Ex-Officer Jailed In Shooting Cover-Ups/Miami , Florida

AP | 9/11/01

[My Favorite Headache]

Ex-officer jailed in shooting cover-ups

Tuesday, September 11, 2001

By CATHERINE WILSON, Associated Press

MIAMI — A fired Miami police officer was ordered Monday to be jailed until trial after a prosecutor warned of possible witness intimidation and recited details of an unsavory past.

Jesus Aguero is the only one of 13 members of special Miami police squads to be detained after being charged with planting guns at crime scenes and covering up four questionable police shootings that left three people dead.

Aguero, the only officer among those charged last week to be thrown out of the department, fired shots in two of the shootings and allegedly pocketed guns in two arrests for later use as "throw-down" weapons.

Defense attorney Hugo Rodriguez attacked the government's summary of evidence against Aguero as an embellished version of events and questioned the reliability of one of two retired officers who have agreed to testify.

But U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Garber ordered Aguero, a father of three children under age 5, to be held as a danger to the community.

In addition to the new criminal charges, Aguero played a role in a cover-up following the shooting death of a drug suspect, which spawned a riot, and was accused of raping a woman in 1988, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Allan Kaiser.

Retired Officers John Mervolion and William Hames said they feared Aguero the most among those charged, Kaiser said.

Mervolion accused Aguero of uttering racial epithets over the body of a black robber shot to death in the back while fleeing police. But Rodriguez said Mervolion will "make Mark Furman look like a choir boy when we finish him on cross-examination." Former Los Angeles police officer Furman's racist past was a sidelight of the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

The other 10 indicted officers were allowed to go free by having relatives or friends sign for $100,000 bond with no cash payments or property pledges required. The retired officers who pleaded guilty also are free.

The latest scandal is the worst to hit the department since two dozen officers were convicted in the "Miami River Cops" case that grew out of the drownings of three drug-boat guards in 1985.

[Lurker]

This is my favorite part:

"The other 10 indicted officers were allowed to go free by having relatives or friends sign for $100,000 bond with no cash payments or property pledges required. The retired officers who pleaded guilty also are free. "

These guys are accused of covering up murders, and they don't even have to post bond. Unbelievable.

L

[tbeatty]

THeir friends and relatives would still be liable for the money (kind of like a future dated check).

Corrupt police should automatically get the maximum sentence if found guilty of using their office to commit a crime.

[Darheel]

Cops these days are little more than labor union politicians with guns. And by the way, they declared war on America.

[Lurker]

Gee, do you think you could cut such a deal if you were under indictment for similar crimes?

If you do, I have some land I would like you to look at....

L

[tbeatty]

Actually, you probably could. Depends on the credit worthyness of your friends (notice they didn't take the cops word for the money). If their relatives are "good" for it, they'll let them sign. The just signed a $100k credit card slip and if the cop skips town, their buddy or relative get stuck with the bill.

[poetknowit]

I might have missed it, but, does it say anywhere in this article -
"In the New Banana Republic of Florida"...etc.

[Texasforever]

Have you ever found a single thing about government corruption that you don’t absolutely love to defend?

Not me but then, I am just a Fascist. Something about that term just gives me the warm and fuzzies.

[tbeatty]

Do you not live in a place bounded by reality?

Read my post #3 "Corrupt police should automatically get the maximum sentence if found guilty of using their office to commit a crime. "

Now, the fact that normal people are relesed on OR all the time, and, apparently unlike you, if I signed a slip of paper for $100k, it's the same as pledging my entire fortune to pay it back. Apparently your word is not as good as your bond?

What kind of statist, fascist society do you wish to live in where law-abiding citizens cannot make a promise to pay a bond but must put up their homes and savings?

[tbeatty]

"Do you deny that your pro-Police State ideology (whether deliberate or not) is essentially Fascist? "

I'll answer that question when you answer this question:

"Do you deny that wearing your tin hat too tight will cut off circulation to your brain (whether intentional or not)?"

[Texasforever]

Do you deny that your pro-Police State ideology (whether deliberate or not) is essentially Fascist?

Do you deny that your parents ever had a child that lived?

[Texasforever]

You two really are the same person aren't you? If not, someone has already succeeded (or not succeeded depending on how you look at it) at cloning humans out of Hitler’s DNA.

Yes and the "project" is only beginning. WE HAVE OUR EYES ON YOU!

[tbeatty]

It's called an "Unsecured Bail Bond" and it happens ALL THE TIME.

[Texasforever]

"Paranoia Runs DEEP"

[tbeatty]

You shouldn't respond to yourself. You definitely shouldn't be responding to Hitler.