Stupid people of the week

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Massachusetts State Police trooper suspended following sexual misconduct allegation

A Massachusetts State Police trooper was suspended without pay following an allegation of sexual misconduct during a traffic stop, 5 Investigates has learned.

Trooper Terence Kent was immediately relieved of duty and an internal affairs investigation was launched after the agency learned about the allegations, state police confirmed.

“The Massachusetts State Police does not tolerate any form of sexual misconduct, and we hold our members accountable to the highest professional standards,” a department spokesperson wrote in a statement.

State police also said they are cooperating with an independent investigation by the Lexington police and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office.

Source; WCVB

Docs: IMPD officer investigating human trafficking secretly filmed himself having sex at massage parlors

Felony charges have been filed against a longtime IMPD officer accused of secretly recording sexual encounters with women while on duty and in uniform, at times using his department-issued laptop to film the illegal videos.

Shane Decker, 52, was charged this week in Marion County court with eight counts of felony voyeurism, official misconduct and unlawful proposition.

The charges come after various women said Decker – who has been with IMPD for 25 years – recorded sexual encounters without their consent.

Flash drive found
The investigation into Decker began on Sept. 10 when an IMPD officer using Decker’s old squad car found a flash drive wedged between the seats.

Officials looked at the drive, which reportedly stored videos showing Decker having sex with a woman while in full IMPD uniform.

The drive contained video files named after various women that showed sexual encounters where the women didn’t appear to know they were being recorded. Some of the videos were reportedly recorded on an IMPD department-issued laptop.

Decker was told about the investigation on the same day the flash drive was discovered but declined to speak to detectives without his lawyer present. Decker was then placed on administrative duty.

Police then seized his cell phone and applied for search warrants on his squad car and home. Eventually, several laptops, flash drives, recording devices and cell phones were seized.

‘Violated, lied to’
Further investigation revealed that Decker was on duty and ignoring IMPD radio calls while he was secretly recording the sexual encounters. Detectives spoke with several of the victims who said Decker told them to help listen for any runs he was called to.

Court docs detail how videos show Decker purposely positioning recording devices in the corner of an empty room before a woman enters and is unwittingly recorded while they have sex. He would reportedly use light from a TV screen to illuminate the sexual encounter, sometimes gesturing toward the camera.

“During a point in the video, Shane Decker looks toward the recording device and smiles,” one police report reads.

All of the women said they did not consent to being recorded. Furthermore, many of the women said they’d met Decker while he was on duty and they were involved with an IMPD investigation as a victim or witness.

“Sick, violated, lied to, embarrassed, used, everything possible,” one victim described herself as feeling. “I’ll never be the same.”

“Who would do that? That’s disgusting,” another victim said. “This is so embarrassing. That’s some Dateline s**t.”

One of Decker’s victims told police the suspect had a low opinion of women in general and especially in the workforce.

“To him females were irrelevant,” the victim said. “He would make multiple comments about any female on the department from a patrol officer all the way up to command staff, they were worthless, they did not ever need to be in law enforcement. Um, comments about their weight, the way they looked, the way they spoke. If they were a female that was married to another female even worse. Um, he has so much hate for people that are together of the same sex, people of a different minority. He does not think women should be in law enforcement, and overall, he thinks women are pretty much worthless.”

While looking further into Decker’s actions, one victim told detectives how he bragged about his investigations into human trafficking at local massage parlors. This would later lead detectives down a rabbit hole that unveiled more alleged crimes.

Recordings at massage parlors
While looking at Decker’s seized cell phone, investigators found a video where he recorded himself inside the room of a massage parlor. After the initial massage, Decker is seen giving money to the masseuse before she removes her clothes and begins fondling the officer.

At least 10 more similar videos were found on Decker’s phone, showing him set up a recording device inside a massage parlor room before the masseuse enters, takes off her clothes and has sex with him. Several of the videos reportedly show Decker giving the woman money.

Once again, investigators noted that the women shown in the videos did not appear to know they were being recorded.

A data search of Decker’s personal phone showed that he’d recently accessed the website “rubmaps,” which allows users to search for adult massage parlors in their area. Investigators then went to a northeast side massage parlor that Decker reportedly visited.

While several of the women working inside the massage parlor denied knowing anything about Decker or the videos, one woman reportedly told investigators she immediately recognized him. The woman said he’d come in two weeks earlier and that she “had a bad feeling about him.”

“She said he had a special request,” court docs state. “When asked what the request was, she became uncomfortable and would just say he was ‘rude’ and ‘horny’.”

While none of the women seen in the videos with Decker were able to be interviewed, a video was found of him using electrical tape to cover the red light on a recording device before walking into a massage parlor. Also, several of the videos recorded in the parlor were reportedly cut short after the women noticed the recording device was pointed at them.

More at the source; Fox59

More than 30 Detroit police officers operating without active law enforcement licenses, officials say

More than 30 Detroit police officers have been working without active law enforcement officer licenses, according to the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES).

An investigation revealed that the officers were hired between November 2019 and August 2024, and DPD did not request the reactivation of their licenses when they were hired or rehired.

At least 32 officers’ licenses are being investigated, according to MCOLES.

“If an officer separates employment for any reason, their license is rendered inactive by operation of law. An agency that wants to reactivate an inactive license is responsible to submit a request to the Commission,” MCOLES said in a news release. “The request for reactivation must include an executed oath of office and an attestation by the agency that the individual meets the Commission’s licensing standards.”

Agencies must perform an audit every January to confirm their staff and report to the commission within three business days throughout the year if an officer is hired, leaves or has their law enforcement authority removed.

MCOLES says state law prohibits officers from exercising law enforcement authority without a license.

In a written statement to CBS News Detroit, DPD says the officers have been assigned to administrative duties pending the investigation.

“While this matter is under investigation, this appears to be the result of a failure to submit required paperwork to the State of Michigan,” the department said. “The DPD can confirm that all officers have undergone appropriate training and that Human Resources is working toward updating each member’s respective file. At this time, there is no indication that any member of this group was aware of this issue, nor is this oversight indicative of the quality of work each member performs on a day-to-day basis.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says her office was informed of the inactive licenses and asked DPD to submit a list of officers’ names.

“I have received some preliminary information from Chief (Todd) Bettison. Once we have all the information we will begin to determine our next steps,” Worthy said.

Source; CBS News

Man who spent $6.2 million on banana duct-taped to wall says he’s going to eat it

Grocery inflation just hit its peak after a single banana was sold for $6.2 million Wednesday.

Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun dropped over $6 million on the piece of produce — because it was duct-taped to a wall.

The banana is part of a piece of artwork called Comedian, created by the Italian artist and satirist Maurizio Cattelan.

After a battle with six others for the artwork at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City on Wednesday, Sun — the founder of the cryptocurrency TRON — naturally paid for the fruit of his labor in crypto.”I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history,” Sun said on X. “I am honored to be the proud owner of this iconic work and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world.”

And he plans to eat his multimillion-dollar investment.

“In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture,” he said.Sun’s snacking won’t change the value of his investment, however. His $6.2 million purchase awarded him a roll of duct tape, instructions on how to “install” the banana properly and, most importantly, a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing the artwork, when reproduced by Sun, as an original work of Cattelan’s, CNBC reported.

The soon-to-be devoured banana wasn’t included in his winnings, as the fruit tends to rot quickly. But the value of the artwork isn’t in the banana itself — it’s derived from the certificate accompanying the purchase.

“What you buy when you buy Cattelan’s Comedian is not the banana itself, but a certificate of authenticity that grants the owner the permission and authority to reproduce this banana and duct tape on their wall as an original artwork by Maurizio Cattelan,” David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art, told The Associated Press.

For a crypto fanatic like Sun, the artwork’s similarity to an NFT most likely didn’t go unnoticed.

“This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” he said.

Comedian debuted at Art Basel Miami in 2019, where it was priced at $120,000. The image of a banana duct-taped to a wall went viral on social media and attracted such large crowds that the artwork had to be taken down.

Three editions of Comedian were created and sold, with one going to the Guggenheim Collection thanks to an anonymous donor and the two others purchased.

Source; NBC News

Priest replaced after Sabrina Carpenter shoots music video in his church

A New York priest who let popstar Sabrina Carpenter film provocative scenes for a music video inside his church has been accused of mismanagement and stripped of his duties.

Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello was relieved of “any pastoral oversight or governance role” at the church, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn said in a statement.

Church officials launched an investigation after the October 2023 music video release for Carpenter’s hit song Feather, filmed inside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

The Diocese said the investigation found other instances of mismanagement beyond the music video that appalled some, including unapproved financial transfers.

“I am saddened to share that investigations conducted by Alvarez & Marsal and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP have uncovered evidence of serious violations of Diocesan policies and protocols,” Bishop Robert Brennan said in the statement, according to the BBC’s media partner CBS News.

A replacement was installed and Mr Gigantiello was removed from his responsibilities, the statement read.

Mr Gigantiello’s administrative powers had been revoked last November shortly after the criticism of Carpenter’s video.

He was also removed from fundraising duties as vicar of development for the diocese.

Images from Carpenter’s video show a crucifix with profanity printed on it and also Carpenter dancing on the altar in a short black dress.

The diocese at the time said it was “appalled” and that proper procedures for filming had not been followed, the Associated Press reported.

In a letter to parishioners last year, Mr Gigantiello said allowing Carpenter to film inside the church was a “lapse in judgment”. He has not responded to the allegations that led to his dismissal.

On Monday, Bishop Brennan said a larger review under the investigation detected other instances of administrative impropriety, including Mr Gigantiello using a credit card for personal expenses.

Bishop Brennan also said that, from 2019 to 2021, Mr Gigantiello transferred nearly $2m (£1.5M) in church funds to bank accounts affiliated with a former staff member of New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Adams was indicted in September on five counts of criminal offences, including bribery, wire fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. A number of investigations have centred on Adams and those in his orbit – leading to subpoenas, law enforcement raids and a flurry of resignations of top officials who help lead New York City.

Source; BBC

Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals