June 26-- A convicted Tulsa police officer testified Monday that former Officer John K. "J.J." Gray told him about falsifying search warrants and forming investigations for the purpose of profiting from stolen drugs.
Both retired Cpl. Harold R. Wells and Gray testified Monday about their involvement in a 1997 drug case against Jeffrey Dan Williams, who eventually pleaded guilty, court records show.
U.S. District Judge James Payne granted Williams a hearing on his motion to change his plea, which Williams has unsuccessfully tried to change since 1997. The hearing began last month.
A federal investigation of Tulsa police officers, including Gray and Wells, and a federal agent began as early as 2008 and resulted in charges against six current or former Tulsa police officers and the federal agent, as well as accusations of criminal behavior against five officers who were never indicted.
Wells was sentenced to prison in December and is serving a 10-year sentence.
Gray was released from prison on May 1 after being convicted of stealing money. He had pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators and was sentenced to about four months, according to court records.
Wells, who was granted immunity for his testimony, testified that he did not recall much of the 1997 case against Williams.
But under questioning from defense attorney William Widell, Wells said he had knowledge about Gray falsifying search warrants.
"No, he's not an honest person," Wells said. "He did falsify information on affidavits. ... That comes from his statements. I didn't know (about it) at the time."
Wells' testimony about Gray bolstered the defense, which has tried to establish that Gray filed false search warrants against Williams in 1997.
Wells also answered a series of questions from Payne about the use of confidential informants in general and specifically about the informant whose information led to a drug buy that led to a search warrant in Williams' case.
Payne posed similar questions to Gray, as well as to another subpoenaed police officer and two federal agents who have not faced charges related to the police corruption investigation.
In addition to Gray and Wells, Payne questioned Tulsa Police Capt. Nick Hondros and federal agents Dave Argo and Pat Lynch about their knowledge of a confidential informant used in the Williams case, as well as on related issues.
Gray was questioned about his involvement in the Williams case but testified that he did not recall the case.
"I've testified again and again: I don't remember this incident, period," Gray said.
Gray denied having sold drugs and having asked Eddie Farner, a former informant, to intercept a Tulsa police van carrying evidence to a depository in Oklahoma City. Both accusations had been made by Farner in earlier proceedings.
However, Gray confirmed that Farner "was an informant of mine back then."
Gray also testified about police policy on using confidential informants to obtain search warrants, which Gray admitted to falsifying in several cases.
Gray said officers often didn't keep records on informants in 1997, despite police policies.
"That was a policy, but it wasn't enforced," he said.
Attorneys in Williams' hearing will be filing some last motions before filing closing arguments in the next several weeks, according to Payne.
Police corruption investigation has wide-ranging effects
The federal investigation of Tulsa police officers and a federal agent began as early as 2008 and resulted in charges against six current or former Tulsa police officers and a federal agent, as well as accusations of criminal behavior against five officers who were never charged.
At least 44 people have been freed from prison or had their cases modified because of civil rights violations or potential problems with their cases.
Additionally, at least 11 lawsuits have been filed against the city and individual police officers as a result of the police corruption investigation.
--Jeff Henderson, who was hired by the Tulsa Police Department in 1995, was convicted on two counts of civil rights violations and six counts of perjury. He was acquitted on 45 counts of perjury, civil rights violations, drug conspiracy and witness tampering. Henderson was sentenced to 42 months in prison, which he is currently serving in South Dakota.
--Brandon McFadden, hired as an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2002, was sentenced to 21 months in a Texas prison after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy. McFadden cooperated with prosecutors.
--John K. "J.J." Gray, hired by the Tulsa Police Department in 1990, pleaded guilty to stealing money and was sentenced to four months in a Louisiana prison. He was released May 1. Gray cooperated with prosecutors.
--Harold R. Wells, hired as a Tulsa police officer in 1975, was convicted on five counts, but a federal judge later dismissed one count. Wells was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, which he is currently serving in Minnesota.
--Three police officers -- Nick DeBruin, Bruce Bonham and Bill Yelton -- were acquitted on civil rights violations in two separate cases.
Bonham was charged with five counts and DeBruin was charged with six counts related to theft of U.S. funds, civil rights violations, drug possession and possession of firearms. The Tulsa Police Department fired DeBruin and Bonham on Jan. 20 for "conduct unbecoming an officer" and "duty to be truthful and obedient."
Yelton retired in May, about nine months after police announced that an internal investigation was under way following his acquittal.
Jarrel Wade 918-581-8367
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