Two Cops plead guilty to corruption

Two Charlottesville Police officers have pleaded guilty to charges of lying to federal agents, which could send each of them to prison for five years.
Officers Charles Saunders and Roy Fitzgerald, along with Charlottesville residents Jason Madison and Charles Phillips, were charged with bribery, conspiracy, witness tampering and making false statements.
According to a statement from U.S. Attorney John Brownlee, the indictment charged that, as far back as 1996, Saunders and Fitzgerald “received monies and women for physical sexual activity and sexually explicit entertainment” from Phillips, who owned an adult massage/dance company, and is the former manager at the now-demolished Maxx’s Nightclub. In return, “the officers overlooked illegal activities at Maxx’s, allowed Phillips to avoid charges for traffic offenses and drunk driving, and passed on information to Phillips concerning law enforcement operations.” Court documents say the officers warned Phillips about drug and prostitution investigations. The indictment further claims that Saunders and Fitzgerald tried to get Phillips and Madison to lie to federal investigators, specifically about a situation where Madison, Phillips and Saunders “performed sexual acts with a blindfolded girl,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s release.
Saunders and Fitzgerald both faced 30-year sentences for all the charges; with this plea agreement, they now each face five years in prison and a $5,000 fine for lying to federal agents. Prosecutors will drop the other charges in exchange for the guilty pleas. Phillips has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery; Madison pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit perjury. Both are free on bond until sentencing. Saunders and Fitzgerald have been on administrative leave during the investigation, and will now be fired, according to City Police Chief Tim Longo.—John Borgmeyer