Fullerton : Police Given $27,491 From Narcotics Loot

It’s not quite like setting a thief to catch a thief, but Fullerton Police Department narcotics officers hope the outcome will be the same.

A man who had made money in the drug trade has, according to Chief Martin Hairabedian, decided he wants no more of it and donated $27,491 for use in future narcotics investigations.

Hairabedian said the anonymous donor was “someone on the fringes of illegality who got talked into doing something with drugs. But he got caught and now he just does not want any part of it (the money) anymore.

“It’s like one of those old Mafia movies, where everybody is into gambling and then someone wants to start selling narcotics, even though everyone is saying, ‘stay away from it,’ ” Hairabedian said. “This guy kind of reminds me of that.”

The donor’s criminal case had been resolved before the money was given to the Police Department, Hairabedian said.

“I think he pleaded guilty, but I’m not sure,” Hairabedian said. “I’ve kind of tried to keep my distance on this thing.”

Hairabedian said that, although his department has received donations of equipment and money for a variety of programs, this was the first one involving drug profits and possibly the first of its kind in the county.

Police received the donation a month ago, and it was officially accepted by the City Council during Monday’s regular meeting. It will be placed in a fund containing other money gained from seizures of drug dealers’ assets. The funds are used for further police narcotics operations.

“It’s nice to get because usually all of the money is out there in the drug culture,” Hairabedian said. “There are three or four ways to reduce drug traffic. One is heavy enforcement, and the other is to keep their assets. A third way is to cut off the flow into the country, but that’s a federal problem.”