The executive director of the San Jose Police Association was arrested on charges of attempting to illegally transport fentanyl, which stunned the law enforcement community, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Joanne Marian Segovia, The 64-year-old is said to have used his personal and office computers to order drugs, including fentanyl, between October 2015 and January 2023, according to the United States. Department of Justice.
The head of the Police Union is said to have ordered at least 61 shipments of drugs from places like Hong Kong, India
The DOJ said at least 61 shipments were sent to her home from places including India, Hungary and Hong Kong.
Packages sent to Segovia’s house were individually labeled with innocuous items such as “Shirts”, “Chocolate and Candy” and “Makeup Gifts”. A packet of fentanyl sent to her just two weeks ago was labeled as a “watch.”
Segovia has joined the association since 2003.
“This is a very disturbing allegation. No one is above the law, no matter who their employer is,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “I want to thank U.S. Attorney (Ismail J.) Ramsey and his colleagues for actively pursuing the sources of fentanyl infiltrating our communities and holding drug traffickers accountable. duty.”
🚨 SAN JOSE POLICE UNION LEADER CHARGED WITH RUNNING A MASSIVE DRUG SMUGGLING RING
Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, is accused of ordering thousands of opioids (including fentanyl) to her home and agreeing to distribute them in the United States. pic.twitter.com/GF5FBKWedT
— BAY AREA STATE OF MIND (@YayAreaNews) March 31, 2023
The arrest comes amid a growing and deadly opioid problem raging in the United States
The news comes amid a growing drug problem raging in the United States, as the number of people who have lost loved ones to fentanyl and other opioids continues to rise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 109,000 people died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending March 2022. Annual drug overdose deaths hit a record during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, retired judge Ladoris Cordell – who is also a former independent San Jose police auditor – said he wanted to know if any of the alleged drug dealings involved union funds. Are not.
“If they had anyone in charge of looking at the finances, checking the records and books, it looks like someone would have noticed this was happening,” Cordell said. NewsCountry.
Police Federation CEO immediately placed on leave, Ministry refuses to know about drugs
The Police Officers Association announced it “immediately placed” Segovia on leave, while completely rejecting the suggestion that the agency had anything to do with the alleged acts.
“The POA (Police Association) immediately laid off civilian employees and, following standard procedure, cut off all access to the POA. No additional individuals at the POA were involved or had prior knowledge of the alleged conduct. The Board of Directors is deeply saddened and disappointed,” a statement from the association was read in part.
Fentanyl kills pic.twitter.com/CpVKzYvZWC
– NikkiPreston (@NikkiPreston107) March 28, 2023
Experts say that law enforcement officials could be swayed by the huge amount of money the drugs bring in, leading to department corruption, the outlet reports.
“Police corruption is the biggest nightmare for… the legitimate law enforcement officers you have out there,” said retired DEA Special Agent Peter Gudowitz. “Follow up investigations and prevent corruption.”
Segovia faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty, scheduled to appear in court on Friday
Segovia allegedly continued to sell drugs even after being questioned by federal investigators last month.
Segovia is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, according to KTLA.
If convicted, Segovia faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years. Additionally, as part of any sentence, the court can order the defendant to serve at least 3 years of supervised release and pay a fine of up to $250,000.
