Former city cop, snared in FBI sting, going to prison

Former city cop, snared in FBI sting, going to prison
The St. Louis Post- Dispatch by Robert Patrick - April 24, 2010

ST. LOUIS, MO — A judge sentenced former city police Officer Ronald H. Jackson on Friday to 18 months in prison for stealing from a woman in what turned out to be an FBI sting. Jackson, 58, was caught after he and another officer, Christian A. Brezill, pulled over and arrested a woman who was secretly cooperating with the FBI. Jackson had been tipped off that the woman's car trunk held merchandise stolen from a Best Buy store. He and Brezill split the goods, and Jackson gave some to the person who had provided the information, according to court documents and testimony. Brezill, 26, was sentenced last month to two years of probation after cooperating with investigators. Both men, who worked in the Police Department's 6th District, were indicted in October on a single federal felony charge of theft of government property. They pleaded guilty in December. Both will have to repay a total of $1,480 — the value of what they took. Jackson, a 30-year department veteran, retired under charges. Brezill, with roughly 18 months on the force, was fired. Jackson apologized in Friday's hearing to the court, city and Police Department. "I regret my actions. I know they were wrong," he said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith insisted that Jackson was the leader and said he is rumored to have committed similar thefts "numerous" times before. FBI Special Agent Anthony Bernardoni testified that he had received a tip in the spring or summer of 2009 that Jackson had been involved in a scheme with a person in the business of buying stolen goods. If a seller wanted too much money, Bernardoni said he was told, the buyer would turn down the deal and arrange for Jackson to pull over the seller's car and just steal the loot. That buyer has never been publicly identified. Jackson's lawyer, Clyde Cahill, insisted that Jackson was not the leader in the theft of the Best Buy goods, which he characterized as the result of both officers' spontaneous impulse to steal. Cahill also argued that Jackson's possession of a firearm during the crime should not be taken into account, since he was armed as part of his police uniform and the weapon did not play a role in the crime. U.S. District Judge Donald Stohr rejected both of Cahill's arguments and sentenced Jackson to 18 months, the bottom of the range of 18-24 months suggested under federal sentencing guidelines. Brezill told the Post-Dispatch last month that Jackson suggested they steal the goods. Brezill said he finally gave in after repeatedly refusing.