I'm not the person that asks for handouts nor do I give them. I think that people should work for what they have, and if they don't have what they need, then the struggle should motivate them to work harder. Yet - here I am, because what has happened is plain WRONG! It's unjust, a complete abuse of power and law, and this crap needs to be addressed and fixed! Cause this sort of thing CANNOT continue. Catching people who are doing the wrong thing is 100% supported- but entrapping an individual, using a previous vendetta to wreak havoc on someones life and freedom, and abusing the powers entitled to you, simply because you wear a badge, is sick and should be exposed!
So heres the deal - currently, two men that I know, along with countless others, are facing YEARS of prison time, for crimes that they didn't commit, by way of entrapment, coercion, intimidation, and impersonation. The first man, who is still sitting in the Gila County Jail system, was conned and coerced by a facebook account, that was ultimately a catfish scenario. He was friend requested by a young woman, who claimed to have lived in his old town, and had similar aquaintances. This "young woman" was attractive, flirtatious, and knowledgeable about the seedier sides of life. As such, she repeatedly asked for narcotics - connections, delivery, sales, etc. To entice this friend for these favors, she would in turn send pornographic images and videos, all claiming to be her, with the hopes that this gentleman would be so kind as to make a delivery, in exchange for those sexual services. The final request was for a "boat" of fentanyl pills, and the pressure to deliver that product was constant, lasting for more than a week, with almost daily badgering to acquire and deliver. After many attempts to set aside the topic or conversation, this man finally agreed to try and assist. Keep in mind - this man has very little knowledge or connections for that sort of thing, and that is not his regular routine, so when he agreed to try and help, that process took quite some time in order for him to find, purchase, acquire, and then "deliver". All the while, he was being promised not only the sexual favors so clearly shared online, but also a monetary gain for the assistance.
During that time, he also communicated with some friends that he needed a ride to Payson to meet his "old friend" whom he had claimed to know for years. After a couple denials on transportation, he came across the other man in this story. The second man, who was arrested along with the first man, was contacted to be the transportation, not for transportation or narcotics, but for his friend, who needed a ride to payson to see an old friend. Bear in mind, this second gentleman had just had his vehicle vandalized, leaving all 4 tires flattened. When the request for a ride came in, so along with it, the gain of some money, to offset the time and trouble. Seeing as replacing four new tires can get costly, he gladly agreed to offer the ride, and he secured a vehicle to complete the trip, from another friend.
The day of the arrest, the second gentleman picked up the first man, and they, together started the drive to Payson, where the driver was to drop off the passenger, to the Payson casino. He was to wait around for an hour or two, while the "old friend" and other man met up, and then he was to drive his original passenger and himself back home to Phoenix. During the drive, the first man and the facbook "friend" were texting back and forth and communicating the location and expected arrival to the Payson casino. When they finally got to Payson, the communication seemed to have halted a bit, but was quickly resumed, leading to a change in meetup location - the circle k, right down the street. On the way to the gas station, the borrowed vehicle was pulled over by the Tonto Apache police department. At the time of the stop, the claim was that they were pulled over for a cracked windshield. From there, both passengers complied with the officers, and they were told that they would be receiving a warning. Then, without further provocation, the simple traffic violation led to narcotic dogs being deployed, a search and seizure of the vehicle, and the arrest of both men.
It was at this time that one of the officers revealed that in fact HE was the Facebook friend, that had been sending the inappropriate pornographic videos and images, and that had been luring the first man to Payson. There had been some long standing vendetta against the man, from the officer, for some personal entanglements from a previous relationship, and as such, he even admitted to having had a personal goal and intent on bringing the first man down. The second man was considered to be an accomplice, even though he was unaware of the true reason for the delivery, and he was simply trying to make a few extra dollars to cover the additional costs of replacing 4 tires. The second man was pressured to "turn" on his friend, was incentivized with "release" from arrest to share information that he did not know, and was even driven around Payson, in an attempt to get him to accidentally share details, of a crime, which he had no previous knowledge of. The charges of the arrest were: transportation of narcotics, distribution of narcotics, paraphernalia, and dangerous drugs - yet when the drugs, which were found in the BORROWED FROM A FRIEND VEHICLE, the drugs found were NOT the REQUESTED "boat" of fentanyl, further demonstrating the unlikely “hardened drug dealer” status of man one, but also the lack of communication that really took place.
Here is where the ask for assistance really comes in - since the arrest of these two men, one was able to post bail, however the other has not. As such, the driver is facing 5 years and the passenger is facing 9. Neither of them have been able to work, as the arrest has caused complete chaos in the professional lives, and now, they are behind on bills, struggling to pay for representation, and ultimately, unless they are able to secure proper legal assistance, I fear that the ramifications will extend far beyond the individuals, but also to their families, futures, and lives.
We need to 1) help these guys who, one was oblivious of the real situation, and the other was just naive and seeking some sort of approval, pay for representation that ISNT bought and paid for by the system, and 2) hold accountable the Tonto Apache officer who misused his “power of the badge” to manipulate, persuade, and unlawfully coerce the illegal activities of these gentlemen, whether knowingly or not.
This money would: 1) secure bail for the other party, 2) pay for the attorneys, who have been contacted and feel confident that the officer inappropriately used his connection to entrap these men, and 3) allow these men a fair and speedy trial, so they can move on from this nonsense.
