Philly Gun Permit Unit Headaches

[soberbyker]

I swear I've seen at least two instances of government workers in charge of LTCFs being involved in theft / fraud. I think one was in Philadelphia, and the other might have been in Northeastern PA.

If only I can find the articles

I wasn't joking ....

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[GL23]

School zones, School zones, School zones.

[anonymouse]

Well, this wasn't quite theft from the LTCF money, but it was Philadelphia.

3 officers accused of extortion - Two police veterans and a probation worker were indicted on charges involving gun permits and false records.
Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) - Thursday, August 2, 2001
Author: Joseph A. Slobodzian INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<snip>

The former police officers - Artina Sterling, 44, and Evelyn Grant, 52 - were indicted together on charges of conspiracy to extort. Sterling also was indicted on one count of receiving stolen property after allegedly agreeing to fence about $5,000 worth of stolen jewelry.

"We've all been working very hard . . . to get guns off the street," U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy said. "So it's really shocking when two police officers are selling gun permits to people who they believe had prior records."

Levy said guns are involved in 80 percent of all city murders.

"I will make a personal plea to the judge in this case to impose the harshest sentence possible," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner John F. Timoney, who described the alleged conduct of the police veterans caught in an FBI sting as "beyond belief."

In both probes, however, authorities said the alleged criminal conduct did not extend beyond the three defendants.

<snip>

Timoney, nevertheless, said he would conduct an administrative review of the six-officer gun-permit unit to see if changes are needed. All three defendants appeared yesterday before a federal magistrate judge, entered pleas of not guilty, and were released after signing an unsecured $10,000 bond.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Smith seemed stunned when he learned the service records of the three: "You're making a good salary and you're still trying to make a buck on the side. I don't understand people."

Officials said Grant, formerly an aide to a police deputy commissioner, joined the department in 1982 and has been with the gun-permit unit since 1998. Sterling, a 16-year veteran, joined the gun-permit unit in 1995. Both resigned from the department before indictment.

<snip>

Joseph P. Capone, Grant's attorney, called the charges "overstated" and said neither Grant nor Sterling issued firearm permits to any actual felons.

"What we have here is a situation in which the undercover agents enamored themselves with these two vulnerable women," Capone added.

The indictment alleges that the two officers met with undercover agents between May 25 and Oct. 3, 2000. Though the agents posed as convicted felons - who are prohibited from owning firearms - the indictment alleges the officers expedited approval of gun permits for cash.

Sterling allegedly accepted $1,100 for issuing two gun permits and doing a criminal-history check. Grant allegedly accepted $400 for a gun permit.

Prosecutor Levy declined to comment on why the FBI began an undercover sting involving the two officers.

<snip>

How harsh will the sentence be, Commissioner Timoney?

Ex-officer sentenced to six months in extortion case
Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) - Friday, December 7, 2001

A former Philadelphia police officer who admitted accepting cash to expedite gun permits for convicted felons was sentenced yesterday to six months in prison by a federal judge.

Artina Sterling, 44, who had spent 16 years on the force, had asked for a probationary sentence so she could be near her two children. But U.S. District Judge J. Curtis Joyner told her that, as a police officer, she must spend some time in prison: "You were not some naive teenager standing on a street corner in North Philadelphia. You were a 16-year police veteran."

Sterling only avoided a longer prison sentence because she had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to extort and receiving stolen property and implicated a fellow officer, Evelyn Grant, 52, a 19-year veteran, in the scheme. Grant has also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced Dec. 17.

Both officers worked in the department's gun-permit unit. Prosecutors said Sterling accepted cash totaling $1,100 for issuing two gun permits to people she believed to be convicted felons. She also pleaded guilty to agreeing to fence about $5,000 in jewelry she believed stolen.

Former city police officer sentenced for taking bribes
Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) - Tuesday, December 18, 2001

A former Philadelphia police officer who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from FBI agents posing as felons was sentenced yesterday to 10 months in prison, authorities said.

Evelyn Grant, 52, who was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge J. Curtis Joyner, must serve three months' probation when she gets out of prison, said Rich Manieri, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Police said Grant, who was a 19-year veteran of the force, and another officer, Artina Sterling, accepted money in exchange for issuing gun permits to federal agents posing as convicted felons, who would be barred from owning firearms. The two were indicted by a grand jury Aug. 1. Sterling, 44, a 16-year veteran, was sentenced earlier this month to six months in prison and three years' probation.

Give me more time and I'm sure I can find the other ones.

[DanB1722]

What's the point of wasting your time finding useless articles??
Maybe try to do something useful instead!!!

Just a thought

[Chvyrs90]

Maybe try to do something useful instead!!!

Just a thought

Pot, meet kettle.

[IronSight]

What's the point of wasting your time finding useless articles??
Maybe try to do something useful instead!!!

Just a thought

Yeah they're really useless in reminding representatives about past and current events [/sarcasm]

Did those articles touch a sensitive nerve of yours you would care to explain?

[BimmerJon]

What's the point of wasting your time finding useless articles??
Maybe try to do something useful instead!!!

Just a thought

PPD my guess

[theo]

What's the point of wasting your time finding useless articles??
Maybe try to do something useful instead!!!

Just a thought

Great first post. Welcome to the forum.

Looking forward with baited breath for more words of wisdom.


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[DanB1722]

Wow, y'all are so observant.... (sarcasm)

While I'm not afraid to admit that I am former PPD, (must be super hard to tell by the username, {BimmerJon, J/O my guess}) and Yes, it is my first post, but that does not mean I have not monitored this forum and seen the ridiculousness of the direction that threads take, I , like the rest of you, am interested in the furtherment of protecting the 2nd amendment. I, however, do not see how posting or re-posting numerous news articles that have already been established in the proper forum, serves any purpose in this thread relating to the nightmare of dealing with Philly Gun Permits. Yes, it does a great job of perpetuating the fact that it is a nightmare, but is that what this is,, just a stitch and bitch blog, or is it to possibly discuss ways to help ease the distress of dealing with 990 Spring Garden?
But you are probably right, just keep bitching here, and show that you can use google and post the many, many articles that show how bad Philly is, and that will most likely correct the problem at hand, (or atleast make you feel intelligent!!)
I can at least say I've seen both sides and I know something needs to be done, I don't need to post BS articles to prove or know that! You can attack me if it makes you feel better, but I don't know how that addresses the real problem here, just the same as re posting articles that you had nothing to do with!!!
Remember before attacking me, I'm in the same train of thought as most of you, I just think there can be more constructive thoughts put together, rather than wasting time researching articles of poor behavior which will not help the issue at hand, but will prove you are proficient with Google!!

[DanB1722]

Wow, I also just realized that only one,, just 1, of the people who responded to my first post, actually live in Philadelphia!!! For those reading, just check the profiles.. These who want to sound like they know how it is, don't even have to deal with the Philadelphia system!!!! C'mon people!!!

IronSight, BimmerJon, and theo, how do you even have anything to say about Philly Gun Permits???

Speaking of Pots and Kettles, oh wait, these users aren't even in the same kitchen!!!!!!!!