COP FACES CHARGES

Officer Allegedly Took $10,000 Bribe From Convicted Drug Dealer

A Denver police officer was charged Thursday for allegedly taking a
$10,000 bribe from a drug dealer to destroy evidence.

Officer Damon D. Finley, 31, was charged with bribery, conspiracy to
commit tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit theft,
and theft. He also faces a federal charge of making a false statement
to an FBI agent.

The investigation started after the city's police department and
district attorney's office received a tip from Anthony Brothers.

Brothers, who was facing multiple drug charges in Arapahoe County and
Denver, told investigators he paid Finley $10,000 to destroy some
crack cocaine being held as evidence against him.

Finley allegedly accepted the money through his father, Fred Ponds,
but then never destroyed the evidence, officials say.

Brothers, who has been arrested 31 times in the past 18 years - 19
times on drug-related charges - cut a deal with prosecutors, promising
to cooperate with investigators.

In Denver, Brothers initially faced two counts of distributing a
controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled
substance with the intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a
controlled substance, and three counts of being a habitual criminal,
according to court documents.

All but a charge of distributing a controlled substance were
dismissed.

Brothers pleaded guilty to that charge and received four years
probation, said Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter.

"He did receive probation for his cooperation in this case," Ritter
said.

Brothers told investigators he had cut a deal with Finley in the
summer of 2001 to get out of a drug charge centered around a crack
cocaine bust.

"The allegation is that there was a conspiracy between Finley and
Ponds that they would take the money and that the drugs would be
destroyed," Ritter said. "The money was paid up front, but the
evidence was never tampered with."

Finley was placed on paid leave in July 2003, and his authority as a
police officer was removed, police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez said.
Thursday, Finley was formally suspended without pay, she said.

A Denver Police Department internal affairs investigation remains
under way, so police can't comment further on the case, Lopez said.

Finley's federal charge came after a July 2003 interview with the FBI,
who had been asked to help in the investigation.

During that interview, Finley allegedly lied to agents, telling them
that Brothers had never shown him any of the legal paperwork
surrounding the drug case and that he didn't realize that Brothers had
drug-related charges pending against him.

Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted Finley on charges that he made
false statements.

Ritter was hesitant to talk about the seriousness of the charges
Finley faces prior to trial.

"It was a lengthy investigation," he said. "Obviously, these are
serious allegations and all of the investigative agencies treated them
very seriously."

Ponds, who allegedly was the go-between for his son and Brothers, may
also face charges.

Finley, a former East High School track star, once dreamed of life as
a judge, modeled after the career of his then-role model, U.S. Supreme
Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

He became an officer in 2000 and received a commendation in August
2002 for his help in chasing down a suspect in a series of carjackings.