Deputy fired for checking driver's license status of celebrities and co-workers

**Terminator** · 03-19-06, 06:11 AM

TAMPA - Hillsborough sheriff's Deputy Daniel Green said he did it because he was bored. Deputy Barry Michael told an internal affairs detective he did it out of curiosity.
Both are now out of jobs.
Green was fired this month and Michael took early retirement in lieu of dismissal, after an investigation found that while on duty, the deputies accessed a state database more than 100 times to check driving histories of their peers and superiors. They even looked up actors John Travolta and Tom Selleck.
Michael also admitted writing three derogatory postings about his superiors on LeoAffairs.com, a locally run message board for law enforcement, according to the internal affairs report.
In the postings, done from his home computer, Michael accused one sergeant of cheating on her husband. He called the sergeant's husband and another lieutenant stupid.
Comments like those have fueled Sheriff David Gee's ongoing attempts to get court-ordered access to records identifying the Internet addresses of deputies who post messages on LeoAffairs.
Gee maintains that messages like Michael's violate department policies against abusiveness, disrespect of supervisors and public disparagement.
Gee hasn't won access to the addresses so far, but the case is being considered by an appeals court.
Gee said Michael's fate illustrates the zero tolerance he will have for other deputies who post such messages.
"Here you have a subordinate employee who makes up a rumor," Gee said. "The coffee room chatter, that's fine. But to make up malicious lies, we just can't operate like that."
Green and Michael worked as deputies in the transportation section of the Morgan Street jail. They could not be reached Friday.
According to investigators, the deputies accessed the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' database of driver and vehicle records more than 100 times each between January and August of 2005.
Green, 33, looked up the driving histories of superiors, including Maj. Robert Lucas, Maj. Elaine White and Col. David Parrish. He looked up actors Tom Selleck and John Travolta, a Scientologist with a home in Ocala.
Michael, 37, looked up fellow deputies and sheriff's Lt. Robert Stein, who works in detention at the Morgan Street jail.
He told an internal affairs detective he did it out of curiosity. Looking up the records when not part of official duties is against Sheriff's Office policy.
"He does not feel it kept him from performing his regular duties," professional standards Sgt. Ron Valenti wrote in a report on the probe.
Green "stated he was "bored' at work and would pass the time by randomly querying driver's licenses," Valenti wrote.
But the driving checks appear not to have been totally random.
Green looked up the driving records of Sgt. Jerry Leggett on July 22, a week after derogatory messages about the transportation bureau and Leggett were posted on LeoAffairs.
He also looked up the history of Leggett's wife, 50-year-old Sgt. Angela Leggett, the subject of LeoAffairs postings that began in May 2005.
Jerry Leggett works at the Falkenburg Road jail; Angela Leggett works in jail transportation.
In mid August, Green filed a grievance against Angela Leggett regarding her recent evaluation of his job performance.
Also about that time, ABC Action News investigative reporter Matthew Schwartz got a tip, later proved false, that Jerry Leggett, 45, had a suspended driver's license.
Green denied having ever posted messages on LeoAffairs. He told IA detectives he never contacted the media about the Leggett rumors.
Valenti said Friday that investigators could never prove otherwise, so they did not uphold the allegation that Green violated the department policy against public disparagement. IA investigators concluded, however, that Green misused communications facilities and was inattentive to his duties.
Green, who was hired in August 2000, was dismissed this month, when the inquiry concluded.
Records show Michael, like Green, looked up the sergeant's driving history in July.
And he admitted to posting three derogatory messages about the Leggetts and Lt. Robert Stein from his home computer. Michael, who joined the Sheriff's Office in May 1995, took early retirement in January rather than wait for the outcome of the IA inquiry.
This month, investigators concluded he violated a total of nine department policies. Among them are policies involving negligence, abusiveness, public disparagement and conduct unbecoming a sheriff's employee.

**danninator** · 03-19-06, 11:32 AM

writing three derogatory postings about his superiors on LeoAffairs.com, a locally run message board for law enforcement

Did I ever mention how awesome my command staff is?

that should cover any shittalk

Sounds like they are firing moreso based on not liking his posts rather than the lookups.

**Iron Man** · 03-19-06, 01:15 PM

Watch what you post guys.. you never know.

**mxwelch** · 03-19-06, 08:13 PM

I can talk smack all day long. One of the pros about NOT being employed. The only problem is, because I'm not employed, I don't know any to talk about.

Well any that would merit any slanderous remarks anyway...

Granted I'm just an outsider looking in but what is wrong with him running people through the system? I could understand if he stalked someone using his position but I just don't get this. And for the other, I don't know the policies of his department so I'll leave that one alone.

P.S. I would never talk smack about a co-worker just for the sake of doing it. I've found it always has a way of biting you in the end.

**Retdetsgt** · 03-19-06, 08:39 PM

That sucks. Maybe what they did wasn't the smartest thing in the world, but it's hardly worth losing your job over. A letter of repremand seems a lot more appropriate to me.

Hell, I think I did that one night on graveyard when I was bored to tears. I can't imagine anyone in my dept doing anymore than telling me to knock it off, if they even cared to start with!

We did have a major investigation once when someone looked for a criminal record in Texas on a guy running for mayor here. We were quite as automated then and Texas would only respond by teletype. The teletype came to records and it set off a minor firestorm. They never did find out who did it. It was run from a computer terminal in detectives, but we only had a few at that time and whoever came into the office first in the morning logged in and it stayed that way until the last person left in the afternoon and they logged out. But even then, there is no way in hell anyone woulda been fired over that!

**Virginian** · 03-19-06, 08:42 PM

I went to Raleigh yesterday to see my parents, and as soon as I crossed the state line I smelled a horrible stink. It was gone by the time I got near Raleigh though... seems to be centered pretty near the state line. Like... around Brad's house. Slander over

Seriously though, I've heard of officers being fired/reprimanded for running plates they see on TV, like the president's limo. Dummies.

**TXCharlie** · 03-19-06, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by Virginian

Seriously though, I've heard of officers being fired/reprimanded for running plates they see on TV, like the president's limo. Dummies.

Yeah, that's what PublicData.com is for - It's stupid to do it at work

**Virginian** · 03-19-06, 09:29 PM

It'll get you a visit from the fellas at the USSS as well

**TXCharlie** · 03-19-06, 09:53 PM

Really? Will they bring me some Little Debby's?

**Virginian** · 03-19-06, 10:01 PM

Maybe some little bracelets

**Retdetsgt** · 03-19-06, 10:53 PM

It's still a bullshit over reaction. What does it really hurt?

Indy · 03-19-06, 11:18 PM

I bet leoaffairs.com got a ton of hits recently.....

**lcsodre108** · 03-19-06, 11:19 PM

In Arkansas, use of the ACIC/NCIC for that kind of syuff will get you charged with a felony.

**Virginian** · 03-19-06, 11:23 PM

When I first started dating my wife, her mom had the SRO where she teaches run my name. Kinda irritated me that he did it, even though I'm squeaky clean. It's an invasion of privacy, in my opinion, when there's no reason for the information to be shared.

**Retdetsgt** · 03-19-06, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by Virginian

When I first started dating my wife, her mom had the SRO where she teaches run my name. Kinda irritated me that he did it, even though I'm squeaky clean. It's an invasion of privacy, in my opinion, when there's no reason for the information to be shared.

Drivers license info is public record. Anyone can go in and get it anytime they want.

**Virginian** · 03-19-06, 11:53 PM

When you run someone's plate, is there not info on there that isn't publicly available?

**Retdetsgt** · 03-20-06, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by Virginian

When you run someone's plate, is there not info on there that isn't publicly available?

Not that I know of. Maybe the name of the lien holder, if there is one isn't available. Your name, dob and address are all there, at least in Oregon. Insurance companies routinely get all your driver's license info including all your accidents and tickets. They have no more rights than a private citizen to that stuff. The only difference in them and the police is that they have to pay a small processing fee to get it.

Just to add, (I'd forgotten about it) Oregon was selling CD's with driver's license info up until not long ago. They still may be doing that, because I know businesses routinely buy all the DL infor for junk mailings. I think now there's a way to stop them from selling your info in that manner, but that doesn't stop someone from walking into a DMV office and getting it.

**Virginian** · 03-20-06, 01:00 AM

I read something saying that private detectives sometimes pay officers for the information. If it's possible for any citizen to get everything on there, I can't imagine why it's an issue, unless it's just the ease with which you can get it (going around any type of FOIA paperwork, etc). I do remember the woman teaching us to use the laptops with the NCIC and VCIN programs warned us that they occasionally get audited, and you should (supposedly) have record of why you ran every single ID and plate.

**Retdetsgt** · 03-20-06, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by Virginian

I read something saying that private detectives sometimes pay officers for the information. If it's possible for any citizen to get everything on there, I can't imagine why it's an issue, unless it's just the ease with which you can get it (going around any type of FOIA paperwork, etc). I do remember the woman teaching us to use the laptops with the NCIC and VCIN programs warned us that they occasionally get audited, and you should (supposedly) have record of why you ran every single ID and plate.

The private detectives are probably paying for criminal record info. That's private unless you're LE or the subject signs a permission form to release it.

I suspect it's the use of LE facilities to get it that they are upset about.

If you think there's such a thing as privacy, have you ever run your name on http://www.zabasearch.com?

**Ken K** · 03-20-06, 01:14 AM

Take a look at http://www.nvo.com/beaulier/checkadrivingrecord/ for info on DL's.

Insurance companies get this stuff as part of a consumer report for underwriting.

All this crap is confusing. If you apply for insurance they can get your credit report as a consumer report. If you have a claim, the claims dept cannot have it without your written permission.