Cops Working Security Investigated
Montgomery County MD.
One of the Montgomery County police officers suspended in an investigation into alleged double dipping has also been under scrutiny by the police department in an unrelated case that resulted last year in the county's largest legal settlement in history, according to records and sources familiar with the cases.
The department made an unsuccessful attempt to fire Officer Victor Valerio in that case, which involved a high-speed pursuit.
Valerio has now been suspended in connection with his former part-time job with Grady Management Inc., a Silver Spring real estate company. Valerio lost his job at Grady several months ago, shortly before the double dipping probe began, according to a law enforcement source and others familiar with the case.
After Valerio left the position, Grady officials became suspicious that some officers were working at security jobs while they were supposed to be on county shifts. The Grady officials contacted the police department, which prompted a broad review of payroll records.
It is not clear why Valerio left Grady Management. James F. Shalleck, an attorney retained by the police union in the criminal investigation, declined to comment. Efforts to reach Valerio for comment through two other lawyers who have represented him and through the police department were unsuccessful.
The sources who provided information for this story spoke on condition of anonymity because the criminal investigation is ongoing. Grady Management officials did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Last month, Valerio and eight other officers who worked as security guards for Grady were stripped of their police powers after investigators found significant overlaps in their government and private security payroll records, according to sources familiar with the case.
A recently retired officer is also under investigation. At least six other officers who worked for Grady and have not been suspended remain under investigation, the sources said. In the most egregious cases, the sources said, investigators found an overlap of $15,000 to $20,000 during a two-year period of payroll records.
Montgomery law enforcement officials supervising the investigation have said they are committed to conducting an extensive review of part-time work by officers. No one has been charged in the case.
The incident that led to the legal settlement involving Valerio took place Oct. 7, 2004, when Valerio engaged in a pursuit that began in Montgomery and ended in a crash in the District. Two motorists who were not part of the chase were seriously injured.
A driver, Patrick S. McCormick, 27, of the District, and a passenger, Jessica Siciliano, 29, of Silver Spring, were hurt after Valerio's cruiser slammed into their 1999 Toyota Corolla as McCormick, who had a green light, drove across 13th and Kennedy streets NW. McCormick and Siciliano filed separate lawsuits against Valerio and the police department in December 2005.
The county settled both, paying Siciliano $1.3 million and McCormick $3.75 million, according to court records and county officials. The latter is believed to be the highest amount in history the county has paid to settle a civil suit, according to Patricia Via, chief of litigation in the county attorney's office.
"The settlement agreement was fair and in the best interest of all parties," she said in a statement.
Valerio disregarded several commands from a dispatcher who told him to cut off the pursuit. Valerio had been disciplined once before for failing to halt a pursuit at the county line, a law enforcement official said.
After reviewing the internal affairs investigation into the D.C. case, Montgomery Police Chief J. Thomas Manger decided to fire Valerio, according to court records and sources. The officer was stripped of his police powers in September 2006 and charged with administrative violations.
But Valerio's police powers were restored in March after a Montgomery Circuit Court judge threw out the charges.
One of the Montgomery County police officers suspended in an investigation into alleged double dipping has also been under scrutiny by the police department in an unrelated case that resulted last year in the county's largest legal settlement in history, according to records and sources familiar with the cases.
The department made an unsuccessful attempt to fire Officer Victor Valerio in that case, which involved a high-speed pursuit.
Valerio has now been suspended in connection with his former part-time job with Grady Management Inc., a Silver Spring real estate company. Valerio lost his job at Grady several months ago, shortly before the double dipping probe began, according to a law enforcement source and others familiar with the case.
After Valerio left the position, Grady officials became suspicious that some officers were working at security jobs while they were supposed to be on county shifts. The Grady officials contacted the police department, which prompted a broad review of payroll records.
It is not clear why Valerio left Grady Management. James F. Shalleck, an attorney retained by the police union in the criminal investigation, declined to comment. Efforts to reach Valerio for comment through two other lawyers who have represented him and through the police department were unsuccessful.
The sources who provided information for this story spoke on condition of anonymity because the criminal investigation is ongoing. Grady Management officials did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Last month, Valerio and eight other officers who worked as security guards for Grady were stripped of their police powers after investigators found significant overlaps in their government and private security payroll records, according to sources familiar with the case.
A recently retired officer is also under investigation. At least six other officers who worked for Grady and have not been suspended remain under investigation, the sources said. In the most egregious cases, the sources said, investigators found an overlap of $15,000 to $20,000 during a two-year period of payroll records.
Montgomery law enforcement officials supervising the investigation have said they are committed to conducting an extensive review of part-time work by officers. No one has been charged in the case.
The incident that led to the legal settlement involving Valerio took place Oct. 7, 2004, when Valerio engaged in a pursuit that began in Montgomery and ended in a crash in the District. Two motorists who were not part of the chase were seriously injured.
A driver, Patrick S. McCormick, 27, of the District, and a passenger, Jessica Siciliano, 29, of Silver Spring, were hurt after Valerio's cruiser slammed into their 1999 Toyota Corolla as McCormick, who had a green light, drove across 13th and Kennedy streets NW. McCormick and Siciliano filed separate lawsuits against Valerio and the police department in December 2005.
The county settled both, paying Siciliano $1.3 million and McCormick $3.75 million, according to court records and county officials. The latter is believed to be the highest amount in history the county has paid to settle a civil suit, according to Patricia Via, chief of litigation in the county attorney's office.
"The settlement agreement was fair and in the best interest of all parties," she said in a statement.
Valerio disregarded several commands from a dispatcher who told him to cut off the pursuit. Valerio had been disciplined once before for failing to halt a pursuit at the county line, a law enforcement official said.
After reviewing the internal affairs investigation into the D.C. case, Montgomery Police Chief J. Thomas Manger decided to fire Valerio, according to court records and sources. The officer was stripped of his police powers in September 2006 and charged with administrative violations.
But Valerio's police powers were restored in March after a Montgomery Circuit Court judge threw out the charges.
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