Former Safety Officer Accused in Crime Syndicate
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Law enforcement agencies are accusing a former Department of Public Safety officer of playing a key role in a Phoenix-area crime syndicate.
After years of investigating, Phoenix police forwarded the case Tuesday to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for prosecution.
Authorities said 36-year-old Blaine McNeese left DPS in 2004 after an internal investigation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DPS Director Roger Vanderpool said the syndicate eventually took advantage of the officer's access to law enforcement databases to track and plot to kill a deputy county attorney.
McNeese faces charges of assisting a criminal syndicate and unlawfully accessing criminal record history.
Police said that for his role in the syndicate, McNeese received cash and sexual favors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Three alleged syndicate members are locked up and a fourth remains at large.