MEMPHIS – Three Memphis police officers have been arrested by the FBI on charges of corruption and bribery. One of the officers, patrolman Chris Crawford, is the ex-husband of Taffi Crawford, a nurse who was gunned down in a hospital parking lot by her ex-boyfriend last month.
Both Taffi and Chris are Winona, Miss. natives, and they have a 7-year old son.
Arrested with Crawford were Lt. Tim Green, a 24-year veteran of the Memphis Police department and patrolman Mike Young. All three men face federal bribery and extortion charges.
According to Memphis Police, Green, Young and Crawford took cash bribes from the owner of a local nightclub in exchange for information and protection. The officers reportedly accepted the bribes from September 2009 to the end of February 2010, receiving cash payments while on duty and in uniform.
Local news agencies reported that U.S. Attorney Lawrence Laurenzi said the officers would get paid for “cleaning the lot,” forcing patrons to leave the parking lot after the club closed. They also notified the club’s owners about police raids and an ongoing OCU investigation. Lt. Green is also accused of falsifying police reports to cover up crimes at the club.
Sources said the information and money were usually traded in the club’s bathroom or office, and most exchanges were recorded by the FBI on audio and videotape.
Laurenzi said Crawford and Young were paid “$100 a pop” and “Lt. Green received more than $1,000 every time [he] paid a visit to the club.”
Federal investigators said Green received 11 payments totaling $8,000. Crawford accepted 14 payments, totaling more than $1,400 and Young received 27 payments, adding up to more than $2,600.
Following the arrest, Green was suspended from the MPD with pay, while Crawford and Young both resigned. Bond for all three men was set at $10,000 and they were transported to a federal facility in Mason, Tenn.
My Eyewitness News said the extortion and bribery scheme was reportedly discovered while the FBI and a Memphis Police Department Task Force were conducting an investigation into the club’s activities.
Their source inside the club, according to investigators, was an individual who was brought in for questioning in September 2009. This person claimed to be a silent partner in the nightclub with a $15,000 to $20,000 investment in the business. That source then began working as a manager at the club and provided federal investigators with most of the information contained in the criminal complaint.
Investigators won’t release the name or location of the club pending the investigation.
In a press conference, Larry Goodwin, Director of the Memphis Police Department said he was “fed up” with his officers being involved in criminal and illegal behavior.
“I’ve said that before I retire,” Godwin told reporters, “I will rid this department of criminal activity and thugs. And I’m sick of it because it overshadows the hard work of every good officer in this county.”
Goodwin was appointed Director of Police Services for the City of Memphis in 2004.
My Eyewitness News also reported that with the arrests of Green, Crawford and Young, this brings the number of Memphis Police Officers accused of wrongdoing in recent months to 23. A total of 55 local law enforcement officers have been charged with crimes in the last six years.
“I’ll tell you this,” Godwin said, “you can send this message: [If] you come on the Memphis Police Department and you think you’re going to commit criminal activity, we will lock you up.”
Be the first to comment