When law enforcement officials swear an oath to protect and serve, their commitment towards it is expected to be absolute. However, some not only shun their duty but also go an extra mile to engage in activities—sometimes even crimes—that are unbecoming of a police officer. In an example of such dereliction of duty, a former US detective was convicted for accepting sexual favours from women.
Christopher Collare, 54, currently from Blythewood, South Carolina, was convicted for receiving sexual favours from women to carry out actions that would benefit them at their individual trials. He was also convicted for distributing drugs and making false statements to federal agents. Collare was sentenced to 75 months in prison
"We rely on law enforcement officers to do their work with honesty and integrity. Instead, Collare exploited his official position, accepting bribes of sex and money in exchange for taking actions in prosecutions. Now, he will be held accountable for the bribery and lies," said Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office, in a statement.
Seeking Sexual Favours
Collare was a detective with Carlisle Police Department (Pennsylvania), a task force officer with the FBI, and a member of the Cumberland County Drug Task Force. According to evidence presented at the trial and court documents, he misused his position as a detective to receive sexual favours from two women. He agreed to act in a manner that benefitted them during their respective prosecutions in return for sexual intercourse with them.
In 2015, Collare acceded to accepting money or sex from a woman in order to not appear at an evidentiary hearing. As a result of his absence, the criminal charges against the party would be dismissed.
However, this was not the only instance of the former detective accepting coital favours to engage in actions that benefitted someone. In 2018, he agreed to receive sex from a woman in exchange for taking steps to help reduce her potential sentence.
Distributing Illegal Substances
If accepting sexual bribes was not enough, Collare also distributed drugs. Along with charges of bribery, he was also convicted by the jury for distributing heroin in 2016. In addition to this, he was convicted for making false statements in November 2015 on a federal document that required to be filled for the completion of his recruitment process as an FBI task force officer, and also to federal agents during an interview in May 2018.
"A badge carries enormous responsibility along with the trust it confers. Those who abuse that responsibility will find themselves on the wrong side of the law, facing the stark reality that crossing the line comes with punishment. Law enforcement officers at every level – local, state, federal – owe the public honest services free from bias or self-indulgent actions," stated Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Philadelphia Field Office
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