Former Phoenix police officer pleads guilty to theft
by Michael Ferraresi - Nov. 19, 2010 03:06 PM
The Arizona Republic
A former Phoenix police officer accused of partnering with childhood buddies to rip off drug dealers of $40,000 in cash pleaded guilty to a theft charge Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court.
James Wren, a 23-year-old Maryvale Precinct patrolman, resigned from Phoenix police in June after a tip from a confidential informant led to his arrest on suspicion of multiple felony charges tied to thefts detectives said he committed while on duty and in uniform.
Wren was originally booked on suspicion of conspiracy, attempted theft and attempted money laundering and aiding a criminal syndicate.
The terms of his plea agreement mean other charges will be dismissed at his Jan. 28 sentencing, said Vincent Funari, a Superior Court spokesman.
Court records detailed how the officer made phony traffic stops on vehicles coming from a drug transaction, swiped boxfuls of cash, released the drivers without arresting them, and split the money later with friends tied to the drug trade.
Wren was arrested June 10 at a Laveen police precinct as part of an undercover sting set up through a tip by a confidential informant. He admitted to working on two heists since 2008, court records show.
Wren comes from a law-enforcement family. His father is a retired Phoenix police sergeant and three other family members, both civilian and sworn, are employed by the department. No other officers are believed to be involved.
Investigators learned about the heists through a drug suspect arrested earlier this year by Avondale police in an unrelated case, police said.