Cop Cuts Cars Sold Stolen Vehicles Gets Cut

Polk County Police Officer Charged with Running a Chop Shop

and Obstructing a Federal Investigation

 

Officer Allegedly Tipped Off Targets That an Individual was an Informant

Police Officer Mark Sparks

Mark HOWELL SPARKS, 39, of Buchanan, Georgia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury and arraigned this afternoon on charges that he

operated and maintained a chop shop, possessed vehicles and vehicle parts with altered, obliterated and removed vehicle identification numbers (VINs), and obstructed a federal investigation. 

The indictment comes after an investigation over a one year period by the Northwest Georgia Criminal Enterprise Task Force (NGCETF). The Task Force issued warrants for 11 people Tuesday and Wednesday that were involved in a stolen vehicle ring operating in Floyd and Polk counties.  Amongst the 11 were other law enforcement officers including Michael Robinson and Kenneth Gravett, both of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, according to Rome Newswire. com.

Marvin Cheatwood

If the allegations are true, Sparks used his badge for his personal gain while the citizens suffered.  Allegedly, Markie liked selling it by the piece.  He would arrange for the purchase of stolen vehicles, then take ‘em apart and sell the parts for a lot more than one could get for the entire hole.  They call that a chop shop.

“Officer Mark Sparks was running a chop shop” according to allegations"

 “This law enforcement officer is charged with taking profits in the underground trade of chopped auto parts. Worse, he further betrayed the trust placed in him, telling informants how to lie, tipping off targets of the investigation, and using his police knowledge to hide criminal activity.” said US Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.

The Feds allege The indictment officer Mark Sparks was running a chop shop along with two other dirty cops.  Further, they have him possessing vehicles or vehicle parts with altered, obliterated or removed VIN numbers. 

And then, of course, they have the good officer on obstruction of justice, as good officer Mark Sparks tipped other crooks off in the area about police investigations.  Specifically, Sparks knew an under-cover informant was recording some of his chums.  He advised the mark to shut his mouth about certain persons in the biz, likely himself.

  Margery Fields

As it turns out, a large portion of the Polk County Police Department may have been in on the crooked cop caper.  According to an article on the computer bulletin board Topix, an entire department is allegedly dirty:

1.Mark Sparks, for violation of oath of office, obstruction, theft by receiving (motor vehicle). Until his arrest on Tuesday, Oct. 6, Sparks was a police officer with the Polk County Police Department.

2.Marvin Cheatwood, for theft by receiving stolen property (motor vehicle).

 Bradley Miller

 3.Michael Robinson was charged by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms with federal weapons violations. Robinson is a former deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

4.Bradley Miller, for two counts of theft by receiving stolen property (motor vehicle) and altering a vehicle identification number.

5.John Summerville Sr., for two counts of sale and distribution of a schedule 2 drug, operating a chop shop, theft by receiving (motor vehicle) and forgery in the second degree.

6.Margie Fields, for altering a vehicle identification number and operating a chop shop.

Alan Camp
  7.Alan Camp, for altering a vehicle identification number and operating a chop shop.

8.Kenneth Gravett, for insurance fraud. Gravett is a former deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

For over a year, the NGCETF, which is led by the FBI, has been investigating a criminal enterprise based in Polk County involved in the trafficking of stolen vehicles and altering vehicle identification numbers in order to resell stolen vehicles for large profits.

Richard Haney

All persons should be presumed innocent till proven guilty in a court of law…the above are nothing more than allegations.  But if true, they speak to the rotting to the core of the law- enforcement structure. 

I suspect there may be a similar problem with a certain police force in a Denver suburb.  A local automobile dealership of used vehicles says they cannot account for 200 vehicles and got little cooperation from county detectives.  We shall see soon enough.

“At the end of the month you will be lucky if you are still a virgin” if you get convicted"

Hey Mark, if you get convicted of these charges you are going to have a rough time where they are going to send you.  If you know how to fight you might do all right with the first cat they send to bring you into line.  But then, the prison boys will send two.  If that does not work they will send five.  At the end of the month you will be lucky if you are still a virgin.  It will get worse from there.

Joey Hughes

You stand for the proposition that crooked cops pay a high price when they get caught, just as the people who trusted you paid a high price when their vehicles disappeared, some uninsured.  Insurance rates begin to rise.  Our faith in law enforcement is eroded ever so much. 

The violator now will be violated.  Mark Sparks says he didn’t do any of this.  He entered his not guilty plea in front of Judge Walter E. Johnson.  He deserves the right to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.  Mistakes happen, let’s hope for Marky Sparks it is all a big mistake.  If he really is guilty let’s hope he survives his prison sentence.  Cons don’t like child molesters and crooked cops.

Richard Todd-Haney

 If these allegations are true Cop Mark Sparks has violated everything we hold to be good and true in law enforcement.  He deserves to be punished severely, for not only was he stealing our cars, he was violating the public trust we have in our police force. 

It is guys like this that give every honest cop a black eye and make their job more difficult. 

Atlanta FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Moore said, “This matter was aggressively pursued by the FBI and its law enforcement partners in spite of efforts to obstruct our investigation. It is paramount that law enforcement maintain the trust of the public in which it serves. These charges serve as a reminder that nobody is above the law.”

“If you know something about Mark Sparks or the chop shop he allegedly operated, come forward"

Assistant United States Attorney William L. McKinnon, Jr. is prosecuting the case.  If you know something about Mark Sparks or the chop shop he allegedly operated, come forward.  Do your civic duty.  There may be something in this for you, who knows.  The government may not be done with their investigation.  They

Technorati Tags: mark sparks,marvin cheatwood,michael robinson,bradley miller,john summerville,margie fields,alan camp,kenneth gravett

say:

Technorati Tags: polk county,police officer,mark howell sparks,mark sparks,chop shop,polk county sheriff,vin number,altered vin number,how to steal vehicles,stolen cars,walter e johnson,kenneth moore,Salley Quillian Yates,william mckinnon,polk county police department

“For further information please contact Sally Q. Yates, United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.”

Some of the information in this article was obtained from Counter Intelligence Jobs, Net News

Let’s get the scum off the street including Atlanta policeman Mark Sparks and others who may have been running a chop shop, if the allegations are true.  These people prey on car dealers and private persons while violating the public trust we put in our law enforcement officers!

Arriba RIFA! Washington March a BIG HIT! C U In Las Vegas!

Big Hearts, Big Hopes, Dreaming the Act

Reform Immigration For America NOW!

Si se puede si se quiere

Over 200,000 people took time out of their day to journey to the nation’s capital to SAY YES to immigration reform.  Some say it was more like 500,000! 

Millions more watched, wishing they could be there in body.  They were there in spirit…and in their hopes…and in their dreams…and in their patriotism…for the biggest day in civil rights history during the 21st century came…and went…on Sunday, March 21st, 2010.

Here to stay are the hopes a mother has for her children.  That they may find in America what she only dreamed of finding for herself.  In many cases that means food on the table every day; an honest and just system of government;  A roof over her head instead of a packing crate; An education; Opportunity;  A chance to make this a better country.  When immigration reform passes, and it will pass with your help, mom will have what all moms really dream of:  That her children have a better life then she did.

Here to stay is the hope we can keep our family units intact, rather than splintering them between the US and foreign lands.  Immigrants who have the support of strong families are more likely to contribute to society, pay taxes, and start businesses that create jobs.  Children who grow up with fathers and mothers are likely to be more adjusted and better equipped to contribute to the American society. 

Here to stay is hope the years of oppressive thinking from a nation in fear from 911 has finally passed.  Everyone wants to improve national security, including those who will be staying here as naturalized citizens!  The question is how do were humanely control our borders and treat our neighbors as our brothers?  Rational immigration reform will mend a broken system, allow farmers and factories and labor intensive businesses to acquire the workers they need, and allow our border patrol to concentrate on the evil people who want to do harm to our country, rather than chase poor people through the desert.

Can't Stop ===== Won't Stop!

The next rally for America is in Las Vegas,

April 10, 2010 – 12pm – 3pm

333 Las Vegas Blvd. South

"Can't stop, won't stop!" says Carlos Saavedra,

United we dream

Arriba Rifa

Aqui Estamos y No Vamos!

We are on the dawn of a new day for America.  What was impossible yesterday is within our fingertips today.  We must continue with the battle, bring truth to the forefront.  The people of the United States of Amercia can make good decisions when they get the honest facts from the media.  Part of the problem has been a media which has failed to show the plight of immigrants struggling to be free, the oppression they suffer under unjust laws, the discrimination, based upon economic status and national origin. 

Poor people from countries that don't speak English have not been able to make their case about the abuses they are suffering. 

HELP US SPEAK OUT! The time for change is now!

 

Si se puede!

Gabriel Cubano

TECHNOTRATI Tags: rifa,reform immigration for america,piolin por la manana,washington dc,rally a success,the dream act

How to set up a CCTV system FBI training film, effective cctv systems

FBI training film, how to set up an effective CCTV system

Catch the crooks who rip you off!

This FBI training video gives you secrets to cctv selection, placement and systems.  Unlike the Lower Merion School District spy cam case, the suggestions in the video are legal, subject of course, to limitation by local or state laws.

CCTV

• Definition-why catch them on camera if you can't identify the perpetrator?
• Make sure you have plenty of overlap
• Be sure to maintain your system

If you are going to invest in cctv you might have a system that will work when you need it to.  This FBI training film gives great tips!

Sheriff arpaio answers RIFA immigration reform by sending 400 cops on round up

Phoenix Sheriff Joe Arpaio

anwers call for immigration reform

with

hateful crackdown on

undocumented workers.

Sheriff "Little Joe" Arpaio is at it again according the Eduardo Barraza, Barrizona Magazine Editor  I call the good sheriff  “little Joe” Arpaio because that is what a bully with a badge is. Little.

Sometimes we find good things come from bad things. It will be interesting to see. It is tragic Little Joe is on the rampage again. He is responding to the Reform Immigration For America (RIFA) march on Washington Sunday, March 21st, 2010. According to the Sheriff Arpaio press release his response to a call for immigration reform is to marshal 400 sheriff’s officers, state troopers, local police and militia fanatics from the private sector for a witch hunt for Mexican terrorists hiding near Phoenix, Arizona.

Well maybe they are not terrorist. First of all, A fair number are not Mexican Nationals. If this raid is like the last ones 28%, or 203 of the over 700 people arrested, will be legal citizens. Almost assuredly, the majority will be Hispanic. How do we know that?

"Asking help from the law in Maricopa County, Arizona, is asking for trouble"

Most will also be from the lower echelons of the work force. These legal US Citizens and legal resident aliens will be yanked off of the street, pulled away from their families, frantic for bond money and worried their employer will give them the boot for not showing up for work the next day.

About 500 of Arpaio's victims might be undocumented workers. These are the guys who take the tough jobs and hope their employers pay them. If they don't, there is not much the worker can do.  Asking help from the law in Maricopa County is asking for trouble. But then you don't have to be a undocumented worker to know that.  Those who don't have "papers" including rape, theft and assault victims, have a tough time calling the police.  So they suffer like all victims of terrorism.

Unfortunately, the one who is terrorizing poor people in Maricopa County is "Little Joe" Sheriff Arpaio. He is a US Citizen, by the way.

Why did these folks end up on the wrong side of the law? The Arpaio theory is to go to poor neighborhoods where a foreign language is predominantly spoken and look for problems. Do you have a broken windshield? You are getting stopped. Headlight out? You are getting stopped. Light bulb over your license plate out? You are getting stopped. Do you breathe and are you Hispanic traveling in a poor neighborhood? You are probably going to get stopped!

Not to worry if you are Hispanic and an American Citizen. Arpaio's officers will know the difference between you and an undocumented worker just by looking.  Sheriff "Little Joe" Arpaio has trained “all of my 900 deputies” in illegal immigration laws.  Well they make a few mistakes deciding who is legal and who is not.  Over 200 US Citizens were mistaken for illegal aliens and detained during past raids! No one gets it right all of the time! Come on!  It was only 200 citizens and lawful permanent residents stopped and detained who turned out to be here legally.

"'Little Joe' Arpaio has a bit of a problem with the truth"

Arpaio says he ordered all 900 of his deputies to be property trained to enforce illegal immigration laws. The Department of Homeland Security took away federal authority for a crack unit of 100 deputies trained by ICE to act in the place of Federal Immigration officials.

Little Joe Apraio has a bit of a problem with the Truth. Arpaio was using the special unit to bully the immigrant community which is why the US Government withdrew Arpaio’s authority. Today’s raids are just one example of a bully with a badge.

Arpaio sees it differently.  In his press release he brags about attacking focus on the growing problem of illegal alien drop houses, drug violators, and load vehicles used to haul illegal alien human cargo into Maricopa County.  Lost in the translation, in fact, lost in the National debate, is the reason for the crack down on mid-night border crossings, terroritst.  Sheriff "Little Joe" Arpaio does not mention catching one terrorist in all of his 37,000 undocumented worker arrests.

I said sometimes good things come from bad. How can something good come from a 78 year old fruit cake who orders 400 officers off of their normal crime beats to chase down poor Mexicans with broken windshields?

Victims of hate

Protestors pepper sprayed

"It worked in the Fatherland.  I don't think it will work in the Homeland"

The answer: If anyone had second thoughts about how important immigration reform is, Arpaio has reminded us. Immigration reform in the US is critical. Thanks "Little Joe".

Law enforcement in Maricopa County in Phoenix, Arizona is out of control thanks to “Little Joe”, Sheriff Arpaio. A knock on the door in the middle of the night, crying children, families splintered, desperate wives, the disappeared, the fear of law enforcement, all of this is the result of “900 deputies, all of whom are now in a position to enforce immigration laws” the Sheriff Arpaio way.

It worked in the father land Little Joe. I don’t think it will work in the homeland! Do You?

Roundup 

Pepper Spray Clean up

"Arpaio beats illegal alien"

RIFA march on Washington includes queers, Chuck Schumer Approves

Gays march with Latinos?

RIFA - GLBT

Reform Immigration For America and Diversity

In traditional Latino culture being a “maricon”, “manflor” “marimacha” or the most commonly used name, joto, is a pretty rotten life condition. It is enough to warrant permanent exclusion in some families. Even if you are so afflicted, many Latinos won’t admit to it. What is it?

Homosexual.

If Latino culture rejects queers why is the gay, lesbian and transgender community, partly represented by the organization called Immigration Equality, showing up in force for the Reform Immigration For America (RIFA) march on Washington D.C. Sunday, March 21st, 2010?

 The answers are simple. First, not every immigrant is Hispanic. Representatives from many immigrant cultures will be at the march and will speak for their people. Second, there are a lot of gay immigrants, including Latinos, who would like their ‘other half’ to join them in the process of immigrating to the United States of America. At the very least, the GLBT community seeks fair treatment for people with diverse sexual orientation.

In the old days one of the first questions to be asked an immigrant in the process of naturalization was, “are you homosexual?” The “yes” answer was an immediate disqualifier and a bar to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Sadly, the question sometimes turned into an accusation against those the government did not want to migrate.

+++++++++++

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, is pushing for the Uniting America’s Families Act  which would include GLBT persons in the CIR, Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill in front of Congress.

"The failure to recognize permanent partners in the application for legal permanent residency is a major concern for many Americans. I share this concern and am a cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act of 2009, which would...permit permanent partners...to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents."

Recently, 60 members of Congress joined in support of inclusion of GLBT people in the immigration reform bill, inlcuding Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jared Polis of Colorado, Mike Honda of California, and Mike Quigley of Illinois.

+++++++++++

This is going to be an historic meeting of a diverse group of people, all who are in support of fair and just laws.  Prerna Lal, Robert Menendez, Eun Sook Lee (Wow!), Piolin Por La Manana = Eduardo Sotelo, and so many others are waiting for you!

+++++++++++

Modern times have changed the thinking of fair minded Americans. They have also changed the thinking of many fair minded Hispanics who have discovered a gay or lesbian member in their own family. Slowly, the seeds planted by the Bush administrations are finally sprouting and all can see them in their true light: They are weeds of hatred.

The GLBT community will march shoulder to shoulder with their immigrant brothers because they have something in common with people from another land. Members of the GLBT community understand the ugly stamp of oppression.

+++++++

"My son and his partner are a same-sex couple, which means that even though they have been together for 8 years, they have no relationship in the eyes of United States law. Because of that, our government has given my son a heartbreaking choice: to be with his partner, he has to give up his home, his job, his car, his mother, his sister, his grandmother, and move to another continent to start over with nothing." Janet Dagley, Mother

Sign the petition

+++++++

This is a nation of immigrants. Let’s welcome them all to this great land. Love your neighbor as your brother.  That is what this is all about. Yank out the weeds sprouting from unjust laws, root and branch! 

In a country in which most people have more than enough, let's make room for a few souls who will join us and help make us all better.  The U.S. is facing more enemies every day. Having another brother is a pretty cool thing!