Officer Accused of Perjury in Oklahoma Drug Trafficking Case
A preliminary hearing has been set for July 30 for the police officer accused of perjury in an Oklahoma drug trafficking case. Former police officer Rodney Richards has been accused of lying about a federal arrest warrant, falsifying an affidavit, lying about the jurisdiction of a police pursuit, and lying under oath during the trial of an alleged drug dealer.
This is not the first time Richards has faced perjury charges. In 2006, Richards was accused of lying about the presence of a police informant during a drug bust. Richards was acquitted in that case, and his Oklahoma defense lawyer asserts that Richards is an honest, hard-working officer. He suspects that the most recent charges against Richards are politically motivated. The District Attorney in the current case, Bret Burns, was the assistant district attorney in the 2006 case and is currently seeking re-election.
Burns maintains that Richards lied under oath, and that "his perjury allowed a drug dealer to go free."
The alleged perjury came to light during the preliminary hearing of a suspected drug trafficker, Robert Shawn Williams. Rodney Richards and his partner Randy Johnson were accused of providing differing stories about Williams's arrest, and prosecutors say the officers "doctored" a police audiotape. The case against Williams was dismissed.
Richards and Johnson reported that they began a high-speed pursuit of Williams and his passenger, Melanie Ann Anderson, within the Marlow police department's jurisdiction and that it continued into Grady County, resulting in the arrest of Williams and Anderson, who was convicted of drug trafficking after officers found crystal meth hidden on her body.
However, another police officer reported that he saw Richards and Johnson that day, but that they were parked near the Grady County line, past the jurisdiction of the Marlow officers.
If convicted of purjury, Rodney Richards faces up to 15 years in prison. Neither Richards nor his current Oklahoma criminal defense attorney were available for comment on the case.
Oklahoma County Meth Lab Explosion Kills Man, Nets Two Arrests
While many reports show that the illegal manufacturing of drugs in Oklahoma has declined, the production of meth continues to be a costly and dangerous problem in the state. Last week, firefighters were called to an explosion at an Oklahoma County mobile home. When they arrived, they discovered Nathan L. Knapp, 48, with third degree burns over his face and body. The man's son, Nathan C. Knapp, 28, told police officers that the injured man had been burning trash when the flames got out of control, but physicians at the Integris Baptist Medical Center Burn Unit reported that the father had chemical burns. The elder Knapp later died of his injuries. Police report that Nathan C. Knapp did not immediately call 911 after his father's injuries because he was trying to get rid of evidence of a meth lab.
Deputies found signs of the lab inside the home and suspect Knapp of manufacturing meth in a bathroom when it exploded. A two-year-old child was inside the mobile home during the explosion and was taken into state custody. Knapp and another adult, Kristen Danker, 22, were arrested on complaints of child neglect and manufacturing a controlled and dangerous substance in Oklahoma. Other charges are likely pending as a result of Nathan L. Knapp's death.
With the DEA reporting that methamphetamine is the "principal drug of concern" in Oklahoma, it is not surprising that at least two other meth labs were discovered in the state last week. In one incident, an investigation into a burglary complaint revealed a meth lab at the home where the stolen property was concealed. The owner of the home was arrested for endeavoring to manufacture methamphetamine and knowingly concealing stolen property.
In the second incident, a bounty hunter searching for a fugitive was led to a home that contained an active meth lab. While searching for the fugitive, who was not at the residence, the fugitive recovery agent found equipment used for making meth. Allegedly, the two people arrested at the home were cooperative and even took the agent to a detached garage to show him the lab. Police report that the lab was large and that the street value of the seized drugs is estimated at over $10,000. Two adults inside the home were arrested on complaints of manufacturing meth and Oklahoma possession of a firearm after the previous commission of a felony.
The manufacture of illegal drugs in Oklahoma remains a serious problem. When someone is charged with this crime, he or she faces serious consequences, even as a first offense. An experienced Oklahoma drug defense attorney thoroughly evaluates the client's case and ensures that his or her rights are upheld throughout the judicial process.
Woman Arrested in Midwest City Domestic Dispute Has Lengthy Arrest Record
People often have a stereotypical image of domestic abuse being violence against women; however, this is not always the case, as evidenced by last week's domestic assault arrest of a Nicoma Park woman in Midwest City. Kathleen Edith Dartez, 46, finds herself needing the services of an Oklahoma domestic violence defense attorney after she allegedly hit her ex-boyfriend with her truck outside his home.
Witnesses report that Dartez showed up at her ex-boyfriend's home at the Hilltop Trailer Park in Midwest City, where she crashed her pickup into a car and a motorcycle in his driveway. According to witness, her ex-boyfriend ran to her truck and yelled at her to stop. Instead, she rammed her truck into him, flipping him into the air before he landed on the ground, striking his head and knocking him unconscious. He was treated and released from Integris Baptist Medical Center.
Dartez was jailed on a complaint of domestic-related assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Under Oklahoma law, the definition of a "dangerous weapon" is vague and can mean not only typical weapons such as guns and knives, but also any item a person may use to intentionally harm another--for example, a pickup truck. While Oklahoma domestic violence complaints may be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison on the first offense.
Dartez is no first-offender, however. She has prior Midwest City arrests for assault and drug possession, and she was convicted of DUI in Oklahoma County in 2006.
Oklahoma's domestic violence rates are among the highest in the nation. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) reports that 5,500 adults and 2.650 children received domestic violence services. They further report that intimate partner violence occurs in one out of every six couples in Oklahoma. Drugs and alcohol are often a factor in such violence: a 2000 report by the Oklahoma County Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program found that 77 percent of men and 47 percent of women arrested on domestic violence charges tested positive for one or more drugs at the time of arrest. In fatal domestic violence cases, 60% of perpetrators were known to habitually use alcohol or drugs, and 45% of victims and 41% of perpetrators were intoxicated at the time of the homicide.
These statistics may be startling to many people, but the Oklahoma criminal defense attorneys who deal with these cases on a regular basis are not surprised by the numbers of cases or the correlation between domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse.
Illegal Drug Manufacturing Discovered in OKC Area Home
Three people were arrested on felony drug complaints after an undercover drug buy led to a raid on a home in Moore, Oklahoma. The drug raid revealed an illegal steroid lab, according to a spokesman from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control. During the search of the home, the police found that the individuals were in possession of drug paraphernalia, including steroid powder and liquid, empty pill capsules and presses, syringes, labeling equipment, and glass vials and sealers.
The three individuals arrested are accused of manufacturing their own brand of steroids, and have been jailed on complaints of numerous felony drug crimes, including conspiracy to manufacture steroids and possession with intent to distribute.
Oklahoma drug laws impose stiff penalties. Illegal manufacturing of drugs can result in a felony drug conviction, prison time, and a fine of up to $100,000. Even for the first offense, a possession of drugs for sale or possession of drugs for distribution conviction can result in a sentence of life in prison. With illegal distribution of drugs, the punishment can vary depending on the type and amount of drug, the location of the distribution, and whether the drugs were brought in through international trafficking. In the Moore, Oklahoma illegal drug manufacturing case, those arrested are suspected of bringing the steroid powder in from China, which could lead to more severe punishment if convicted.
Those facing Oklahoma drug charges need immediate help from an Oklahoma City drug crimes defense lawyer. Drug crimes, including manufacture, possession, sale, and distribution of drugs, are a hot button issue, and police and prosecution are quick to make an example out of the accused. A skilled criminal defense lawyer with extensive experience successfully defending Oklahoma drug charges will evaluate the evidence to ensure the validity of police drug testing and work to suppress any evidence that was inappropriately or illegally obtained. Your criminal defense lawyer will fight to ensure that your rights are protected.
Distribution of a CDS and Grand Larceny
The Oklahoma criminal defense lawyers of Slane and Phillips were successful in having 2 separate cases dismissed within the past couple of weeks. The first case involved a charge of Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) in Seminole county, Oklahoma. The other was a Grand Larceny case in Roger Mills county, OK.
Possession of CDS (Cocaine)
One of our clients had been charged with possession of cocaine. After having the "cocaine" tested, it turns out the substance wasn't cocaine at all and the case against the client was subsequently dismissed.
2 Cases with 7 Counts of Drug Related Charges
Our clients were charged with:
- Unlawful Possesion of CDS with Intent to Distribute.
- Unlawful Possession of Controlled Dangerous Drug.
- Maintaining a Dwelling Used to Keep or Sell CDS.
- Possession of Firearm while in Commission of a Felony.
- Knowingly Concealing Stolen Property.
- Possession of Forged Instrument.
- Possession of Drug Paraphenalia.
We were able to have all charges dismissed in both cases.