27 Freed From Prison in Law Enforcement Corruption Probe

Illegal immigrant's drug conviction thrown out in police-corruption probe fallout
Tulsa World by Omer Gillham - December 28, 2010

A judge has thrown out a felony conviction against an illegal immigrant who alleges that a Tulsa police officer and a federal agent planted drugs on him, records show. Tulsa County District Judge William Kellough on Monday vacated the drug conviction of Ruben Flores-Olmos, 23, court records show. He has also gone by the name of Angel Perez Olmos, records show. District Attorney Tim Harris’ office filed a motion to dismiss Olmos’ case without prejudice due to the involvement of an indicted police officer and a former federal agent. The agent has pleaded guilty in a police corruption probe. Olmos was convicted March 6, 2007, of possession of drugs with intent to distribute, records show. He pleaded no contest and received a six-year suspended sentence, records show. Olmos is represented by attorney Art Fleak. Fleak said Kellough’s decision to dismiss the conviction gives Olmos a second chance to become a legal citizen. “Mr. Olmos is undocumented, so he will be deported,” Fleak said. “He has a girlfriend here, and with the felony conviction being set aside, that means he can leave the country and apply for re-entry without a criminal record.” Thus far, 27 people have been freed from prison, had charges dismissed, had sentences reduced or been granted new trials as a result of the federal police corruption probe, which became public in November 2009, a World investigation shows. In legal pleadings filed before Kellough’s ruling, Olmos alleges that Tulsa Police Officer Jeff Henderson, 37, and former federal agent Brandon McFadden, 34, planted drugs on him. Henderson is charged with drug conspiracy, perjury, attempted bribery, witness tampering and civil rights violations, U.S. District Court records show. Henderson was indicted July 20 along with four former and current police officers. He has remained jailed as he awaits his trial on criminal charges. McFadden pleaded guilty May 6 to drug conspiracy and implicated himself and Henderson in alleged criminal activity involving drug arrests.