Goodwyn, Draper Agree To Plead Guilty In Federal Court
posted March 10, 2006
Two former Chattanooga Police officers have confessed to stealing cash from Hispanics after traffic stops, officials said Friday.
Chief Steve Parks and Special Agent Frank Burke of the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the completion of a joint agency investigation "involving the illegal acts" of former officers Frank Goodwyn and O’Dell Draper III.
Goodwyn and Draper have agreed to plead guilty in Federal Court to a single count of conspiracy to violate civil rights.
They face a prison sentence up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. However, prosecutors have agreed to not oppose a two-level reduction "for acceptance of responsibility," plus a possible additional one-level reduction.
The defendants may be required to make restitution to victims, it was stated.
Authorities said Hispanic individuals were targeted "because they would often be illegal residents concerned about possible deportation, might have large amounts of money on them (they would have no bank account), speak little or no English and would, therefore, be unlikely to complain about the officers' conduct.
"During this period (Aug. 9-Dec. 29, 2005) the two officers agreed to steal money from these individuals and split the proceeds between themselves."
They would ask for the wallets of Hispanics and remove cash, it was stated.
On Oct. 19, Goodwyn stole about $400 from an individual on E. 19th Street and split the proceeds with Draper, it was stated.
Authorities said there were complaints filed by several Hispanics, causing the city police to begin a probe and then bring in the FBI.
Officials said Police Department records corroborated some of the individuals' statements by showing that license plate numbers of these victims had been run at the time the victim alleged. In some of those cases, the pair took no enforcement action.
Chief Parks said it happened seven or eight times.
Investigators with the Chattanooga burglary and robbery division, investigators with the Internal Affairs division, and agents with the FBI have concluded several weeks of investigation focusing on the incidents in which Hispanic victims had money stolen from them during traffic stops conducted by the two former officers, officials said.
Charges were filed in U.S. District Court by prosecutor Gary Humble against Goodwyn and Draper on a charge of (18 USC 241) conspiracy to violate civil rights.
Also, multi-count state indictments have been returned by the Hamilton County Grand Jury on both former police officers. The indictments include charges of official oppression, civil rights violations, theft, extortion and criminal conspiracy.
Officials said the incidents occurred predominately in the last quarter of 2005 and "there was a definite pattern to target Hispanic citizens."
The FBI was notified by the Chattanooga Police Department in early January "when it became apparent that a protected group was being targeted."
Investigators from both agencies conducted a joint investigation from that point.
Goodwyn was hired on Dec. 12, 2003, and resigned Jan. 25.
Draper was hired on Aug. 6, 2004, and resigned on Feb. 3.
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