Former officers being investigated

By April Barbe

August 01, 2006 12:40 pm

— Jacksonville Police Department Lt. John Page confirmed Monday that two former JPD officers are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with former Officer Ray Bouman, who was reported as being investigated in April.
Former Sgt. Jeff Johnson, former officer Nathan Acker and Bouman are being investigated for a case from 2004, Page said.
“It is my understanding that it all stems from the same incident, and it is under investigation by the FBI,” Page said. “They are only being investigated for the one case, but I can’t say anything about it because we are not the agency who is investigating it.”
Page said FBI officials contacted him in May and said they were “looking into some allegations.”
Jeff Johnson resigned from JPD April 21 for personal reasons after taking a leave of absence the week of April 10, City Manager Mo Raissi said in a previous Daily Progress article.
“He said in his resignation letter that it was based on medical problems which he has had for the past few weeks,” Raissi had said.
Johnson had been employed with JPD since Jan. 26, 2002. Raissi said in the previous article that Sgt. Johnson’s leave of absence and resignation were not related to administrative issues.
According to Page, Johnson no longer works in law enforcement.
Acker resigned Dec. 23, 2004 after accepting a position as a narcotics investigator with Dogwood Trails Narcotics Task Force. He is now employed with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, according to Page.
Bouman was suspended with pay on April 25 pending an internal investigation based on a complaint from an outside source, according to Raissi. Bouman later resigned and no longer works in law enforcement, Page said.
Page declined to give any information about the case for which the three former officers are being investigated.
In an unrelated investigation, JPD officer Larry Pugh was arrested by FBI officials in February and later indicted on three counts of deprivation of rights under the color of law (sexual assault while on duty) and making a false statement to FBI officials. His trial is scheduled to begin in November.