Posted on 01/23/2004 12:09:51 PM PST by ijcr
Tracey Schuler, a Broward Sheriff's Office detention deputy, is now Tracey Schuler, former detention deputy, after an investigation revealed she pawned her .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson service revolver for $150, contrary to department rules.
For six weeks, Schuler drove inmates around Broward County without a weapon to protect herself or the public.
Schuler pawned her pistol, with a four-inch barrel, a fellow officer's weapon, watches, bracelets, earrings, television sets and other items.
Schuler, who was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Broward State Attorney's Office, used the money to offset gambling losses at casinos in Broward County and Las Vegas. Schuler, investigators learned, also failed to file a tax return for a four-year period.
BSO's Professional Compliance Unit launched an investigation Feb. 22, 2003, after an inmate reported the loss of personal property. It was discovered that $602.55 didn't make it from the Pompano Beach Satellite Booking facility to the main jail's property clerk. Sgt. Steven Soule began checking into the backgrounds of the deputies working that shift. He found one deputy had been investigated in the past: On Feb. 3, 2000, she was found to have violated county policy, and was counseled for failing to safeguard an inmate's property.
On Nov. 21, 1999, a female inmate reported that a woman fitting Schuler's description took her two gold bracelets. The bracelets were not returned, the inmate reported.
When questioned, Schuler said the bracelets fell into a hole in the liner of her jacket. Three days after the incident, she returned the bracelets to Professional Compliance.
That incident prompted officers to push forward with their investigation.
Soule and Sgt. Greg Gordon obtained the Automated Property Recovery System printout, which tracks all pawned items in Broward County. They found that Schuler had pawned 48 items from 1997 to 2003. Most of those transactions took place in 1999, including the pawning of two gold bracelets on Nov. 21.
While questioning Schuler's fellow deputies, Soule learned the deputy had been borrowing hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of dollars from co-workers. Deputy Alan Arensten told investigators Schuler had a gambling problem.
''In the past year she won over $70,000, and spent the money, not on anything of purpose. She has financial problems,'' Arensten stated in the report.
On March 26, 2003, Edward Jenkins from the Tribes Casino Gaming Commission gave Soule copies of checks written out to Schuler.
From Jan. 2 to Jan. 4, 2002, Schuler won about $80,000.
'Mr. Jenkins told me in order for Schuler to win this amount in that short period of time she would have `lost thousands of dollars,' '' Soule wrote in his report.
Schuler was served with her notice of suspension with pay on March 25. When asked at that time to surrender her weapon, badge and BSO identification, Schuler told Lt. David Robshaw that her duty weapon was at the pawnshop. She was fired four months later, after nine years as a deputy.
Schuler, who was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Broward State Attorney's Office,
Either it isn't illegal to steal a cop's gun and sell it, or cops aren't held to the same standard of conduct that citizens are held to.
(((((((((((Broward County Refugee PING)))))))))))
This is the bit that makes no sense at all
If she had only civilly forfeited the bracelets, she could have stolen them legally.
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