FORMER NEW HAVEN POLICE LIEUTENANT SENTENCED TO 38 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON

PRESS RELEASE - United States Attorney - District of Connecticut - April 28, 2008

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that former New Haven Police Lieutenant WILLIAM B. WHITE, 64, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 38 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. Judge Arterton also ordered WHITE to pay a fine in the amount of $20,000. On October 26, 2007, WHITE pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of theft of government funds.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, from June 2003 to March 13, 2007, WHITE was the Supervisor of the Narcotics Enforcement Unit within the New Haven Police Department. In pleading guilty to the bribery charge, WHITE admitted that he agreed to find fugitives for, and to steer clients to, bailbondsmen in exchange for corrupt payments. Between July 2006 and March 2007, the bailbondsmen provided WHITE and a State law enforcement officer who was cooperating with federal law enforcement and working in an undercover capacity with approximately $24,400 in cash in exchange for WHITE and the undercover officer using their official positions to locate fugitives. WHITE split the cash with the undercover officer, keeping $10,200 for himself.

On November 9, 2006, WHITE, other members of the Narcotics Enforcement Unit, and other law enforcement officers executed a warrant to search a premises on Truman Street in New Haven. During the course of the search, WHITE and the undercover officer were searching a bedroom and, without the knowledge of WHITE, the undercover officer placed $2000 in cash, which was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in a dresser drawer in the bedroom. The undercover officer then showed the cash to WHITE who directed the undercover officer to take the money. After the search, WHITE and the undercover officer split the cash, each taking $1000.

On January 31, 2007, as part of a “sting” operation, FBI personnel placed $27,500 in funds belonging to the FBI in the trunk of a rental car and placed the car in the Long Wharf area of New Haven. The undercover officer then represented to WHITE that a female informant, who was, in fact, fictitious, had told the undercover officer that a drug dealer had left his car near the Long Wharf area and that the vehicle might contain a large sum of money. After WHITE and the undercover officer eventually located the vehicle, WHITE searched the trunk and removed the bag containing the $27,500 in cash, kept several stacks of money, totaling approximately $5000, and returned the bag and remaining money to the trunk of the vehicle. WHITE and the undercover officer then left the area. After WHITE counted and then split with the undercover officer the approximately $5000, he continued to discuss taking the remainder of the money and expressed concern over whether such actions would get the female informant killed. However, WHITE and the undercover officer returned to the car. WHITE removed the bag, took the remaining cash and put the bag back in the trunk of the car. WHITE then split the money with the undercover officer, taking approximately $14,105 for himself and giving approximately $13,395 to the undercover officer.

Finally, on February 16, 2007, WHITE, the undercover officer and other law enforcement officers executed an arrest warrant in New Haven. The officers located the subject and chased him into a residence located on Starr Street. While in the house, the undercover officer noticed a sum of cash in an open drawer in the bedroom and asked another officer to ask WHITE to come into the room. WHITE entered the room and the undercover officer showed him the money. WHITE indicated to the undercover officer that he should take the money. In response, the undercover officer placed the cash, which later was determined to be $800, in his pocket, while WHITE watched. Later, the undercover met the defendant at the New Haven Police Department parking garage and gave WHITE $400 in cash, which was his half of the $800 that they had stolen earlier in the day. WHITE referred to the cash as “spending money” and placed the $400 in his pocket.

In addition to imposing a fine, Judge Arterton today ordered WHITE to pay restitution in the amount of $15,505, and to forfeit to the Government $10,200. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Nora R. Dannehy.