Arrests by 3 accused Philadelphia officers are now suspect

Arrests made by Philadelphia police officers who were charged this week with stealing heroin have now come under scrutiny, authorities said Friday.

The District Attorney's Office plans to dismiss any open criminal cases in which  testimony from former Officers Robert Snyder, James Venziale, and Mark Williams is critical, the office said. It's not yet clear how many pending cases would depend solely on their testimony.

Meanwhile, federal agents and members of the Police Department's Internal Affairs Division have begun reviewing the officers' previous drug arrests, according to a source familiar with the case. In addition to examining cases the officers were involved in, authorities are looking for any possible links to other officers.

Venziale, 32; Williams, 27; and Snyder, 30, were charged in a federal indictment with stealing 300 grams of heroin from a reputed drug supplier, then planning to share the profits when it was sold. They have since been fired.

Officials Friday said the trio would be charged in a second case in which they were plotting to rip off a "Mafia" gambling bagman who was actually a federal undercover agent.

Venziale and Snyder have admitted helping plan the drug robbery, according to the motions filed. Williams has also admitted his involvement in planning to steal the cash from the man he believed was a mobster.

Authorities declined to comment on whether charges against other officers may be forthcoming, citing the ongoing investigation. But one source said, "I think this is just the beginning. Stay tuned."

This is not the first time that federal investigators have looked into allegations involving the 39th District in North Philadelphia, where Venziale and Williams worked. Snyder was assigned to the 25th District.

Drug dealers in the 39th have long claimed that police were pocketing money and drugs when they made arrests, according to sources with knowledge of the allegations. Officers would report that they seized five or six grams of cocaine in an arrest, for example, when the dealer claimed they seized 25 grams. Officers would report seizing $1,000 when the dealer said the amount was $4,000.

The accusations became so commonplace that several years ago, the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office opened an investigation, according to the source.

"The stories from the dealers were pretty consistent over the years, but the allegations were tough to prove," the source said.

The officers arrested this week were brought to the FBI's attention by an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was posing as a drug dealer who would sell the stolen heroin.

The officers, who have been held in the Federal Detention Center since their arrests, each pleaded not guilty at their arraignments Friday afternoon, in a courtroom packed with more than 50 friends and family members.

Though Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathy Stark asked that they remain jailed, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski said she might release them next week pending trial, but with electronic monitoring.

Williams' parents, who did not want to give their names, appeared in shock. They were surrounded by Williams' brothers and sisters.

"He's never been a problem his whole life," Williams' father said of his son. "I don't know. This just doesn't sound like him."

Venziale's family was also in court, including his wife. His attorney, John Renner, said Venziale had an "exemplary" police record, and had received commendations from the department.

Will Spade, who represents Snyder, said Snyder's colleagues seemed stunned by the news.

"I've talked to several officers who know him, and they say this guy was a very straight arrow and that he's the last guy they would expect to be wrapped up in something like this," he said.

Snyder's wife, Christal, has also been charged with conspiracy. She allegedly helped plan the robbery by passing messages between the officers and Angel Ortiz, a reputed drug dealer charged with helping to steal the heroin.

Christal Snyder's sister has three children with Ortiz. They are living with Christal Snyder and her mother.

Kathy Knowles, Christal Snyder's mother, was in tears after the court proceedings.

"He was a good cop," she said of Snyder. "I don't believe they got fired already. They've got cops that kill people and they still stand by them, and they turned their back on him."

Snyder, an officer for four years, and Venziale grew up together in Kensington, according to motions filed Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office. They have known each other since childhood.

Venziale, a 10-year veteran, and Williams, a seven-year veteran, were partners in the 39th. Snyder introduced them to Ortiz, according to the documents filed, and the four hatched the plan.

According to the motions, when Ortiz began planning the robbery, he told another dealer that they would have help from police.

Ortiz told the dealer his "brother-in-law" was an officer who, along with other officers he knew, would aid them in robbing drug suppliers. That officer turned out to be Snyder.

Venziale and Williams pretended to arrest Ortiz on May 14, moments after a drug courier delivered 300 grams of heroin to Ortiz from a supplier.

The officers were in uniform and on duty, and after faking the arrest of Ortiz, they let him go.

The ruse involved letting the undercover agent leave with the heroin, which had a street value of $100,000. Ortiz later paid the officers for their help with federal undercover money.

Prosecutors allege the trio were also planning a second robbery days before they were arrested, and hoped to take cash from a man they thought was involved with illegal gambling. The officers' alleged target was an undercover agent posing as a member of the Mafia.

The officers allegedly planned to give him a falsified police property receipt after taking the cash, which would act as proof that the money had been legitimately seized.

On the day that heist was supposed to take place, Williams was on restricted duty due to an investigation into a domestic violence complaint filed against him by the mother of one of his children. Stark told the court that Williams choked and hit his girlfriend, then drove her car while she was sitting in it with the door open and her legs were outside the vehicle.

The girlfriend was in the courtroom Friday with other friends and family, but declined to comment.

Williams is being investigated by the department in the alleged assault of the boyfriend of Venziale's niece in March. Williams and Venziale are also under investigation into excessive force stemming from injuries they allegedly inflicted on someone they arrested in May.

When authorities searched Williams' house during his arrest, they found two police badges, Stark said in court on Friday. On one of the badges, the numbers were punched out. Though Stark said she did not know why Williams had two badges, she said he might have worn the second badge while stealing the heroin.