Toronto cop demoted for lying about drugs

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A Toronto cop who collected more than half a million dollars in a paid suspension has been demoted for two years after admitting in court that he did not “obviously” see drugs in the suspect’s car, despite giving “false” testimony.

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Some might call this lying.

Construction Richard White, 48, pleaded guilty to disreputable conduct in April.

“Building. White undermined the credibility, reputation and Core Values ​​of the Toronto Police Service,” court hearing officer Insp. Suzanne Redman wrote in her ruling this week.

“His failure to keep notes of his interactions with the public on multiple occasions and then falsely testify causing a Criminal/CDSA case to no longer be valid creates such harm to the public that a would-be criminal does not have to answer on his or her behalf. “They were allowed to return to society and possibly re-offend and experience further victimization for their alleged crimes.”

He said the additional training, as well as the two-year demotion from first class constable to second class, showed that such behavior “will absolutely not be tolerated and will be taken very seriously by the Service and will hopefully serve to maintain public confidence.”

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The 18-year veteran also faced charges of theft, perjury and obstruction of justice; however, these charges were withdrawn by the Crown in 2023.

The scandal dates back to May 2017, when a group of 12 Division officers arrested a man in a Honda on Weston Rd. for drug and weapons-related offences.

According to court documents, officers found 2.57 kilos of cocaine, 1.69 kilos of methamphetamine, 113 grams of heroin, 8.7 kilos of marijuana and four kilos of hashish inside the car, along with $130,000 in cash, six cell phones and a Ruger pistol with ammunition. .

In February 2018, White “falsely” said at the man’s preliminary hearing that drugs were “clearly visible,” allowing them to search his vehicle without a warrant.

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But this wasn’t true.

“During this investigation, an inaccurate record of events was created due to omissions in your notes: You made notes stating that you saw drugs in HN’s vehicle after the arrest, when in fact these drugs were not clearly visible. Redman wrote, quoting the agreed upon statement.

“You did not note the search that you and the other officers at the scene performed on HN’s vehicle.”

The judge stayed HN’s drug charges, and his lawyer, Kim Schofield, said the officers complied with professional standards.

White and two colleagues were later investigated for allegedly stealing $50,000 during a 2017 arrest and hiding it in notebooks and affidavits at the suspect’s preliminary hearing.

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In October 2019, White and his accomplice Aseem Malhi were indicted and suspended with pay. Toronto Sun reported at the time that a third officer under investigation had committed suicide several weeks earlier.

In the agreed statement, White admitted that he left “large gaps” in his notes, which led to his testimony being inaccurate. His lawyer, Joanne Mulcahy, said he was overwhelmed by his heavy workload and was “going through a tangle of events, including a related arrest involving someone with a similar name”.

The hearing officer wrote that his misconduct violated the very essence of his duty as a police officer by “failing to take accurate notes regarding his interaction with a suspect, neglecting to take notes regarding a vehicle search, and then giving false testimony at a preliminary investigation.” .

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“Building. “White failed to take notes not once, but 20 times during the period from April 5, 2017 to July 20, 2017, and at least one serious criminal incident was derailed due to his faulty notes and inaccurate statements.”

While Redman noted that White had an excellent record with numerous accolades, he also noted that he had a Police Act conviction in 2013 for carrying out unauthorized police checks, which resulted in the loss of 26 days’ wages.

He said his history showed an officer who was dedicated to his profession “but has now twice made extremely poor judgment which has brought him to the Court”.

It’s unlikely he’ll get another chance.

“Building. White is an experienced police officer who undoubtedly knows better by now, and if he finds himself before the Court again he will undoubtedly face a much more significant penalty, possibly even dismissal.

Asked if he had anything to say at his April hearing, White said, “I look forward to receiving this from my side and getting on the road to serve the city again.”

He’s going to get this chance for a reason.

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