Police Corruption Trial Witness Says Cops Acted Illegally

Witness testifies in police corruption trial officers illegally entered home, tampered with gun
KJRH.com - August 9, 2011

In March 2008, the Special Investigations Division served warrants at the home of 37-year-old Jamon and his 39-year-old brother Lindell. Jamon was a felon who was in possession of large amounts of crack, marijuana, guns and two sets of body armor. During his trial, Jamon was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in feeral prison on gun and drug charges. Jamon's sentence was later vacated due to the corruption investigation because Rochelle Martin, the reliable confidential informant named in the corruption investigation, was credited with the warrants. Jamon claims he never met Martin and never sold her drugs. Numerous other cases involving Martin have been vacated since the beginning of the corruption investigation. Jamon also claims he had around $2,500 in cash at the time of his arrest but only a little more than $100 was turned in as evidence. Jamon's final claim is that either police or McFadden planted 63 grams of crack in his car as evidence prior to or during his arrest.

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TULSA, OK -- A now well-known case of police corruption in Tulsa continues in court Tuesday as several witnesses testify. Officers Jeff Henderson and Bill Yelton are at the center of the trial. Both have been indicted on several counts, including perjury and witness tampering. Jose Angel Gonzales, 25, was arrested for possession of a sawed off shotgun. Gonzales pleaded guilty to the chargen at the time, and now, he says officers illegally entered his home and moved the gun prior to his arrest. He admits to selling thousands of dollars in meth for former ATF Agent Brandon McFadden. Gonzales says J.J. Gray began handling the drug deals when McFadden was transferred to Lubbock. Gonzales has been on supervised release since his pleading guilty but has not yet been sentenced. His sentencing hearing has been delayed in the hopes his sentence is reduced for testifying in the corruption trial. Last month, three other officers were tried for suspicion of stealing money from drug investigations and planting drugs on suspects. Officers Nick DeBruin and Bruce Bonham were acquitted in that trial, but retired Cpl. Harold Wells was found guilty on five counts. This trial is expected to last three to four weeks.