Chief, one officer charged

By Jim Burrows
Daily News Staff

Warrants were issued today for the former chief of police of Granby and his second in command.

Prosecuting Attorney Greg Bridges said he filed felony illegal wiretapping charges against George E. Chandler, 39, the former chief, and Trevor D. Keller, 25.

Chandler, Keller and a third officer, John Epperson, were fired at Tuesday night's city council meeting following an executive session in which the council voted 4-0 to terminate the officers. Thomas Craig, who had been a sergeant, was appointed acting chief.

Sheriff Ron Doerge said both men have agreed to turn themselves in at the Newton County Jail and he will personally arrest the former officers.

The prosecuting attorney said investigators from the sheriff's department who conducted the investigation have submitted no allegations of wrongdoing against Epperson.

Bridges said two search warrants were executed Tuesday afternoon at the Granby Police Department and at the chief's house. He said evidence, including a tape recording of the Sept. 4 closed meeting of the Granby Police Review Board, was seized.

"The allegations are we have evidence the chief borrowed -- it's called an Echo device and repeater -- from the highway patrol and that Echo device was put in the council chamber wherever they have closed meetings," Bridges said.

He said the device consists of a combination micro-phone and transmitter and a receiver which records conversations within the range of the microphone. He said it was a body mike and transmitter often used by officers in undercover drug investigations. He said there is an exception to the wiretapping law which allows officers to use such devices to record conversations during undercover investigations.

"But it can't be used to eavesdrop," Bridges said.

He said Chandler had borrowed the listening device from the Troop D headquarters in Springfield.

Chandler and Keller were allegedly recording the police review board meeting because, "from the information we received, they were concerned about about whether or not Epperson was going to be fired."

He said, if convicted, the former officers could no

---------------------------------------------------
Page 2, Granby chief, officer face criminal charges
---------------------------------------------------

longer work as police officers. He said maximum punishment for the Class D felony is up to five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. Bond has been set at $2,500 each.

Sheriff Doerge said investigators received complete cooperation from the Granby City Council and the Granby Police Review Board.

Doerge said the sheriff's department was contacted by Kevin Selby, Granby's city attorney.

"The information was the city had reason to believe, that at a closed meeting of the police review board, they believed the meeting may have been monitored or taped," Doerge said.

He said it appeared more than one person knew of the tape and that it was at the police department.

Doerge said he, Chief Deputy Chris Jennings and three investigators went to the Granby Police Department and, about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, served the search warrant on Acting Chief Craig.

He said it was very unusual for Granby to have borrowed a listening device from the highway patrol because that type of device was available for loan to the police department by the sheriff's department. He said Chandler could have also obtained such a device from the Southwest Missouri Drug Task Force, of which the Granby Police Department is a member.

"We question, if it was a legitimate need for a listening device, why they did not come to us," Doerge said.

He said a case like this where officers violate the law is rare.

"It is extremely rare and very unusual. It surprised all of us," he said. "This is unthinkable to me," he said.

"Most officers are very honest and very hard working individuals and are concerned for any officer or officers that would conduct themselves in a manner that would be a violation of law.

"At all times officers remind themselves that they have the trust of the public, the citizens, or those who appoint them and it's a violation of their oath to uphold the law in a manner that's prescribed by law."

.

The Neosho Daily News -- Page 1, Thursday, Sept. 11, 1997
.

.


.

Notes:

1. .

--------------------------
.

.

--------------------------
.

.

--------------------------
.

.

--------------------------
.

.

--------------------------
.

4. The 'more than one person who knew of the tape . . . at the Granby Piglice Department' was none other than Craig. He's the one who narked out Chandler and Keller. It's sort of funny when you realize that the search warrant was served on the sole remaining pig remaining, who was the pig who squealed. Pigs have no loyalty. Pigs squeal. Pigs get rewarded with the extra rations served the former pigs who get slaughtered. Heh, heh, hen.

Nope, the Chandler pig and the Keller pig had to go. So the Craig pig squealed and turned over his buddy pigs at the request of the thieving Granby Shitty Hall degenerates.

.

--------------------------
.

5. What bullshit. Doerge keeps on hiring the worst of lying piglice thugs from Granby, such as Larry Tarrant and Scott Whitman. Doerge only fires lying thugs who make him look bad, or who are running for sheriff against him. Otherwise these uniformed criminals can assault people whenever they please -- no big deal to Uriah Heep.

--Martin Lindstedt

Posted on Sept. 27, 1998

.


.

Back to The Granby Police State? or
Patrick Henry On-Line?