Cops accuse cops of wrongdoing

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - While there's been plenty of discussion in recent weeks about Senator Matt Rector's application with the Guam Police Department for a concealed firearms license, KUAM News has learned that a criminal complaint has been filed alleging that GPD rules weren't followed for one applicant who was given a firearms license.

Not only is the incident under internal review, but now the matter has been forwarded to the Attorney General's Office.

A criminal complaint was filed with GPD this week by one of its very own officers.  KUAM News has confirmed that a records tampering and official misconduct complaint was filed on Tuesday with the Hagatna Precinct against unnamed records managers at the department.  We attempted to get more details about the complaint after finding the records tampering entry on the police blotter, but GPD Spokesperson Officer Allan Guzman says the police reports relating to the complaint still haven't been turned in.

KUAM has learned though that the complaint stems from an incident in late-September where a civilian employee at the Records and ID Section alleges that they were told to process and issue a firearms identification card to a police reservist "under the table" at the request of superiors.

According to police documents we obtained, several civilian workers at GPD detailed in incident reports how they were allegedly told to issue a firearms ID to a police reservist without receiving the proper documents or the money required.  But after the ID had been issued, a records supervisor rejected the application because it lacked the necessary documentation.  Over the next few days efforts were made by records staff to acquire the supporting documents.  The firearms ID was also retrieved from the reservist as clearances were not submitted.

Officer Guzman could not discuss the matter, as he still needed to gather information but he did tell KUAM that this was not the first time such an incident has happened in the department.  The spokesperson says there have been instances where firearms IDs have been issued to individuals but later had to be revoked after checks with the Federal Bureau of Investigation return information of prior criminal histories of applicants.

Guzman says the complaint filed earlier this week has been forward to the AG's Office.

Meanwhile, this afternoon KUAM learned that the officer in charge of the Records and ID Section, Sergeant Joe Carbullido, filed his own criminal complaint of harassment and official misconduct at the Tumon-Tamuning Precinct today.  Guzman says the complaint appears to be in response to the complaint filed earlier this week.  The second complaint will also be forwarded to the AG's Office.

It's unknown what the status is of an internal affairs investigation that had been launched into the September incident.