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4th Philly Narcotics Officer Accused of Corruption Put on House Arrest

A fourth Philadelphia police officer accused in a federal corruption case is out of jail this morning.

A federal judge granted bail to Officer John Speiser Tuesday afternoon. The 42-year-old posted $100,000 bail and put the home where he will be electronically monitored up as collateral.

Speiser is among six members of the city's narcotics unit who are charged with robbing drug suspects of more than $500,000 in cash and cocaine -- often at gunpoint -- awaiting their racketeering trial

Earlier this week, U.S. Magistrate Timothy Rice granted bail to alleged enforcer Linwood Norman, on house arrest until the group's racketeering trial.
 
Norman, 46, along with Perry Betts, 46; Thomas Liciardello, 38; Brian Reynolds, 43; and Michael Spicer, 46; appeared in federal court Monday for a detention hearing. Speiser appeared the next day.

Betts and Reynolds also received bail while Spicer and Liciardello were denied bail.

Defense lawyers say the accusers are all criminals, including a convicted colleague now cooperating in the FBI probe.

Prosecutors say the indicted officers are threats to the witnesses in the case.

The officers pleaded not guilty. They are accused of swiping more than half a million dollars' worth of money, drugs and other items over a period of years.

“Unfortunately, a very small percentage of police officers continue to toss their oath aside and act like the very criminals they have sworn to bring to justice,” said U.S Attorney Zane David Memeger while announcing the arrests.

The U.S. Attorney's Office unsealed the 26-count indictment that resulted from a two-year joint investigation between the police department, FBI and U.S. Attorney's office. The officers, who have served anywhere from five to 13 years in the narcotics unit, face allegations of multiple acts of robbery, extortion, kidnapping and drug dealing from February 2006 to November 2012.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Wzorek told Philly.com that the officers are "a risk of flight and a continuing danger to the community" and therefore should remain behind bars as the case develops.

In papers filed in federal court, lawyers for Speiser filed a motion for release that includes letters and emails from friends that beg for his release.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that each officer will be suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.

"Conduct like this is simply unacceptable, cannot be tolerated and is inexcusable," said Ramsey who noted the shame these allegations bring the officers and entire department.

Prosecutors say that the defendants would routinely rob the occupants of suspected dealers' cars or homes.

"The defendants used their positions of authority to target suspected drug dealers for purposes of stealing cash, personal property and drugs," said Memeger.

Some of the incidents outlined in the indictment includes one where Liciardello, Reynolds and Walker allegedly took $30,000 from an illegally detained suspect then took another $80,000 from the suspect’s home; an incident where Norman allegedly held a man over an 18-story balcony; an incident where Spicer allegedly dangled a man off a 35th-floor balcony in an attempt to swipe $79,000 and a designer suit; and an incident where Norman and Walker allegedly stole and distributed multi-kilogram quantity of cocaine.

Other incidents weren't as violent.

"They literally filed false police reports," Memeger said.

The allegations include declaring they collected less money than they would report.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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