Former Jackson Police Officer Sentenced to 22 Months for Civil Rights and Firearms Violations
| U.S. Attorney’s Office May 21, 2012 |
JACKSON, TN—Former Jackson Police Department Officer Marvent Brooks, 36, was sentenced to 22 months in prison by United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III; Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez; Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Federal Bureau of Investigation Field Office Aaron T. Ford; Special Agent in Charge of the Nashville Field Division of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Glenn N. Anderson; and Chief of Police Gill Kendrick of the Jackson, Tennessee Police Department. Brooks was also sentenced to three years’ supervised release following his incarceration.
Brooks pled guilty on January 13, 2012 to conspiring with former Jackson Police Officer David Dreblow to violate the civil rights of a shooting victim by stealing approximately $1,200 from him while they processed the crime scene. On the same day, Brooks pled guilty to illegally possessing a short-barreled shotgun in violation of federal law.
Brooks’ co-defendant, David Dreblow, pled guilty to conspiracy to violate civil rights on April 3, 2012, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2012. Brooks and Dreblow are also being prosecuted for state crimes relating to the theft by the Madison County District Attorney General’s Office.
“We will continue to hold law enforcement officers that choose to violate the law and the oath they took to protect and serve accountable for their criminal conduct,” said United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III. “This guilty plea should serve as an unequivocal warning to those few law enforcement officers that disgrace their badge and violate the public’s trust that you will ultimately be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“A community should expect police officers to enforce our laws and not break them,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to aggressively prosecute officers who abuse the public trust by engaging in acts of criminal conduct.”
“Public corruption among law enforcement officers endangers the citizens of our communities, the very people who look to law enforcement for protection,” said Special Agent in Charge Ford. “These violations are among the most serious criminal offenses the FBI investigates, and the Memphis Division of the FBI will continue to work with our partners to bring corrupt officers to justice.”
“Brooks was once an officer who served the Jackson community. In the near future, he will be serving federal prison time for the choices he made. It is an embarrassing role reversal,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Glenn Anderson. “Law enforcement officers take an oath to uphold the law the first day they are hired. Those who fall short of that daily responsibility need to be held accountable.”
“I fully agree with the statements of U.S. Attorney Stanton,” said Deputy Chief Barry Michael. “We hold our officers to a higher ethical standard, not only to abide by the laws they are tasked with enforcing but also to provide the protection and service that our citizens deserve. All of the good men and women who choose this profession are affected when only a few of the many make a decision to violate the oath that they swore to uphold. The Jackson Police Department seeks to maintain the highest degree of professionalism and is an agency full of professional and talented officers who are committed to their jobs and service to this community. We will continue to take whatever steps necessary to secure and maintain the respect and trust of the citizens we serve and our colleagues in the agencies we join forces with on a daily basis.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Jackson, Tennessee Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti and Trial Attorney Christopher Lomax from the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice.