Former Appleton Police Division narcotics investigator convicted of felony for falsifying signatures

APPLETON – A former Appleton Police Division narcotics investigator was convicted of a felony and fined for forging signatures on paperwork related to a drug investigation.

Jeremy Haney, 37, pleaded no contest Tuesday to misconduct in public workplace for falsifying data in a report, a Class I felony. A no contest plea means Haney accepted a responsible verdict with out admitting or denying any guilt.

In 2022, whereas working as a part of the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, often known as LWAM, Haney solid signatures on paperwork authorizing a monitoring machine be positioned on a automobile. Haney instructed investigators he solid the signatures after dropping the unique paperwork, in line with a felony criticism.

LWAM is a multi-jurisdictional drug unit made up of investigators from police departments and sheriffs’ workplaces in Outagamie, Winnebago and Calumet counties.

Waupaca County Circuit Court docket Choose Raymond Huber wonderful Haney $640, together with different charges totaling $1,158.

What occurred?

As a part of a “large-scale, multi-defendant drug conspiracy case” in Could 2022, LWAM investigators put in a GPS monitoring machine on a automobile operated by a suspect they believed was working with others to distribute massive quantities fentanyl, in line with a felony criticism.

To put in a GPS machine, cops should safe a courtroom order that describes each the automobile getting tracked and the length the monitoring machine can be on the automobile.

The criticism says “no actionable proof” was collected from the GPS machine. Nonetheless, after investigators intercepted a postal supply from Arizona containing fentanyl tablets, the suspect, Randy Mack, 35, was arrested in December 2022 and charged in federal courtroom with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or extra of a detectable quantity of fentanyl.

Mack pleaded responsible to the cost in January. His sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 8

In Could 2023, an Outagamie County assistant district legal professional was reviewing paperwork associated to the case as a result of they had been prosecuting certainly one of Mack’s alleged co-conspirators, after they got here throughout a courtroom order utility signed with their title in another person’s signature.

The assistant district legal professional instructed investigators they did log off on an utility on this case, however seen some inconsistencies with this paperwork from the one they signed, together with a special variety of days the monitoring machine could be on the automobile and a special date. Whereas the assistant district legal professional signed an utility requesting a 45-day GPS monitor on Could 24, 2022, the paperwork listed the GPS length as 90 days and was dated Could 23, 2022, in line with the criticism.

The assistant district legal professional mentioned Haney initially requested a courtroom order permitting GPS monitoring for 90 days, however the assistant district legal professional knew “some judges discover 90 days to be extreme,” and as an alternative, after consulting with a choose, the next day modified the courtroom order to a 45-day length, and up to date the date on the paperwork. The assistant district legal professional mentioned they then defined the change to Haney and met him, the place they each signed the paperwork, together with a notary public.

On the cast paperwork, the assistant district legal professional seen the choose’s signature was additionally solid, which was later confirmed by the choose. Each the assistant district legal professional’s and the choose’s parts of the courtroom order lacked a notary signature.

Regardless of the 90-day length listed on the cast paperwork, paperwork confirmed the GPS was faraway from the automobile 44 days after the the courtroom order was signed.

In an interview with an investigator, Haney initially claimed he didn’t know what occurred, however ultimately said he misplaced the paperwork approving the 45-day GPS installment and reprinted the preliminary paperwork he despatched to the assistant district legal professional, then solid the signatures.

Haney instructed the investigator, “I did not give it some thought. I am like, it would not matter, it was signed,” the criticism says.

Did Haney go away his place?

Haney resigned in July after getting positioned on administrative go away pending the investigation, in line with the Appleton Police Division. He had been with the Appleton Police Division for 15 years, together with 2½ years assigned to LWAM, the criticism says.

What costs had been dismissed?

Haney was additionally charged with uttering a forgery as real, a Class H felony, and a misdemeanor cost for resisting or obstructing an officer — each of which had been dismissed in a plea deal.

Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Comply with her on X, previously Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli.

This text initially appeared on Appleton Put up-Crescent: Ex-Appleton narcotics investigator convicted of falsifying signatures