Three impersonate cops to evict tenants

18 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

Here’s the link to the story online, check it out because there’s more photos. But it’s not the whole story that printed in the paper, so here it is.

I feel like this is movie gold and hope to see it on Netflix one day. LOL! “Evicting Arrest” or “You Have the Right to be Evicted” could be the name of the movie.

Three charged on several counts after fake arrest

By JEANNE LeFLORE
Staff Writer
Charges have been filed against two McAlester men and a woman for allegedly impersonating task force officers after three McAlester residents were kidnapped and handcuffed. During the kidnapping, the suspects allegedly called for police back-up and then allegedly attempted to book the victims into jail.
On Thursday, Brian Garrison, Gary Mooney and Margie Williford were all arrested and have been charged on several counts.

According to one of the alleged victims, the McAlester Police Department observed what was going on but left the scene.
Veronica Osburn, told the News-Capital, “We were arrested by some people impersonating police officers, they cuffed us, put us in a civilian vehicle with loaded weapons in the car. They kicked in our door.
“The McAlester Police Department sat outside our house while they did this to us.”
She said the trio drew weapons in the house, where children were sleeping.
“We had a new baby in a bassinet while they had their guns drawn,” she said. “We want to let people know that people are going around acting like police.
Tuesday, Osburn said the trio was forced to leave their children at home.
“My sister came was there and took care of the babies,” she said.
Another alleged victim, Clint Nelson said Tuesday the events of that evening were terrifying and he is speaking with an attorney.
According to Pittsburg County Undersheriff Richard Bedford, a landlord who wanted to evict his tenants allegedly hired the impersonators to get the tenants out.
“We had a landlord who wanted these guys evicted and apparently used these impersonators to get them out of his property,” Bedford said.
According to court documents, after the trio allegedly kidnapped their victims, Mooney tried to book them into jail.
Bedford said Mooney, Garrison and Williford first took the victims to the McAlester Police Department where they were told they didn’t have the correct paperwork. The the Mooney tried to get the three residents booked into the county jail.
According to the affidavit, Pittsburg County deputy Jack Suter was working as a dispatcher when one of the alleged impersonators approached him dressed as a border patrol task force officer, carrying a badge and a “police type duty belt.”
Mooney told Suter he had just arrested three subjects for warrants and needed to know where to take them for processing, according to the affidavit.
“When I asked Mooney who he worked for, he said the U.S. Marshal Task Force.” Suter said.
Bedford said at the same time MPD had notified Suter that the three were impersonating task force officers.
Soon after, a gray Dodge Durango arrived in the parking lot of the sheriff’s department, then turned around to leave until they were told by Suter that they weren’t going anywhere, according to the affidavit.
“I told them back up, you aren’t going anywhere and do not reach for your weapon,” Suter said.
That’s when Garrison, got out of the vehicle dressed in a black shirt with white lettering that said “Fugitive Recovery,” a black cap, black tactical pants and a police type duty belt with a pistol holder, according to the affidavit.
Bedford asked Garrison where his gun was. Garrison told Bedford it was in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
That’s when Bedford checked the vehicle and found a Mossberg tactical pump shotgun that had four live rounds in the magazine, and a fully loaded Glock 27 pistol in the driver’s seat.
Bedford also found the third alleged impersonator, Williford sitting in the front seat and in the back seat were the three handcuffed residents: Osburn, Amanda Sparks and Nelson, according to the affidavit.