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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 6 OcTOber 2020
Police chief, city official plead guilty in hiring scam

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Under questioning by Dool-
— Two former officials of ey, Perez and Dunn, both
Connecticut's largest city wearing suits and ties, ad-
pleaded guilty Monday to mitted they committed
federal charges stemming crimes. They answered
from what prosecutors "yes" when the judge asked
called a corrupt process them if they were entering
that led to the police chief's pleas because they were
appointment in 2018. guilty and whether they un-
Former Bridgeport Police derstood the plea agree-
Chief Armando "A.J." Perez ments, the ramifications
and the city's former act- and their rights.
ing personnel director, Da- Dooley said Perez also
vid Dunn, face up to two could face potential de-
years in prison under plea portation because of his
deals approved by U.S. guilty pleas to the two felo-
District Judge Kari Dooley nies. Perez was born in Ha-
in Bridgeport. They also vana and is a naturalized
agreed to pay more than citizen.
$149,000 apiece in restitu- Dunn did not talk to the
tion to the city. media Monday. Paoletti
Perez, 64, admitted to re- said Dunn was a decent,
ceiving confidential infor- respected man who took
mation about the police the "courageous step of
chief's examination stolen unequivocally accepting
by Dunn, including the Former Bridgeport Police Chief Armando J. Perez leaves Federal Court in Bridgeport after pleading responsibility for his mis-
questions for an oral ex- guilty Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. takes and his conduct."
amination and the scoring Associated Press According to the criminal
guide for written essays. He complaints, Dunn gave
also admitted that he had signed from their jobs after in the state of Connecti- Monday's court hearings. confidential materials, in-
two officers complete his being arrested last month. cut." Investigators said Ganim's cluding the questions to
essays, passed the work off Both pleaded guilty to After Perez was ranked chief of staff told Dunn the the oral portion of the po-
as his own and lied to fed- conspiracy to commit wire among the top three can- mayor wanted the police lice chief exam and the
eral authorities in an effort fraud and making false didates, he was appoint- chief test conducted in a scoring guide to the written
to cover up his actions. statements to federal inves- ed police chief by Mayor professional, fair and timely part, to Perez and tailored
"Plainly put, the defendant tigators. Sentencings were Joe Ganim. Ganim, who manner. the scoring criteria for that
... and Mr. Dunn corruptly set for Jan. 4 for Perez and has been close to Perez Perez and his lawyer, Rob- exam in Perez's favor.
agreed to perpetrate a Jan. 11 for Dunn. for years, has denied any ert Frost Jr., were present Perez had two police offi-
scheme to rig the open Perez talked to reporters af- wrongdoing in connection in the courtroom, as were cers secretly take the writ-
and competitive examina- ter his court appearance. with the testing process Dunn and his attorney, ten portion of the exam for
tion required by the city's "I accepted responsibil- and Perez's appointment. Frederick Paoletti Jr., for a him, investigators said.
charter in order to make ity for what I did," he said. Dunn, however, told one second hearing that fol- Perez also asked an offi-
sure that Mr. Perez was one "I apologized to the good of the panelists scoring the lowed Perez's. Everyone in cer to write answers to the
of the three examination fi- people, people that I candidates that Ganim the courtroom, including oral examination questions
nalists and thereby eligible served with pride and I wanted Perez to be among the judge and staff, wore provided by Dunn, the
to be named the perma- gave 37 years of my life to the three finalists, prosecu- masks under coronavirus complaints say. The officer,
nent police chief," federal them. I am so sorry. I apolo- tors said. precautions, and the hear- however, was placed on
prosecutor Jonathan Fran- gize. We're going to move Ganim has not been ings were available for administrative leave before
cis told the judge. on and we're going to charged, and there was public viewing via video he could complete the an-
Perez and Dunn, 73, re- make this city the best city no mention of him during conference. swers, investigators said.q

4th grader sues school system over BB gun suspension

HARVEY, La. (AP) — The family of a Louisiana brother walked into the room they share and ing on individual students' records. The school
fourth-grader is suing the public school system tripped over a BB gun on the floor, according board's agenda for its meeting Wednesday
that suspended him after a teacher spotted a to a school behavior report. It said Ka'Mauri includes hiring an attorney to handle the case.
BB gun in his room during an online class ses- left his seat, out of view of the teacher, and re- Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has
sion. turned with "what appeared to be a full-sized said he's investigating the boy's suspension,
The lawsuit filed Friday in Louisiana's 24th Ju- rifle in his possession." citing possible infringement of the child's con-
dicial District Court seeks monetary damag- "This case arises from egregious government stitutional rights.
es from the Jefferson Parish school system, a overreach, complete lack of common sense The American Civil Liberties Union and the Na-
hearing by school officials on the decision to to prevail and correct the glaring failures of tional Rifle Association have also spoken out in
discipline the boy as well as an opportunity local government officials to comply with the defense of the child.
for him to make up any work he missed during law," the suit says. "The result is a terrifying intru- The lawsuit accuses the school system of fail-
the six days he was suspended from class, The sion into a family's home and a bureaucratic ing to provide Ka'Mauri's family with a copy of
Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate nightmare." its policies for online school at the start of the
reported. A Jefferson Parish schools spokeswoman de- academic year and for infringing on the boy's
Ka'Mauri Harrison, who is Black, was taking a clined to comment on the lawsuit, the news- due process rights as he faced serious disci-
test during an online class Sept. 11 when his paper said, citing a policy of not comment- pline.