AN off-duty patrol officer and his companion were arrested Thursday afternoon on “ice” charges.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Santiago F. Tudela announced during a press conference the arrest and suspension of PO1 Florencio Richards.
Richards’ co-defendant is Belinda Omenkar, 38.
The 32-year-old Richards was arrested last year for driving an unmarked DPS vehicle that was used as a getaway car in a burglary and theft incident at a Capital Hill residence.
Richards was a crime scene technician at that time.
The burglary case was dismissed without prejudice in Dec. 2009 and he was reinstated to active duty on Feb. 19, 2010.
Richards and Omenkar appeared in court on Thursday before Judge Perry Inos who said the detention of the two was justified on the charges of possession of a controlled substance and trafficking of a controlled substance.
Assistant Attorney General Brian Gallagher moved for a $25,000 cash bail for Richards, but Inos reduced it to $10,000, and set the same amount for Omenkar.
Inos appointed the Public Defender’s Office as Omenkar’s counsel.
After the hearing, Richards and Omenkar were remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections.
“We will go after them,” Tudela said, referring to DPS personnel who break the law.
DPS acting spokesman PO2 Jason Tarkong said the CNMI Joint Drug Task Force, which included Customs, received information that Omenkar, who was described by the police as a known drug-dealer/user, was in possession of, and trafficking in, narcotics.
Omenkar was placed under surveillance and a team was assigned to follow her.
Prior to her arrest, she was spotted in a white 1993 Toyota pick-up truck.
When the vehicle parked at the Garapan Fishing Base, task force officers approached the vehicle and spoke to Omengkar, who was in the passenger seat.
Upon questioning, Omengkar admitted to possessing and trafficking ice, Tarkong said.
Omengkar surrendered an undetermined amount of ice to the task force officers along with an undetermined amount of cash she received during her transactions, Tarkong said.
“Task force officers identified Omengkar’s driver as off-duty Police Officer Florencio Richards, whom Omengkar later claimed accompanied and drove her around while she was dealing narcotics,” Tarkong said.
He said task force officers also found a 9mm pistol on the driver-side floor mat.
“It is believed the pistol may be Richard’s department-issued firearm,” Tarkong said.
The vehicle driven by Richards was impounded by the police.
