'DIRTY COP' GUILTY OF TRAFFICKING

Own informant helped police catch Ryan in sting operation

An RCMP informant picked up by Halifax Regional Police on two outstanding
warrants in 2001 ratted out a former Tantallon officer as a "dirty cop" who
supplied drugs and demanded cuts of the proceeds.

On Monday, the actions of Joseph Daniel (Danny) Ryan, an ex-member of the
Tantallon RCMP street team, came back to haunt him when a judge found him
guilty of marijuana trafficking and breach of trust.

Mr. Ryan, 33, will be sentenced Aug. 30 at Nova Scotia Supreme Court in
Halifax.

He was charged after fellow officers arrested him Jan. 23, 2002, outside the
Cambridge Suites Hotel in downtown Halifax, where he was staying.

Mr. Ryan, now of Aylmer, Que., was not in court because of travel costs.
Through his lawyer, Mike Taylor, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

But Mr. Ryan admitted to the facts of his crime as outlined by David Bright,
a prominent defence lawyer brought in to prosecute the case for the federal
Crown.

On Dec. 10, 2001, while in custody, the source identified Mr. Ryan, then a
constable, as a "dirty cop" and told Const. Mike Sanford, a member of the
Halifax Regional Police drug section, that he was prepared to "wear a wire"
concerning this allegation in exchange for financial compensation.

The informant told police that he was a "source" of Mr. Ryan's and that he
had received quantities of drugs from Mr. Ryan over a period of time, then
provided the officer with cash from the sale of the drugs.

"To show Const. Sanford that he was being honest about this information,
this individual reported that when he was arrested, he placed a large amount
of hashish, which Const. Daniel Ryan had given him earlier that day, inside
the back seat of the police car," Mr. Bright read from an admission of facts
for the court.

"The back seat of the police car was searched, and 43 grams of hashish was
recovered."

The investigation into the allegations began Dec. 14.

Identified as Source No. H1595, the man had been an informant with the RCMP
since July 8, 1998, and Mr. Ryan was his handler.

The source also told police that he owed Mr. Ryan about $5,000 from drug
sales.

On Dec. 10, 2001, Mr. Ryan picked up the man in Dartmouth's Highfield Park
in a marked police car and handed him 126 grams of hashish to sell. When the
source was arrested, he had about 43 grams of hashish and $275.

Days later after the source agreed to work as an agent for the RCMP, a
tracking device was installed and conversations between the source and Mr.
Ryan were intercepted.

"The first telephone conversation between the agent and Const. Daniel Ryan
revealed that Const. Daniel Ryan was working in the criminal field," Mr.
Bright said.

On Dec. 23, Mr. Ryan met with the agent in an unmarked police car. During
their meeting, the agent paid $440 to Mr. Ryan as part of the debt he owed.

The agent also asked the officer about the possibility of getting some
"black" - which, according to the agent, meant black hash.

The two discussed the outstanding debt. The agent was to sell a set of
scales to knock another $100 off the debt.

On Jan. 15, 2002, surveillance showed that Mr. Ryan again met with the agent
in an unmarked police car.

During that conversation, Mr. Ryan coached the agent on how to handle any
interviews he might face.

"If interviewed, Const. Daniel Ryan advised the agent to answer any
questions concerning how many police officers were present by saying that
when they met, two members were always present and payments were made as per
the file. When in doubt, just use faded memory as an excuse," Mr. Bright
said.

The two also discussed a possible marijuana-growing site.

Mr. Ryan said he wondered at one point whether H1595 was setting him up.

On Jan. 23, 2002, investigators set up a sting operation to determine
whether Mr. Ryan would traffic in marijuana.

Investigators wrapped 1.8 kilograms of marijuana in nine clear plastic bags,
then in six Sobeys bags and in a soft-sided cooler bag.

The drugs were then placed in a predetermined location off Highway 333 in
Seabright, and RCMP officers positioned themselves near the spot.

After telling Mr. Ryan the location of the marijuana, the source met with
him on Umlah Road in Seabright, in Mr. Ryan's unmarked police car.

Unknown to Mr. Ryan, their conversation was recorded and the area where the
marijuana was placed was videotaped.

RCMP caught the officer on video; he was removing the bag containing the
marijuana.

Back in the car, the agent told Mr. Ryan the marijuana could be worth $8,500
to $9,000.

"Const. Daniel Ryan replied he wanted $3,000 to $5,000 as his cut from the
sale," Mr. Bright said.

After their conversation, the officer gave the agent all the marijuana and
told him to call him.

The agent handed the marijuana to another officer after Mr. Ryan had driven
away.

Mr. Ryan was then followed back to the Cambridge Suites Hotel, where he was
arrested at 5:55 p.m. He appeared in court the next day.