A former Murrieta Police Division detective pleaded responsible on Friday, Oct. 13, to soliciting bribes from a Colombian artwork vendor in trade for serving to him enter and work in the US, the U.S. Division of Justice stated.
Paul John Gollogly, 74, of Temecula, pleaded responsible to at least one rely of bribery in U.S. District Courtroom in Riverside.
Gollogly started working for Murrieta police in March 2013 to guide its anti cash laundering program, in response to his plea settlement. He dealt with confidential informants registered with the division, together with non-U.S. residents who wanted authorization from the U.S. authorities to enter and work within the nation.
In April 2013, Gollogly registered a Colombian nationwide and rich artwork vendor who owned artwork galleries in New York and Spain and a resort in Mexico as a confidential informant with the Murrieta Police Division. Gollogly had registered that vendor as a confidential informant when Gollogly labored at a Florida police division.
From April 2013 to February 2020, Gollogly helped the vendor receive varied immigration advantages, together with authorization from the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety to permit him to enter and work in the US for one yr at a time. Gollogly additionally tried to help with the vendor’s everlasting residency utility.
And Gollogly wrote letters of help to Homeland Safety for his entry into the U.S., falsely stating that his work as a confidential informant resulted in arrests, seizures of enormous quantities of cash and medicines. However the info he offered Murrieta police resulted in none of those, the DOJ stated.
In trade for the immigration help, prosecutors say Gollogly solicited and obtained advantages from the vendor, together with:
• Tickets to artwork exhibits in New York and Miami.
• The hiring of a Gollogly household good friend to work at one of many vendor’s companies and serving to a Gollogly relative safe a job with a serious philanthropist.
• Arranging for resort stays for 2 shut Gollogly family members and one other Gollogly good friend on the vendor’s resort in Mexico, together with one July 2014 keep during which – at Gollogly’s request – the vendor had wine and flowers left contained in the resort room of one of many family members.
• Paying 4 months’ lease in 2018 and 2019 for a Gollogly relative who was dwelling in New York Metropolis
• Paying for dinner at an upscale New York restaurant for Gollogly and 4 of his family members in December 2019.
Sentencing was set for Jan. 19, when Gollogly will face a statutory most sentence of 10 years in federal jail. Prosecutors have agreed to hunt not more than 18 months’ imprisonment.
