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InvisibleTheWay
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Fire Cheif feels some heat
    #5612277 - 05/10/06 11:27 AM (17 years, 8 months ago)

Here

Report: Fire chief admits using drugs

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Recently resigned Grand Junction Fire Chief Rick Beaty admitted to an undercover police officer that he used psilocybin mushrooms, a hallucinogenic drug, and was suspected of using and dealing ecstasy, according to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration report.

The DEA report was made public Tuesday, the same day the informant in the DEA investigation of Beaty was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Prosecutors agreed to a lighter sentence for the informant because of his cooperation with the investigation of Beaty.

Authorities began investigating Beaty in March 2005 after police stopped a van for a traffic violation and found a mobile pharmacy containing drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana, Mesa County Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Rubinstein said during the informant’s sentencing hearing. That led to a search of the informant’s house on Teller Avenue, where DEA agents found 1½ pounds of marijuana, large amounts of psilocybin mushrooms and 53 ecstasy pills, according to the informant’s arrest affidavit.

The informant told agents that Beaty and Beaty’s friend, Brock Benson, provided him with the ecstasy, and the informant agreed to help the DEA investigate Beaty, Rubinstein said. The informant said while he had never seen Beaty or Benson in possession of any illegal drugs, he had seen them under the influence of what he believed to be ecstasy, according to the DEA report.

Late on the night of April 22, 2005, two undercover DEA agents and the informant met at the Spotlight Lounge on South Seventh Street with the intention of having the informant introduce them to Beaty and Benson. Benson was a disc jockey at the Spotlight at the time and was selling ecstasy out of the bar, Rubinstein said.

“Members of the Task Force had obtained information that Ricky Beaty and Broc (sic) were involved in the consumption and possibly the sale of the illegal drug, ecstasy,” one of the agents wrote in the report.

Soon after meeting Beaty, the group began discussing music and drugs, with Beaty talking about a rave called the “Burning Rabbit” that he and Benson were planning to host Memorial Day weekend. At one point during the conversation, “Brock bragged about how they have good connections with the city because Rick is the fire chief and they can get away with a lot of s—-,” an agent wrote in the report.

Beaty began talking about the Burning Man festival and told the undercover agents he had attended the annual event in Nevada two or three times. Beaty said the last time he attended the event, he had brought with him “a couple pounds of mushrooms and numerous hits of ecstasy,” the report said.

Beaty told the agents he had run a small bar at the festival and was paid in mushrooms for mixing drinks for people. He also talked about being trapped in a tent during a dust storm “tripping his (butt) off,” the report said.

The informant asked Beaty if he had any drugs on him, and Beaty said no, but Beaty invited the two agents and the informant to attend the rave, the report said.

“We were trying to set up a controlled purchase from Brock and Fire Chief Beaty,” Rubinstein said. He said authorities believed Beaty was driving Benson to Denver to pick up ecstasy and bring it back to Grand Junction.

DEA agents planned to attend the rave, which Beaty had indicated was going to be held near Glade Park or Rabbit Valley near the Colorado-Utah state line, Rubinstein said. But agents learned a few days before the rave that it was going to be moved to an area that would have required a half-day hike to get to.

Authorities backed off at that point, thinking it would be too difficult and risky to ferry undercover agents into a remote location, Rubinstein said.

The investigation started to fizzle when Spotlight Lounge shut down at the end of April last year. Spotlight co-owner Kevin McConnell told The Daily Sentinel on Tuesday he had been told that employees and customers were using and dealing drugs at the bar.

McConnell said he took the information to law enforcement, who suggested conducting an undercover drug investigation. McConnell said he was told not to tell anyone on his staff about the investigation and did not know Beaty was the subject of the investigation.

After authorities decided not to attend the rave, one of the undercover agents called Benson a couple of times, but Benson didn’t return the calls, Rubinstein said. Authorities weren’t able to prove that the alleged drug use and dealing occurred in Colorado and therefore did not pursue charges against Beaty, Rubinstein said.

In agreeing with a sentence to probation for the informant, Rubinstein told District Judge Brian Flynn that the informant was “extremely cooperative” with law enforcement, and “we viewed public safety as paramount.”

He said that was evident during the investigation into the planting of five bombs at Grand Junction homes on March 24. He said Beaty was involved in that investigation and a command center that was set up at the Grand Junction Police Department.

“I saw him in there, knowing this information,” Rubinstein said.

Beaty, who announced his resignation March 29 and left the Fire Department officially on May 1, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. In an interview with the Sentinel the day after his announcement, Beaty said he knew nothing about a DEA investigation and denied any involvement with drugs.

Benson also could not be reached for comment. A phone call to a number listed to him was answered by a woman who said Benson wasn’t at that number. When asked how he could be contacted, she said, “I wouldn’t give any information to The Daily Sentinel. I’m quite upset with them.” She then hung up.

The DEA notified the city it had completed its investigation in September, but city administrators didn’t request any information about the investigation until December. City Attorney John Shaver reviewed the DEA report and a recording of Beaty’s admission to using drugs and reportedly recommended that City Manager Kelly Arnold fire Beaty.

Arnold, who indicated he never read the report or listened to the recording, has said he was preparing to conduct a formal review of Beaty when Beaty announced his resignation. Shortly after that, Arnold placed Beaty on paid administrative leave, a position Beaty remained in until he left the department.

Former Police Chief Greg Morrison told the Sentinel at the end of last month that after the DEA completed its investigation, he recommended to Arnold that he require Beaty to take a drug test.

Arnold said he did not recall such a recommendation by Morrison and did not ask Beaty to submit to a drug test.

Mike Wiggins can be reached via e-mail at mwiggins@gjds.com.


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Invisibledemiu5
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Re: Fire Cheif feels some heat [Re: TheWay]
    #5613082 - 05/10/06 02:40 PM (17 years, 8 months ago)

So...does he get arrested, or will this keep going, or what? Am I missing something? Good, interesting read, though.


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InvisibleTheWay
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Re: Fire Cheif feels some heat [Re: demiu5]
    #5613685 - 05/10/06 04:49 PM (17 years, 8 months ago)

as I read it he got 5 years probation.
this story shows that somebody can be a productive meber of society while recreationaly enjoying shrooms, the guy was already retired when he got caught.


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Invisibledemiu5
humans, lol
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Re: Fire Cheif feels some heat [Re: TheWay]
    #5614856 - 05/10/06 09:10 PM (17 years, 8 months ago)

I thought the informant who had previously gotten caught received the 5 years probation. I'll have to re-read it later.


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InvisibleTheWay
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Re: Fire Cheif feels some heat [Re: demiu5]
    #5629615 - 05/14/06 07:01 PM (17 years, 8 months ago)

Oh, yeah you're right. I read it wrong. Looks like its all good for him then :thumbup:


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