Badges - Re: Popular Alaska Cop extradited
- From: C D Rowsell <cd2u@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <badges@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:47:10 -0700
STANDBY... you just watch Henry Higgins, you just watch. This guy is going
to be put up as the poster child for letting illegal aliens in under such
things as 'amnesty' for those who have been living and working illegally in
the US, who have not violated (at least caught) for any other crimes.
CD
-----Original Message-----
From: badges-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:badges-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Charles Rahn
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2011 10:21 AM
To: Badges 1Badge
Subject: Badges - Popular Alaska Cop extradited
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - For years, the man known as Rafael Espinoza was widely
respected as an exemplary police officer who was popular among his peers in
Alaska's largest city.All that ended this week when authorities discovered
he was really Mexican national Rafael Mora-Lopez, who was in the U.S.
illegally and stole another man's identity, officials charged."His
reputation here is one of a hard-working officer, one who was very
professional," Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew said Friday at a news
conference announcing Mora-Lopez's arrest. "The problem, obviously, is he is
not Rafael Espinoza."Soon after the announcement, Mora-Lopez appeared in
U.S. District Court in Anchorage and pleaded not guilty to a charge of
passport fraud, which carries a maximum 10-year sentence. At his
arraignment, Mora-Lopez told a federal magistrate he is 47, even though
officials listed his age as 51.His attorney, Alan Dayan, declined to comment
to The Associated Press.Federal agents processing a rene
wal request for his passport discovered the alleged fraud. He was arrested
Thursday after authorities searched his home and found documents confirming
his true identity, officials said.Mora-Lopez had been employed as an
Anchorage police officer since 2005 under the assumed name. Police and
federal prosecutors said he doesn't have a criminal record."We have no
evidence that this individual had at the time been anything other than a
good police officer," Karen Loeffler, U.S. Attorney in Alaska said.The real
Rafael Espinoza is a U.S. citizen who lives outside Alaska.Officials said
it's too soon to gauge implications of the case, such as any fallout over
Mora-Lopez's court testimony in past criminal trials. Authorities released
limited details, saying the case was still unfolding.Mew said the department
conducted a pre-employment criminal background check on Mora-Lopez and he
also passed a polygraph test. A national fingerprint check also turned up
empty.There are no immediate p
lans to file state charges, said John Skidmore, a state attorney. He and
other officials stressed that the case was still under investigation.The
arrest was a "bitter pill to swallow" for many in the police department, Mew
said."At this time, we have no reason to believe, from what we know so far,
that this gentleman or this officer's good work for APD has in any way been
compromised or questioned," Skidmore said.U.S. Magistrate John D. Roberts
set bond at $50,000, and ordered Mora-Lopez to home-confinement and
electronic monitoring. His defense attorney told the magistrate that
Mora-Lopez has a wife and child in Alaska and has close ties to Anchorage,
where he has lived since the late 1980s."He's not going anywhere," Dayan
said.The wife could not be reached by phone for comment Friday.The passport
fraud case is similar to one involving a Mexican national who took the
identity of a dead cousin who was a U.S. citizen in order to become a
Milwaukee police officer. Oscar Ayala-
Cornejo was deported to Mexico in 2007.
The Badges Law Enforcement Discussion Group - Est. 1997
The Badges Law Enforcement Discussion Group - Est. 1997
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