Cop steals gun, gets fired.

[appraiser]

Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Officer Resigns after Internal Investigation - Manchester by-the-Sea Police Department

MANCHESTER BY-THE-SEA — Chief Edward Conley reports that a Manchester Police Officer has resigned after the conclusion of an internal affairs investigation into the sale of a private firearm that was taken from the police department’s storage.

Howard Lewis was appointed a reserve officer in 2008 and a full-time officer in June 2010. He had been assigned to the 12-8 a.m. shift and served as the department’s primary firearms instructor when he was placed on Administrative leave on Dec. 15.

On Nov. 19, 2018, a Manchester-by-the Sea resident came to the police station to retrieve a firearm, a vintage German Lugar, that had belonged to his father, which had been take for safekeeping by the police department at the request of the owner’s wife in 2014. However, no such firearm could be located at the police station.

A department-wide email was sent inquiring about the missing Lugar, and an internal investigation was launched.

The investigation determined that Lewis sold the firearm through a licensed firearms dealer in Gloucester and received a check for $650. Faced with the evidence of the investigation, Lewis resigned from the department.

The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department has reimbursed the family for the loss of their firearm and formally apologized to them.

“In this instance, an officer circumvented the department’s evidence system by failing to report that he was in possession of private property and then selling that property for his own gain,” Chief Conley said. “This action violated the public trust and violated the very mission of the Manchester Police Department, and I am satisfied with the outcome. I again extend my sincere apology to the family who was affected by these actions.”

The Essex District Attorney’s Office was consulted on this investigation.

Chief Conley, who was appointed in October 2016, also reports that there are no indications that any other firearms, evidence or other property is missing from the department.

 

[slap shot]

So this isn't just a joke repeatedly told on NES?

 

[DW357]

The last dealer in Gloucester closed up shop sometime last year but had been open since 2013/14. That had to have been where the Manchester cop sold it. Oddly enough that gun shop owner was a Gloucester cop at the time. I don’t know if he is now. I thought I heard he moved out of state.

 

[Deleted member 12999]

LOL... because THAT was never going to catch up with you. Good riddance.

 

[citoriguy]

I wonder how much they gave the guy.

 

[BUMPA01603]

A vintage Luger and he took the risk for only $650, guilty! And stoopid....

 

[bottle-cap]

Probably gave the family the standard gift card payout used at gun buy back events. $25 to Market Basket or Target.

 

[sigfanboy13]

The owners wife gave it to the cops.... this is why you A) educate your spouse B) dont give out your guns. This is almost as bad as the widow who turns in WW2 bring backs to gun buy backs.

 

[Dan-o]

“In this instance, an officer circumvented the department’s evidence system by failing to report that he was in possession of private property and then selling that property for his own gain,” Chief Conley said.

Circumvented the departments evidence system? Didn’t he steal it?
No criminal charges?
WTF?

 

[Palladin]

reminds me of the Taunton LEO...'Capt Good', who stole a POS Raven/Lorcan from a buyback.

TV'S `CAPT. GOOD' FINDS SELF ON OTHER SIDE OF THE LAW

 

[Bonesinium]

So this isn't just a joke repeatedly told on NES?

Not a joke. It’s real. And it’s more common than you think.

The former police chief and evidence room officer in my small town were fired...sorry... forced to resign after similar shenanigans with property from the evidence room, including a handgun.

They think nobody will know, and those that do find out will also be cops, often working under them, so it doesn’t matter anyway. So hey, free stuff!

 

[jasonj84]

He can always get a job with the Lowell PD. They aren't as strict.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

Good. what an idiot lost a job with a pension for 650 bucks.

 

[drgrant]

Lol... so this nipplehead flushed his career down the toilet for $650.... talk about a winner. On top of that he probably got ripped off by the gun shop. But then again the stupidity repeats itself, so it
follows his lack of brain cells.

I'm beginning to think that there's some munis who seem to be adept at seeking out the worst.... is there like some kind of numbskull test, and the highest scorers get picked?

-Mike

 

[Daniel MacDonald]

Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Officer Resigns after Internal Investigation - Manchester by-the-Sea Police Department

MANCHESTER BY-THE-SEA — Chief Edward Conley reports that a Manchester Police Officer has resigned after the conclusion of an internal affairs investigation into the sale of a private firearm that was taken from the police department’s storage.

Howard Lewis was appointed a reserve officer in 2008 and a full-time officer in June 2010. He had been assigned to the 12-8 a.m. shift and served as the department’s primary firearms instructor when he was placed on Administrative leave on Dec. 15.

On Nov. 19, 2018, a Manchester-by-the Sea resident came to the police station to retrieve a firearm, a vintage German Lugar, that had belonged to his father, which had been take for safekeeping by the police department at the request of the owner’s wife in 2014. However, no such firearm could be located at the police station.

A department-wide email was sent inquiring about the missing Lugar, and an internal investigation was launched.

The investigation determined that Lewis sold the firearm through a licensed firearms dealer in Gloucester and received a check for $650. Faced with the evidence of the investigation, Lewis resigned from the department.

The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department has reimbursed the family for the loss of their firearm and formally apologized to them.

“In this instance, an officer circumvented the department’s evidence system by failing to report that he was in possession of private property and then selling that property for his own gain,” Chief Conley said. “This action violated the public trust and violated the very mission of the Manchester Police Department, and I am satisfied with the outcome. I again extend my sincere apology to the family who was affected by these actions.”

The Essex District Attorney’s Office was consulted on this investigation.

Chief Conley, who was appointed in October 2016, also reports that there are no indications that any other firearms, evidence or other property is missing from the department.

Sounds like the Mass State Police are getting a new recruit....already trained.

 

[T-Unit]

No charges yet from the DA? If the evidence is beyond a reasonable doubt, there should be charges filed, just because you are a cop or any other employee of the department, taking property that's not yours and selling it as if it is a crime, especially a firearm as that's a felony.

Which is the reason the DA won't press charges because then the guy will never get a job as a cop again and become a prohibited person no longer able to own or carry a gun.

Just another case that being a cop is a get out of jail free card.

 

[cockpitbob]

He should be serving jail time.

If I recall, anything over $500 is felony theft. So,...
-Theft of a handgun
-Felony theft
-Transferring a stolen handgun

But all he had to do was quit his job.

 

[Bonesinium]

Cops do worse without being charged and then go on to work for another department after being fired.

He won’t be charged. Because cop.

A small town NH former police chief not only sold a gun took from the evidence room, but also stole drugs, was actually growing marijuana in the evidence room, allowed an inmate trustee to be left alone repeatedly enabling him to take a squad car for a joy ride, make hundreds of phone calls to his girlfriend, and eventually break into the evidence room and steal drugs himself (got caught by county corrections trying to smuggle them back in to prison, which is how all this other stuff came out), he also used the inmate trustee to work for him in his personal side landscaping business, and he then threatened the interim police manager while suspended during the investigation. You know what the county AG said?

“...while there was substantial mismanagement, lack of proper oversight and improper conduct on behalf of the Chief, his conduct and his actions do not rise to the level of provable criminal conduct.”

 

[greencobra]

$25 to Market Basket or Target.

manchester-by-the-sea? $25 to whole foods where they can get 2 oranges and a pound of grapes for their trouble.

 

[Drix]

The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department has reimbursed the family for the loss of their firearm and formally apologized to them.

Oh, I'd want my gun back.

Recieving stolen property is no joke, and you don't have title to it even if you paid fair value and had no knowledge of its status.

Cop got paid 650, the ffl probibly sold it for 1k.

 

[Climbnsink]

That one bad apple sure gets around

 

[Dan-o]

Then the Taxpayers(Police Dept) pay the family?

 

[Bt74]

Cops do worse without being charged and then go on to work for another department after being fired.

He won’t be charged. Because cop.

A small town NH former police chief not only sold a gun took from the evidence room, but also stole drugs, was actually growing marijuana in the evidence room, allowed an inmate trustee to be left alone repeatedly enabling him to take a squad car for a joy ride, make hundreds of phone calls to his girlfriend, and eventually break into the evidence room and steal drugs himself (got caught by county corrections trying to smuggle them back in to prison, which is how all this other stuff came out), he also used the inmate trustee to work for him in his personal side landscaping business, and he then threatened the interim police manager while suspended during the investigation. You know what the county AG said?

“...while there was substantial mismanagement, lack of proper oversight and improper conduct on behalf of the Chief, his conduct and his actions do not rise to the level of provable criminal conduct.”

Kingston NH?

 

[Bt74]

At least the victim got paid. In Salem NH, the asswipe PD took 13 M1 Garands for "safekeeping" from the VFW after an attempted burglary, and a few years later the VFW came looking for them....and they couldn't be found. The shitbag COP told them they "might have" traded them off for other guns for the PD. "But they were old guns, and not worth much". Not sure if it's the same COP, but the current COP just "Retired" after being caught doing paid Details while on his shift. After he retired...the assbag Selectmen gave him something in the area of $150,000 "severance" pay.

 

[mac1911]

Did the cop get fired, No! He was able to resign. Means he just finds new cop job some where else and still gets pension I sure.
This officer should have been charged with grand larceny, illegal sales of firearms, the FFL should be charged also.

 

[MGnoob]

That’s almost the lamest crime I could think of a cop committing..... I can be the only bad move he’s made

 

[Glockster30]

The last dealer in Gloucester closed up shop sometime last year but had been open since 2013/14. That had to have been where the Manchester cop sold it. Oddly enough that gun shop owner was a Gloucester cop at the time. I don’t know if he is now. I thought I heard he moved out of state.

Thanks for clarifying this, Andrew. I couldn't think of any FFLs in the Manchester or Glostah area, at least with a storefront.


[QUOTE="drgrant, post: 6155845,
Lol... so this nipplehead flushed his career down the toilet for $650.... talk about a winner. On top of that he probably got ripped off by the gun shop. -Mike[/QUOTE]


C'mon Mike, let's be honest, if the FFL was a cop as Andrew1220 believes, one cop is not going to screw another cop!

 

[McReef]

“I am satisfied with the outcome.” I wonder what a satisfactory “outcome” would have looked like if you or I stole the gun and sold it... Hell, I’d be afraid to sell a non-stolen gun for fear of getting nailed to the wall because I incorrectly filled out a field on the paperwork.

 

[DW357]

Thanks for clarifying this, Andrew. I couldn't think of any FFLs in the Manchester or Glostah area, at least with a storefront.


[QUOTE="drgrant, post: 6155845,
Lol... so this nipplehead flushed his career down the toilet for $650.... talk about a winner. On top of that he probably got ripped off by the gun shop. -Mike

C'mon Mike, let's be honest, if the FFL was a cop as Andrew1220 believes, one cop is not going to screw another cop!

I don’t think the cop got screwed. I know the guy who bought that Luger. It’s been chrome/nickel plated which kills the collector value.

 

[milktree]

Isn't stealing a gun a federal felony?

Or does "because cop" trump "because gunz"?