Criminal Defense Lawyer Addresses Arrests of Philadelphia PD Officers

PHILADELPHIA - May 11, 2015 - PRLog -- Philadelphia criminal defense attorney Jeremy-Evan Alva, of the law firm Alva & Shuttleworth, LLC, said the more than 300 cases that have been withdrawn and the more than 160 convictions that have been overturned since a federal indictment accused six Philadelphia Police narcotics officers of corruption calls into question the validity of thousands of drug charges. On April 23, federal prosecutors rested their monthlong case against six officers named in a 26-count indictment that included details about 22 separate incidents in which the officers allegedly took more than $500,000 worth of cash, personal property, and drugs for suspected drug dealers.

In testifying against his former colleagues, former narcotics officer Jeffrey Walker admitted that to stealing money and valuables during illegal raids, planting evidence, and lying “too many times to count” on police paperwork. Walker is hoping to avoid a life sentence through his cooperation after being arrested in a 2013 FBI sting in which he stole money from and planted drugs in the car of an informant.

“This case simply proves that there are no limits to the lengths that some officers will go in order to obtain a conviction,” Alva said. “The narcotics squad of the Philadelphia Police Department was still recovering from its previous scandal, but these allegations essentially undermine every seizure the agency has celebrated over the past decade.”

In his testimony, Walker said that major seizures were “nothing but a dog-and-pony show.” Federal agents arrested the six narcotics officers in March following a two-year joint investigation between the Philadelphia Police Department, FBI, and U.S. Attorney's office.

“The details of the more than 20 incidents outlined in the indictment were simply shocking, and the fact that the U.S. Attorney stated that these individuals literally filed false police reports should disgust all Philadelphians,” Alva said. “The city has already had to reverse or dismiss hundreds of drug cases because of unreliable testimony or evidence, and this case will likely lead to countless more.”

The six officers who were arrested following the unsealing of the indictment were Perry Betts, Thomas Liciardello, Linwood Norman, Brian Reynolds, John Speiser, and Michael Spicer. Prosecutors showed jurors text messages that Liciardello allegedly sent Walker, including one that read, “Your now a rat I hope you die.”

The criminal defense lawyers at Alva & Shuttleworth, LLC have been representing clients facing state and federal drug charges in Pennsylvania for nearly three decades. Jeremy-Evan Alva has tried scores of misdemeanor and felony cases in Philadelphia and several surrounding counties, and he was named a "Pennsylvania Rising Star" by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2011.

For more information, call Jeremy-Evan Alva of Alva & Shuttleworth, LLC at (215) 665-1695 or visit http://www.alvafirm.com to fill out a contact form.