Officer Fired, 2nd Given Notice for Links to Prostitute

A San Diego police officer has been fired and a lieutenant has been recommended for dismissal after a department investigation determined that the pair engaged in improper conduct with a prostitute.

Police officials said that state law prohibits them from releasing the officers’ names, but lawyers for former Officer Larry Avreck and Lt. Carl Black confirmed that it was their clients who were disciplined.

“One officer has been fired and another is under consideration for termination,” said Assistant Chief Robert Burgreen. He said that at least one other officer was investigated but was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Steve Casey, spokesman for Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller, said that a report of the six-month police investigation was brought to the attention of prosecutors, but a subsequent review of the evidence led them to determine that it was insufficient to prosecute the officers.

Avreck Accused

Donna Gentile, 22, who served as a witness against Black and Avreck, said in a television interview that she had sex with Avreck in exchange for favors. Gentile began serving a 90-day sentence Wednesday after she was convicted of soliciting for prostitution. In the interview, she denied having sex with Black, a 16-year veteran of the force.

Don Peterson, Avreck’s attorney, denied that his client ever had sex with Gentile. Avreck, a five-year veteran of the department, was fired last Jan. 15, Peterson said. He said that Avreck is appealing his firing and declined to reveal more about the case. However, Peterson said that Gentile’s credibility has been questioned before.

“Her credibility is deeply questioned in police circles. She has on other occasions accused officers (of having sex with her) and has expressed a desire to get an officer,” Peterson said without elaborating further.

Police officials declined to comment on Peterson’s statement.

Edward Dillon, Black’s attorney, confirmed that his client has been recommended for dismissal. Gentile charged that Black arranged for her to accompany another unidentified officer on a water-skiing trip to the Colorado River. She said that her date was not aware that she was a prostitute.

Sources familiar with the case said that Black was initially given a 10-day suspension. But a decision was made to fire him after police investigators learned that he failed to tell them of at least two occasions when he intervened on Gentile’s behalf.

A report in the San Diego Tribune said that Black sent a favorable letter about Gentile to Municipal Court Judge E. Mac Amos. It was Amos who sentenced Gentile to County Jail at Las Colinas on Thursday. Another source said that Black called a probation officer with favorable information about Gentile.

Superiors Told of Call

That source said that the probation officer informed Black’s superiors about the phone call. Police internal affairs investigators were not aware of Black’s call to the probation officer at the time of his suspension. After learning about the call, the decision was made to fire him.

Dillon also noted that the district attorney’s office declined to prosecute Black after looking at the evidence. He declined further comment on the case because of his intention to appeal once Black is officially fired.