Pillaged Braintree police evidence room: Massacusetts; (Call the cops! HL); Patriot Ledger story says audit indicates $407,998 and 60 guns missing from evidence room..." An audit of the Braintree Police Department’s evidence room found thousands of items – including drugs, cash and guns – missing or unaccounted for, and sloppy record-keeping. Town officials released the audit report at a press conference Wednesday. Problems with evidence have already caused prosecutors to drop charges in a half-dozen Braintree cases and could result in hundreds of additional cases being dismissed. The audit found that 4,709 pieces of narcotics evidence could not be accounted for, and that 38 pieces had been compromised – having been opened, left unpackaged or found to have items missing. The audit report describes much of the missing drugs as “bags of cocaine.” “The narcotics evidence is being stored haphazardly,” the audit found. “It should be stored chronologically by year and the Braintree Police property number.” Also found to be missing were 2,490 pieces of property evidence, the report states. The audit found that some of videos being stored as evidence were left unlabeled, and that test kits from sexual assault cases were stored in a trailer outside the police station. It also found that about $408,000 in seized cash was missing. Some of the evidence bags containing money are described in the audit report as having been ripped open in the back or cut open at the bottom, with cash missing. Much of the unaccounted-for money is from cases from 2001, 2002, 2012 and 2013. The audit lists $82,074.96 missing from 2001. The audit report also lists 60 missing firearms.'
STORY: "Braintree police audit shows $407,998 and 60 guns missing from evidence room,"by reporter Fred Hanson, published by the Patriot Ledger on September 14, 2014.
GIST: "An audit of the Braintree Police
Department’s evidence room found thousands of items – including drugs,
cash and guns – missing or unaccounted for, and sloppy record-keeping.
Town officials released the audit report at a press conference
Wednesday. Problems with evidence have already caused prosecutors to
drop charges in a half-dozen Braintree cases and could result in
hundreds of additional cases being dismissed. The audit found that 4,709
pieces of narcotics evidence could not be accounted for, and that 38
pieces had been compromised – having been opened, left unpackaged or
found to have items missing. The audit report describes much of the
missing drugs as “bags of cocaine.” “The narcotics evidence is being
stored haphazardly,” the audit found. “It should be stored
chronologically by year and the Braintree Police property number.” Also
found to be missing were 2,490 pieces of property evidence, the report
states. The audit found that some of videos being stored as evidence
were left unlabeled, and that test kits from sexual assault cases were
stored in a trailer outside the police station. It also found that about
$408,000 in seized cash was missing. Some of the evidence bags
containing money are described in the audit report as having been ripped
open in the back or cut open at the bottom, with cash missing. Much of
the unaccounted-for money is from cases from 2001, 2002, 2012 and 2013.
The audit lists $82,074.96 missing from 2001. The audit report also
lists 60 missing firearms. However, the police department’s response to
the audit says two of guns were starter pistols and that all but 12 have
now been located. “There is either a serious record-keeping error
regarding firearms or a need to immediately look into this matter,” the
audit report states. Two firearms were recovered in June from the home
of Susan Zopatti, who was the police department’s evidence officer until
May, when she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A .40-caliber
Glock Model 23 pistol and a .25-caliber Beretta handgun were recovered
from Zopatti’s home in June. One was listed as having been returned to
its owner, and the other, owned by Michael Flemmi – a retired Boston
police officer and brother of convicted murderer Stephen “The Rifleman”
Flemmi, an associate of former mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger – was
still listed as being stored in the department’s gun locker. The audit
recommended thorough researching of missing or unaccounted-for narcotics
evidence from 2013 until now. If evidence cannot be found, “its absence
should be attributed to the previous evidence officer, Susan Zopatti,”
the report states. The audit, completed last month by retired
Massachusetts State Police Maj. Bruce Gordon and Narcotics Audit
Solutions of North Attleboro, recommends many specific changes in the
police department’s evidence handling and procedures......... The police department disagrees
with the auditor that an estimated half of the narcotics currently being
stored in the evidence room could be destroyed. “The department will
await the conclusion of all investigations and review to schedule a
narcotics destruction,” Jenkins’ response states. It also says all
sexual assault evidence kits have been moved to the evidence room inside
the police station.........The audit specifically references
55 drug cases from which evidence had been compromised. The names of
the defendants were included, but they were redacted in copies
distributed to the news media."The entire story can be found at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The
Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty
incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the
harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into
pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology
system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent
stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.htmlPlease
send any comments or information on other cases and issues of
interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.
Harold Levy. Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.