitting it and facing punishment in-house or denying it and facing criminal charges.

He confessed & they still found him NOT GUILTY.

Ignore the conspiracy angle, it's cover for there boy, plain and simple. All of the counts were true, he should have been guilty of all of them.

I fear the police state is growing unstoppable at this point.

Not Guilty Verdict