By Daniel Tepfer
Connecticut Post
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Prosecutors were waiting last month for key evidence in a murder trial — $9,535 that had been seized by cops from the accused killer’s home.
But when Sgt. Luigi Tucciarone pulled open the heavy door of the decades old safe in the Bridgeport Police Department’s record room, the money was gone.
Not just the cash from the murder case, but possibly $30,000 more that had been stored in the safe, said police sources. They just don’t know.
“Upon being made aware of this issue (the missing $9,535), I immediately referred it to the Office of Internal Affairs and an investigation was launched,” said Police Chief Joseph Gaudett. “The investigation is ongoing and it’s our policy not to comment when it comes to ongoing investigations.”
On Oct. 14, Richard Lindberg, an inspector for the Bridgeport state’s attorney, arrived at the Police Department to retrieve the money to present before a jury in the trial of Abimael Ramos, charged with the 2011 murder of his longtime girlfriend, Luz Morales, according to a Police Department memo obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media.
Here is the full text of the memo obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media regarding the missing $9,535 from the police property room safe. The memo is typed on City of Bridgeport Department of Police letterhead.
To: Lieutenant Christopher LaMaine
From: Sergeant Luigi Tucciarone
Date: October 24, 2015
RE: 11D0520
Sir,
On October 14th 2015 Inspector Rich Lindberg came to Police Headquarters to retrieve evidence for Homicide case 11D0520. At that time I and Officer Paul Carl went to the safe in the record room to retrieve receipt number 11CG185 which was to include exhibit #14 and #17. We located exhibit #17 which is marked with receipt #11CG185. We could not find exhibit #14. Inspector Lindberg did not take exhibit #17 with the other evidence at that time and exhibit #17 was placed in the property room safe. Later that day or the next day I advised Deputy Chief James Baraja that we could not locate this evidence in the safe. He advised we would inventory the safe to search for it in the near future.
Today upon arrival to the office I was advised by Officer Carl to call you. After speaking to you I, Officers Carl and Tesla and Inspector John Torento from Part A went into the record room and physically removed every piece of evidence in the safe in search of the missing exhibit. We did not locate it. We have already searched the homicide evidence storage as well as the firearm and drug storage locations and did not locate Exhibit #14. I called D/C Baraja and advised him of this.
I retrieved the receipt book from 2011 and found Sergeant John Devone took in the evidence from Detective Juan Gonzalez on May 26th 2011. The receipt book indicates $9535 submitted but does not list the exhibit #s. The log book shows $9535.00 was taken in and placed in the safe but also did not list the exhibit #s. I amended the entry today in red ink writing in “(exh14 missing 10-24-15)” and “exh17” with my initials.
Respectfully submitted
Sgt. Luigi Tucciarone
Cc: D. C. James Baraja
When the money couldn’t be found, Sgt. Luigi Tucciarone, the property room supervisor, sent a memo to Lt. Christopher LaMaine 10 days later, on Oct. 24.
‘We Did Not Locate It’
“... I, officers Carl and Tesla and Inspector John Torento went into the record room and physically removed every piece of evidence in the safe in search of the missing exhibit. We did not locate it. We have already searched the homicide evidence storage as well as the firearm and drug storage locations and did not locate Exhibit # 14 (the vanished cash),” the memo reads.
The missing money was seized by detectives from Ramos’ Wood Avenue apartment on May 26, 2011.
The memo states that the money was received by Sgt. John Devone, then in charge of the property room.
The memo also notes that the property room log book shows $9,535 was taken in, but that it was not listed with an exhibit number.
Tucciarone amended the entry in the log book in red ink to show that the money was missing, according to the memo.
A police source said the department has begun an audit to find out just what and how much is missing.
“Go into any Walmart and they can tell you how many pairs of socks are on the shelves — but the department can’t give you an accurate count of the money they have seized,” said one police source.
Poor Record Keeping
For more than three decades money seized in crimes has been stored in the large steel safe in the first-floor records room of the Congress Street Police Department.
When money is brought in by either patrol officers or detectives it is accepted by the sergeant, or an officer assigned to the property room, and the amount of money is entered into a large leather-bound book along with the date. The money is then put in the safe.
“I was amazed when I saw the Police Department’s record keeping process,” said one local lawyer who didn’t want his name used because he has pending cases involving the department. “They seized an amount of money from my client at the time of his arrest, but the money they gave us back was far less and they couldn’t explain why that was.”
Some police sources said the amounts put down in the record book often don’t match the amounts in the safe.
The poor record keeping isn’t only confined to money, sources said; there are guns and other items stored in the Police Department’s basement that can’t be accounted for.
Watching The Cash
Another major problem, sources point out, is that some of the officers put in charge of the property and records rooms are those who have been accused of wrongdoing.
Instead of placing these officers on leave with pay while their cases are pending before either the Police Commission or juries, they are reassigned to the property and record rooms.
“We have officers who have been accused of assault and drug possession watching over the money and the guns that were seized,” said a police source.
In March 2013, Devone, 65, was arrested by State Police and charged with interfering with an officer and custodial interference after being accused of blocking state police efforts to return his 3-year-old grandson to the boy’s mother even though she had two orders from a Georgia court and one from a local judge to return the boy to Georgia.
Devone was later granted accelerated rehabilitation, a pretrial probation program, and allowed to return to duty, where he was assigned to the records room and oversight of the evidence safe. He was there in 2013.
He is now on disabled leave and could not be reached for comment.
“Property and evidence that has been discovered, gathered or received in connection with departmental responsibilities will be processed in accordance with established departmental procedures and law,” according to an email Friday from City Hall Communications Director Brett Broesder. “Officers shall not convert to their own use, manufacture, conceal, falsify, destroy, remove, tamper with or withhold any property or evidence in connection with an investigation or other police action except in accordance with established Departmental procedures and law.”
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