More of Flint's Finest

How do we know? how do we know that the prostitutes death wasn't related to the case?

Is the State handling the investigation, or is the City of Flint investigating it?

Did Flint use good judgment and ask the State to handle the investigation or did the Flint Police Department determine that the distrust of Flint police wasn't yet high enough to warrant an outside investigation.

Everyone, I've talked to. That isn't an elected official or works for the city. Has expressed their own disbelieve that Flint Police are not involved. Doctor's Attorney's and the average citizen. Every single person I've talked to and asked and responded sarcastically as to the Police Departments involvement. I myself, have even had to wonder. How many prostitutes have been killed in Flint over the last ten years. The only answer I can find is. One, the one that testified against a Flint Police Officer. There may be more. But the point is. As soon as the identity of the victim was discovered. The leadership in the Flint police dept should have immediately called for the State Police to step in and take over. Thereby, leaving no impression what so ever. That there might be a cover up.

The point is. There may actually be no connection. But, instead of taking the high ground. Flint police left themselves open for more criticism. I would think that a department with so much mistrust from the citizens. Would go out of their way to at least appear to trustworthy.

Ex-Flint cops plead in drug case
By Paul Janczewski
pjanczewski@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6333

FLINT — Two former Flint police officers charged with supplying heroin to a prostitute in exchange for tips on drug dealers were convicted today of lesser charges in a plea bargain.
Patrick M. Majestic, 36, and Joseph T. Lechota, 29, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of willful neglect of duty and will face no additional jail time.
Both have been fired from the department, but grievances are still pending, and the two agreed to resign from the department as part of the plea bargain.
In court statements, the two officers admitted to mistakes in the way they tried to do their jobs as drug enforcement officers.
“I did it for the right reasons, but the wrong way,” Lachota told District Judge William H. Crawford II.
In a written statement, Majestic said he was proud of his reputation at the police department and his formerly spotless record.
“In my eagerness to put a dent in the drug trade ... I used bad judgment that evening,” Majestic said.
The two officers said the resulting charges had hurt them and their families. Lachota, married with two children, has his home in foreclosure and Majestic, who has three children, is on welfare.
Majestic and Lechota were initially charged with felonies of delivery of cocaine and heroin, less than 50 grams; tampering with evidence; and misconduct in office. The delivery charge, the most serious, carried a potential maximum 20-year prison sentence.
The two were immediately sentenced by Crawford to the four days in jail they already have served, a $500 fine or 100 hours of community service, about $1,050 in fines and court costs and two years probation, the first under supervision.
The two could have faced a maximum one-year jail sentence under the charge.
In a previous preliminary exam for Lechota a police supervisor testified he heard reports that he had given drugs to an informant and a sting was set up with the FBI to investigate the allegations.
Undercover drug officers are allowed to give money to informants, but never drugs, the supervisor testified.
Two prostitutes involved in the investigation testified in the preliminary exam, but one of them was strangled and found floating the Flint River earlier this year.
Her homicide was not related to her testimony in the case, police said.