News (Media Awareness Project) - US CO: Security Guard At Rehab Clinic Charged With Selling Crack |
| Title: | US CO: Security Guard At Rehab Clinic Charged With Selling Crack |
| Published On: | 2011-01-05 |
| Source: | Denver Post (CO) |
| Fetched On: | 2011-03-09 17:34:53 |
SECURITY GUARD AT REHAB CLINIC CHARGED WITH SELLING CRACK TO HOMELESS
A security guard at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has been
arrested for allegedly selling crack cocaine to homeless people
undergoing drug rehabilitation at a clinic run by the group.
Parrish L. Wright, 45, was charged with four counts of selling drugs
after a sting operation in which he allegedly sold crack to a
drug-treatment informant and a female undercover police officer,
according to court records. The arrest was first reported by Face the
State.
"For it to be happening within the walls of our building is such an
anathema to what we're all about that it is devastating to us," said
John Parvensky, president of the homelessness group.
Wright, who is free on a $5,500 bond, worked for the past eight years
at the Stout Street Clinic, which serves 15,000 homeless people
annually, including people with substance-abuse problems and medical
and mental-health issues.
A drug-rehabilitation client went to staff several months ago and told
them about Wright.
"We had a choice. We could either have dealt with it internally and
quietly and terminate him and let him move on and be someone else's
problem or involve police," Parvensky said.
They went to police in hopes that it would send a message and prevent
Wright, who was fired, from moving on to another agency.
The informant told police that Wright has been selling drugs to
rehabilitation clients for 10 years. But Parvensky said he believes it
has been a relatively recent activity.
The coalition client had previously been a confidential informant who
had helped police arrest four people on felony drug charges. The
person agreed to buy crack from Wright under police surveillance,
according to court records.
Then a female police officer wearing a microphone and under video
surveillance purchased $200 worth of crack from Wright at the clinic
using marked $20 bills on Nov. 23.
Wright, who lives in Aurora, faces a preliminary hearing in
February.
"The sad fact is that crack is easy to come by in downtown Denver,"
Parvensky said. "Although it was a despicable thing, I don't believe
it was being sold openly or on a wide-scale basis."
A security guard at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has been
arrested for allegedly selling crack cocaine to homeless people
undergoing drug rehabilitation at a clinic run by the group.
Parrish L. Wright, 45, was charged with four counts of selling drugs
after a sting operation in which he allegedly sold crack to a
drug-treatment informant and a female undercover police officer,
according to court records. The arrest was first reported by Face the
State.
"For it to be happening within the walls of our building is such an
anathema to what we're all about that it is devastating to us," said
John Parvensky, president of the homelessness group.
Wright, who is free on a $5,500 bond, worked for the past eight years
at the Stout Street Clinic, which serves 15,000 homeless people
annually, including people with substance-abuse problems and medical
and mental-health issues.
A drug-rehabilitation client went to staff several months ago and told
them about Wright.
"We had a choice. We could either have dealt with it internally and
quietly and terminate him and let him move on and be someone else's
problem or involve police," Parvensky said.
They went to police in hopes that it would send a message and prevent
Wright, who was fired, from moving on to another agency.
The informant told police that Wright has been selling drugs to
rehabilitation clients for 10 years. But Parvensky said he believes it
has been a relatively recent activity.
The coalition client had previously been a confidential informant who
had helped police arrest four people on felony drug charges. The
person agreed to buy crack from Wright under police surveillance,
according to court records.
Then a female police officer wearing a microphone and under video
surveillance purchased $200 worth of crack from Wright at the clinic
using marked $20 bills on Nov. 23.
Wright, who lives in Aurora, faces a preliminary hearing in
February.
"The sad fact is that crack is easy to come by in downtown Denver,"
Parvensky said. "Although it was a despicable thing, I don't believe
it was being sold openly or on a wide-scale basis."
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