HUMP DAY HUMOR

ANOTHER ABC ENFORCEMENT AGENT HAS A SKETCHY PAST - RICKEY C. ENDSLEY

According to a reliable source, ABC Enforcement Rickey Carrol Endsley had a medical/psychological issue that prevented him from carrying a weapon when he joined the ABC.  This issue happened when Endsley was employed by the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department and preceded his sudden retirement from that department on September 18, 2010.  Endsley started at the ABC on September 19, 2010.

 

For some reason the ABC decided that they did not have to follow a state law that requires them to file documents with the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training ("CLEST")...

 
    
and that form would be a CLEST Form F-1, Initial Employment Report indicating that they had hired Endsley.  Perhaps this was because Endsley was not cleared by his doctor to carry or possess a weapon. If that is the case then Endsley should not have been hired and his continued employment should be questioned, especially if the ABC is going to be the best law enforcement agency in the state as the tainted ABC Enforcement Director has proclaimed.

We reached out to Endsley for a comment and he refused to provide one.

It seems that the ABC either has extremely qualified individuals, any of which could lead the agency based on their knowledge and experience or agents that are so questionable that no other respectable agency would hire them. One can only guess that these sketchy agents got hired through the good ol' boy system or by some shady political connection. 

According to Glenn "GG" Greenwell, the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department ("TAPD") is refusing to release information about Endsley by claiming it is covered by HIPAA .  But TAPD is not a HIPAA covered entity.   Maybe Greenwell is just joking around as he has a good sense of humor as evidenced by the tags he had on his personal vehicle when he was a sergeant.

It appears that the Governor, the Department of Finance and Administration and the ABC cares little about qualifications for employees much less leadership at the ABC. A change is necessary and it is coming.

MISSING PAGE FROM ASP FILE CALLS POLYGRAPH RESULTS INTO QUESTION

A page was missing from the documents that Hamlet and fellow Republican, Leslie Rutledge, did not want anybody to see. 

The missing page has since been located.

The page has Hamlet's admission that after one of the two trips he made to the restroom during an exam, where he discussed test questions and then upon returning to the room, he changed his answers to questions. Hamlet admits to changing an answer about the 17 digit VIN (vehicle identification number).

Hamlet and other troopers in training, were cautioned before each weekly examination that when they were finished with the exam they were to place their paper face down on their desk and to not turn it over until it was to be graded.

In the missing page, Hamlet admits to changing the question about the 17 digit VIN number after returning from the restroom.

As part of the internal investigation Hamlet took a polygraph test.  In that test Hamlet was asked if he changed the answer to the question about the 17 digit VIN number and did he change his answer after returning from the restroom.

Get ready for this... Hamlet answered no to both questions!  Wait, there is more... the polygraph examiner stated that Hamlet was telling the truth.

This is a classic example of why polygraph examinations are not recognized or used as evidence in most courts across the United States. 

How could this have happened. One reason could be that Hamlet is a pathological liar (and there is sufficient evidence to support this assertion) and the other is that he really believes that he did not "cheat" he just changed his answers after leaving the testing room and discussing the test questions with other test takers then going back to change his answers. In Hamlet's delusional mind changing answers is not cheating.  Never mind the fact that according to the testing conditions, you turn your paper over when finished and don't turn it back over until it time for it to be graded.

It's one thing to not follow that rule if you have doubts about an answer after you just turned the paper over, but it is altogether different to leave the room, discuss test questions and answers with others then return to the room and changes answers. That folks is the definition of cheating. And we don't have to solely rely on Hamlet as there were statements made by multiple witnesses that Hamlet changed answers on his test after leaving and returning to the room. Hell, he left the room, came back and changed his answers twice! 

  

If you read the Arkansas State Police investigation file on Hamlet, it is crystal clear that he cheated on the exam and then he lied multiple times to state police officials and investigators.  His own words were that  he "danced" around with investigators about the truth and admitted that he had changed answers on other tests (cheating) and had not been truthful the whole time he had been hired by the state police.

Hamlet has no business being the head of a state law enforcement agency.  The ABC Enforcement agents working under him have to be embarrassed and ashamed.  Will it take charges being filed against Hamlet for the governor to send him packing?  We will see, we understand a complaint is being filed with the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney as you read this.

HAMLET'S STATE POLICE FILE REVEALS STUPIDITY, DISHONESTY, LACK OF CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY

The Arkansas State Police investigation file that Boyce Hamlet and Leslie Rutledge did not want anyone to see is unbelievable. No wonder Judge Pierce looked so disgusted when reading it in the hearing that sought and obtained it's release on September 24, 2015.

The file clearly demonstrates the character, or lack thereof, of Boyce Hamlet. There is no way possible that Hamlet will be able to hang on to the position he was only able to obtain as a political appointee after the entire state of Arkansas takes a look at it.

CLICK TO VIEW THE ASP INVESTIGATION FILE OF HAMLET

The story starts when Hamlet was selected to be an Arkansas State Trooper back in 2000.

Hamlet is taking a weekly test, ironically the test covered in part the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, and is instructed that when the test is completed to turn if face down and not touch it again until it is ready to be graded.

Hamlet gets up to take one of his eight or nine daily restroom visits (from his own words - maybe he had IBS). While in the restroom he discusses how hard some of the test questions were and gets answers from other trooper recruits. Hamlet returns to the testing room, picks up his test paper and changes several answers after leaving and re-entering the room (Hamlet actually leaves the room twice).  Hamlet is observed by others changing answers on his test paper and a complaint is made.

The complaint triggers an internal investigation. Trooper recruits are interviewed and several stated that they observed Hamlet leave the room, then return and he picked up his test, erased and changed answers. One individual reported that Hamlet made comments to her about changing answers...

Hamlet was then interviewed...

 

To recap, Hamlet was very evasive in answering questions (in his own word's he tried to "dance" or avoid speaking truthfully outright, or to evade the truth by lying) and even thought he had every opportunity to be truthful, forthcoming and honest, he lied until just before he was to take a polygraph test. 

 

 
The transcript of the interview has some interesting information in it.  Hamlet describes himself as "a big baby" and that he "goes to the bathroom eight or nine times a day". Hamlet also states "I failed the spelling test two or three weeks ago" and " I'm horrible at math" and "I took college algebra two or three times..it's a F every time."  Hamlet then claims he has "a medical diagnosed math disorder, the state of Arkansas paid my tuition all through college because of it".

We are not making this up folks. If true, Hamlet has a psychological disorder called Dyscalculia.  According to the DSM-5 it's classified as a Specific Learning Disorder, 3.15.1 With impairment in mathematics, with mild, moderate or severe severity.  If we were a cold and heartless bunch, we might say Boyce has a free pass to ride the short bus.

During the interview Boyce broke down and began crying. He had already been fired and he knew that he was done for. The test was just too difficult for him and he admitted that he almost failed it, even after cheating...

 

Did you see where Hamlet mentioned about the investigator's talking to him about resigning?  Maybe that's where Hamlet picked up that little trick he would later use to get rid of ABC Enforcement agents that intimidated him or that he felt threatened by due to their having more experience and skills than he possessed.  

Hamlet's lying and cheating cost him his life long dream of being and Arkansas State Trooper...

Then for the next 15 years Hamlet continued to lie and be dishonest about his hiring and firing by the state police as well as his actual period of employment with the University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff Department of Public safety and the Arkansas Department of Community Correction. He broke state laws by withholding that information (state police);falsifying employment periods of other agencies and obtained positions in law enforcement in Arkansas and Mississippi that he might not have otherwise obtained had he been honest and forthcoming.

Hamlet is unfit to possess any type of law enforcement certification here in Arkansas or elsewhere.  If Larry Walthers, the head of the Department of Finance and Administration, is an ethical, honest and just man, he will fire Hamlet and recommend that the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training revoke Hamlet's specialized certification and tell Governor Hutchinson if he doesn't like it he can take his job and stuff it. If Walther's does nothing, then we know what kind of man he is. A boot licking , ass kissing lackey.

FANTASY FRIDAY - A NEWSPAPER HEADLINE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE

JUDGE ORDERS ARKANSAS STATE POLICE TO TURN OVER COPY OF THEIR INVESTIGATIVE FILE ON BOYCE HAMLET

JUDGE PIERCE SAID RUTLEDGE MADE INCORRECT DECISION

In an unexpected turn of events for Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Mackie Pierce found that she made an incorrect decision when she recommended that the Arkansas State Police not release an investigative file from August 2000 on Boyce Hamlet, a trooper recruit at the time. Hamlet was the subject of an internal investigation that led to his dismissal from employment with the Arkansas State Police. The investigation centered on allegations of cheating on an examination and multiple admitted incidents of lying to internal investigators. 

Hamlet currently holds the position of Enforcement Director of  Alcoholic Beverage Control, a division of the Department of Finance and Administration, which is a political appointment.

Evidence was introduced in the case that Hamlet had carried out a 15 year scheme to hide his Arkansas State Police employment and termination. Hamlet obtained jobs in law enforcement that he might not have otherwise obtained had he been honest and truthful and disclosed the information. 

Documents filed with the court included an application for employment with the 20th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney in which Hamlet provided false and misleading information about a job with the Department of Community Correction that listed he worked at that agency during the time that he was hired and fired by the Arkansas State Police. Hamlet also provided forms under penalty of  perjury to the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training that omitted his employment and firing by the Arkansas State Police in violation of state laws (see previous post for complete details). Hamlet's pattern of dishonesty and lack of credibility and integrity  place agencies that employ him at risk as he is a Brady officer under holding of Brady vs. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963).

CLICK TO READ ABOUT BRADY VS. MARYLAND

The judge found the case presented by Assistant Attorney General Colin Jorgensen troubling and awkward. 

ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL COLIN JORGENSEN

Judge Pierce sided with the factual and well presented case of the non-attorney, self represented Plaintiff, and ruled that a compelling public interest in disclosure was present in that the records sought reflected a breach of trust or illegal conduct by a public employee, in this case a potential police officer. Judge Pierce found that the nature of the problem that led to Hamlet's termination had bearing on the compelling public interest and the existence of public controversy led him to conclude that the test had been met. 

The state police believed the file was releasable under the  FOI Act and had intended to release it.  However, Hamlet got assistance from Rutledge and she issued an opinion that the file should not be released.

Judge Pierce pointed out that Hamlet now heads up a powerful state law enforcement agency and his prior conduct and continued lack of honesty and credibility greatly impacted the ability of that agency to effectively carry out its statuary responsibilities. He ordered the State Police to turn over the complete file once the name of another trooper recruit that was accused of wrongdoing along with Hamlet was redacted from the material.  Judge Pierce stated that the record did not reflect if the other individual was subsequently found to have committed an offense or was cleared and that his name should be redacted based on that fact.

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A reasonable person would expect that Hamlet would simply resign and slink away to obscurity and seek employment in a profession other that law enforcement, especially before Governor Hutchinson demands his resignation or fires him.

Honestly, we believe that Hamlet is a pathetically flawed individual that has lived a lie so long he would have a breakdown if he was forced to face reality. We actually feel sorry for him and urge him to man up, take responsibility for his actions, confess his wrong doings, apologize and disappear. 

TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS RUNS STORY ON HAMLET RECORDS CONSPIRACY

CLICK TO READ TB&P ARTICLE

 

COOK

Michael Cook,  a political writer for Cook's Outlook and content partner for Talk Business & Politics (produced by KATV), first thought after reading Arkansas Attorney's General Leslie Rutledge's argument in her opinion that decided that  the Arkansas State Police should not release Hamlet's records was "is this a joke?"

Cook states that he believes that Rutledge is simply covering up for Hutchinson's appointment of Hamlet to avoid embarrassing the Arkansas governor.

Cook goes on to say that "the public has a right to know for certain if the head of the ABC enforcement is someone who can be trusted, and his past firing from the Arkansas State Police raises serious doubts."

STATE REP. JULIE MAYBERRY FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST THE ABC

Representative Julie Mayberry, her husband and a daycare center owner filed a lawsuit in Saline County on September 18th against the ABC.  The lawsuit seeks a judicial review of a decision made by the ABC to issue a permit to Dr. Harry Bryant (who happens to be the Mayberry's vet) to open a liquor store in a strip mall on Arch Street in Saline County.

PROPOSED SITE OF LIQUOR STORE

Dr. Bryant, according to a Yelp review, is a horrible veterinarian. Perhaps that is why he is wanting to open a liquor store.

There are two daycare centers that fall within 900 feet (one is 350 feet) of the proposed liquor store.

As Mayberry pointed out to the ABC Board when they held a hearing on the proposed site and in her lawsuit, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge issued an opinion on June 15, 2015 to Rep. Kim Hammer of Benton, in which she stated that a daycare center is indeed a schoolhouse.

Mayberry also included in her lawsuit an Arkansas Supreme Court Case that referenced the Arizona Case Rutledge mentioned in her opinion, Alexander v. Phillips, 31 Ariz. 503, 254 P. 1056, 52 A.L. R. 244. That found a stadium met the definition of a schoolhouse.

ABC Administration Director Bud Roberts and ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet, not trusting their enforcement agents, made a road trip to East End to investigate the two daycare centers.  

After visiting the two centers, Roberts issued a memorandum that questioned the qualifications of the center staff, their accreditation and their training. Hmmm, maybe Bud should look at his partner Hamlet.  Many say the same sort of things about him and his position at the ABC.

Roberts memorandum also tries to obfuscate what Rutledge actually said about daycare centers being schoolhouses.

Bud must be hanging around with Boyce too much as his IQ appears to be dropping.  Rutledge clearly stated that she believed a daycare center is to be considered as a schoolhouse under Arkansas law.

In a television interview, Roberts stated that the daycare centers do not meet the legal definition of a schoolhouse.

CLICK TO VIEW NEWSCAST

After all Roberts is an experienced lawyer.  So what if he only has filed very few cases in the city and county where he practiced law (all divorce cases by the way).  Ten cases in the last five years. Thank god that his brother made that nice donation to Asa's campaign and hired Asa's son so that Bud could get a decent paying, steady job.

Come on now Bud, even Rutledge knows that the word "schoolhouse" is not defined in the current proximity law and it's not defined in the ABC regulations either. Neither is it defined anywhere else in the Arkansas Code.  Furthermore, no Arkansas appellate court, or federal court interpreting Arkansas law, opined on the meaning of schoolhouse in any context.

Rep. Mayberry raises valid points in her lawsuit and has the best interests of Arkansas children in mind.  The ABC better get ready for the next legislative session. 

HUMP DAY HUMOR

FORMER ABC DEPUTY DIRECTOR RICK CRISMAN IS A NO SHOW FOR HIS ETHICS COMMISSION HEARING

The Arkansas Ethics Commission held a hearing on a complaint regarding former ABC Deputy Director Rick Crisman last Friday. Crisman did not make an appearance in his own behalf.

The complaint and an investigative report prepared by Ethics Commission staff was presented by Drew Blankenship, a staff attorney for the Ethics Commission. 

After presenting the complaint, Blankenship read into the record statements obtained by Ethics Commission investigators from Crisman, Michael Langley , former ABC Administration Director and Bud Roberts, the current ABC Administration Director.

Crisman's statement attempted to deflect responsibility to former ABC Administrative Director Michael Langley, who Crisman stated gave approval to use material Crisman obtained in the course of his employment in connection with his smartphone application.  Crisman's statement also included an odd remark about him not having deleted emails prior to his departure from the ABC. Crisman also whined a little about how he was forced to resign without a chance to appeal. Crisman also disputed reported income from the mobile application.

Langley's statement reflected that he told Crisman he "wanted to be a part" of the application team, apparently as he thought it would be a money maker. Langley appeared to distance himself from an official approval of the use of the material Crisman used in the mobile application with some mumbo jumbo legalese.

Roberts stated that he was not aware of the FOIA request for information about Crisman (emails, documents. etc.) until after a complaint had been made to DFA.  He said that an ABC attorney and other staff had handled the FOIA request without apprising him. Roberts said that he was bothered than an ABC employee would be selling such an application and that it appeared to be a conflict as the ABC offered for sale another guide (ID Checking Guide).

The complainant testified that he did not know Crisman nor had he ever met him. He stated that as he was doing research about the ABC and the department employees, he discovered that Crisman had developed a smartphone application using material that he had obtained from other states using his position as Deputy Director of the ABC and had not advised the other states that he was going to also use the information they provided to him for his own use in a smartphone application from which he would derive income. The complainant stated that the use of the information by Crisman violated state laws and that the legislative intent was that no state employee was to benefit or personally gain from information obtained in the course of employment by the state of Arkansas.

The complainant stated that Crisman's former boss, Langley, who was an attorney should have known that he could not ignore the laws the legislature had passed and had no authority to tell Crisman, if he actually did, that it was okay to break the law.  If that was the case then Langley would be an accessory. He stated that after the ethics complaint had been filed, he found that Crisman had obtained out of state driver’s licenses that had been turned in when exchanged for an Arkansas driver’s license.  He explained that DFA has a written policy that the licenses are to be shredded.  He stated that Crisman, who worked in a revenue office in Fayetteville, was somehow able to obtain quite a few of the licenses that were to be destroyed. He explained that he had contacted some of the individuals and had asked them if they had given permission to or had been told by a revenue agent that their license would be given to the ABC.  All stated that they had not.  He stated that Crisman’s actions gave the appearance that rules and regulations did not apply to him because he was a deputy director of the ABC.

He ended by stating that a preponderance of the evidence showed Crisman was in violation of DFA policy/procedure and state laws and the Commission should find that he had violated the state laws.

Blankenship remarked that the complaint was the most detailed and through complaint made to his office that he had presented to the commission.  The chairman, William Bird, echoed those remarks.

The documents used in the hearing could not be removed from the room or copied.  Once the Ethics Commission makes a finding (usually within 30 days), the documents will be made public. If Crisman is found to have violated state laws, the Ethics Commission will make a settlement offer to him that could include a letter of caution and a fine.

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO OF CRISMAN SHOWING OFF HIS MOBLIE APPLICATION AND ID'S HE OBTAINED FROM A DFA REVENUE IN VIOLATION OF POLICY

ABC ENFORCEMENT DIRECTOR PUTS INCORRECT NAME OF HIS AGENCY ON BADGE

An email sent to us by a reader pointed out that tainted Alcoholic Beverage Control Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet thinks his agency is the Alcohol Beverage Control.  The observant reader noticed this fact when reading our post that revealed that Hamlet believes that ABC Enforcement is a better law enforcement agency than the Arkansas State Police.

BLOG READER'S COMMENTS ON HAMLET"S THROW DOWN TO ARK. STATE POLICE

We suspect that the email was sent from an employee of the Arkansas State Police that is familiar with Hamlet's history.

One would think that an individual would know the name of the place where they are employed. Poor Boyce is having a hard time it seems. ABC employees tell us that Hamlet is stressed and worried that he might be forced to "resign" himself.

 

Readers of this blog are familiar Hamlet's hiring and firing by the state police for cheating on an exam and lying multiple times to investigators about the matter and his failed illegal attempts to cover up and falsify his employment history on  job applications and forms sworn under oath.

This blog and others have questioned how can Hamlet be appointed to a position for which he is blatantly unqualified.  Hamlet has a proven history of lying, and lacks of credibility/integrity.  Hamlet's issue with credibility impacts his ability to act as a law enforcement officer and his continued employment by the Department of Finance (or Finances as Hamlet says) and Administration sullies the reputation and public perception of one of the largest state agencies.

ABC ENFORCEMENT AGENT KEN COON LACKS CREDENTIALS FOR POSITION

Records obtained from the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards & Training (CLEST) indicate that ABC Enforcement agent Ken Coon, Jr. does not possess the law enforcement credentials for the position he currently holds.

Coon's only certification is specialized:parole.  Like his boss Hamlet, this only permits the holder to work in the area of parole.

 

 The class specification for ABC Enforcement agents states that an individual must have basic, general, intermediate, advanced or senior certification as a law enforcement officer by the Arkansas Commission of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. This is because another requirement for this position is the the individual must have the ability to make arrests.  Coon could arrest as many parole violators and absconders as he liked when he was a parole officer for the Department of Community Correction, but as an enforcement agent he is SOL.  He has no statutory authority to act as a law enforcement office outside of the parole sector. 

 

 

One can only wonder at how Coon was able to obtain the position as an enforcement agent when it was crystal clear he was not qualified.  

Even the Initial Employment Report, a legally mandated form, submitted to CLEST by the ABC clearly indicates Coon possessed no certification (the choices are Basic, General, Intermediate, Advance, Senor, None) and had not attended a basic police training course. The certification Coon has worthless unless you are working as a parole officer for DCC or some county court.

 

A previous post raised the possibility that Coon was on Hamlet's Hit List and speculated that he would be the next agent to "resign".  Hamlet may have found his reason to force Coon's resignation.  Or maybe not, Hamlet is in a similar position in that he is not qualified for the position he holds.  Maybe Coon's connection to the Republican Party will save him.  But not having the necessary certification is a slap in the face to the other much more qualified agents.

Every day some incredible information comes out about the ABC (lack of credentials, violations of departmental rules and state laws, etc.).  Instead of being the elite law enforcement agency as Hamlet has proclaimed, it has become the focus of laughter and ridicule.  The mess at the ABC has spurred a new idiom - "Did a Hamlet" which makes reference to getting a high paying position by lying about your employment history and obtaining a job you had no chance in hell of getting if you told the truth.

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UPDATE - 

A review of Coon's CLEST training record reveals that he did complete a basic police course back in 1998 and we are told that he is the only agent that the ABC has sent to the academy (what do you want to bet that Hamlet will be the second, that is if he keeps his job).

However, Coon did not complete and submit the necessary application for a law enforcement certificate that is required for him to obtain a basic law enforcement certification.  It's just like a college student saying he has a degree when he completed all the necessary hours.  You have to apply for the degree after completing the requirements, then the college awards you the degree.

Coon has a Master Degree, but not enough common sense to realize that he had to apply for the certification after completing the required course.

 

CLEST has confirmed that Coon never made an application after completing the basic course back in 1998 and only holds the specialized certification that is worthless anywhere else other that with the Department of Community Corrections.