Hall of Shame

In the spirit of the Minneapolis and St. Paul police prostitution sex trafficking web pages, which publicly shame people accused of that dirty deed, this page notes those law enforcement officers accused of creeping on people using the Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles driver's license database.You might argue that it's not fair to humiliate people who haven't been convicted of a crime. Well, the police practice isn't fair either, and it'll be a long time before either of those agencies put a list of their creeper cops on the web (or file criminal charges against them either). Only here, there's no mug shot attached. Also, we won't be permanently confiscating their vehicles or making them appear before "community impact panels." But we wish we could. Their crimes weren't manufactured and involve actual victims.

The Minnesota legislative auditor has released a report on the widespread and extensive abuse of private data by cops and other public officials. Curiously, it doesn't recommend prosecution of those who have committed crimes. Nonetheless, a few public officials are finally being charged for their crimes. Their names are noted with asterisks (*) below. To date, no non-supervisory cops, including those whose serial abuses are responsible for these crimes finally having been brought to light through the Anne Marie Rasmusson lawsuit, have been charged, which tends to reinforce the perception that those people are "above the law" even though they're entrusted with enforcing it.

The page is provided in the recognition that abuse of private data is illegal and wrong for many reasons including:

• It costs taxpayers money. 
• It's against the law. 
• It violates people's privacy. 
• It exploits the public's trust.
• It makes law enforcement officials into hypocrites.

Law enforcement officials need to begin obeying the law as they are paid and trusted to uphold it.

 Note: The Hall of Shame currently includes primarily those alleged to have violated privacy based on the (now settled) Anne Marie Rasmussen lawsuit in addition to a few additional serial creepers. Names for those alleged to have violated the privacy of Brooke Bass, Beth McDonough, Hilary DeVary, Brian Potocnik and others will be added if they become publicly available.

Without further ado, the list includes:

Minnesota DNR (name followed by number of reported violations) 
John Hunt* (19,000+!!!)

Minneapolis Office of Housing Inspections  (name followed by reported violations) 
Tom Deegan* (many)
Michael Karney* (many)

Dayton Police Department 
Dick Pietrzak* (2)

St. Paul Police Department (name followed by reported violations) 
Stephanie Bailey (7)
Ann Baumgart (1)
Neil Benner (1)
Bruce Bennett (1)
Laura Bolduan (1)
Amy Boyer (1)
Jeffery Boyle (4)
Jason Brubaker (2)
Brian Coyle (1)
Patrick Daly (1)
Chad Degree (1)
Wes Denning (1)
Luis Diaz-Calle (1)
Edward Dion (1)
Michael Dunaski (1)
Shawn Filiowich (1)
Tim Flynn (1)
Matthew Flynn (1)
Eric Gorud (1)
Nikkole Graupmann (1)
Mike Helgoe (1)
Axel Henry (7)
Andrew Heroux (1)
Cortez Hull (1)
Jeffery Hutchinson (3)
Robert Jerue (9)
Erik Johnson (2)
Candice Jones (40+!)
Ian Kough (4)
Kimberly Kunde (3)
Cary Lee (1)
Stephen Lentsch (12)
Sean Lohse-Johnson (12)
Theodore Mackintosh (1)
James McKnight (3)
Shelly Mehl (2)
Justin Miller (5)
Timothy Moore (1)
Ryan Murphy (4)
James Nash (22)
Jason Neubrand (8)
Evan O'Hara (2)
Salim Omari (3)
Kathy O'Reilly (1)
Mark Pierce (3)
Chris Rhoades (4)
Craig Rhode (1)
Jeff Rothecker (1)
David Rud (1)
Jon Sherwood (1)
Adam Siegfried (1)
Charles Sims (3)
Alan Singleton (7)
Jamie Sipes (1)
Eric Stevens (1)
Jeffery Stiff (7)
Tony Tallarico (1)
Todd Tessmer (1)
Threasa Timp (7)
Matt Toupal (1)
Scott Wendell (6)
Unknown Communications Center (6) 

Evidentally, there are an awful lot of St. Paul cops who don't realize that it is at least a misdemeanor to look up someone's driver's license photo in the state database without an enforcement purpose. At least they don't have to worry too much about being prosecuted...because they're cops.

(Former) Sgt. Carter Staaf, Eden Prairie Police Department

This gentleman is described as Ground Zero in Creepergate, a man who queried Rasmusson's photo 13 times and encouraged subordinates to do so as well. He's actually received some discipline, but so far hasn't received any of the 13 16 misdemeanor charges that are due to him. He had personal contact with Rasmusson. He's got 16 accesses of Rasmusson's photo, I think, on lots of different days. He really liked looking at her apparently and is one of the 15 Eden Prairie officers named. That's the most for any of the suburban agencies although both Minneapolis and St. Paul have them beat by quite a bit.

Shawn Sweeney, Eagan Police Department

I lost track of the number of times he accessed Rasmusson's photo. Count 'em up yourself if you have time to spare. The Pioneer Press reported that he lost his access to the driver's license database for three months as a result. Wonder how he was still able to do his job and if not whether he was getting paid during that time.

Christopher Millard, Eden Prairie Police Department

Another cop who had contact with Rasmusson and looked her up to obtain her address. Six accesses reported in filing.

Zachary Hessel, Eden Prairie Police Department

Reportedly looked her up after meeting her at a ball game. Three accesses reported in filing.

Erica Halverson, Tracy Luke, Kevin White; Eden Prairie Police Department

Two accesses each reported in filing.

Jennifer Bahr, Ann Bogren, Robert Haberle, Kyle Duchschere, Laurie Henning, Marci Pogatchnik, Beth Sams, Rachel Selfness, Steve Velner; Eden Prairie Police Department

One access each reported in filing.

Tim Anderson, Bloomington Police Department

Nine accesses reported in filing.

Charles Gollop, Bloomington Police Department

Six accesses reported in filing.

Minneapolis Police Department (name followed by number of reported violations)
Laura Bartsch (2)
John Bennett (1)
Calvin Cook (1)
Tim Costello (12)
Patrick Daly (1)
Hien Dinh (4)
Thomas Fahey (3)
Chad Fuchs (1)
Mark Gingerich (1)
Robert Gladrud (1)
Tracy Gross (Lemieux) (11)
Aaron Hanson (3)
Kimberly Heyda (1)
Lonnie Hoffbeck (2)
Jerry Johnson (3)
Mark Johnson (1)
Chad Joseph (12)
Christopher Karakostas (1)
Mike Keefe (1)
Jason King (40+)(Rasmusson's ex-husband)
Richard Lillard (1)
Tracy MacDougal (5)
Darcy Mackenthun (6)
Sean McGinty (1)
Jill Mrosla Loonsfoot (12)
David O'Connor (1)
Billy Peterson (2)
Lucas Peterson (2)
Michael Pfaff (3)
David Pleoger (2)
Luis Porras (5)
Patrick Reuben (2)
Michael Rocklin (1)
John Staufenberg (4)
Kristina Stichter (2)
Kristin Sturgis (4)
Chris Thomsen (1)
Brian Thureson (2)
Geoffrey Toscano (3)
Stephanie Weibye (2)
Matthew Wente (3)
Pam Wheeler (4)
William Willner (4)
Jill Wolf (1)
Whew! That's a lot of people looking up someone a lot of times for no legitimate law enforcement purpose. Minneapolis taxpayers will be paying a lot of money for this in the end. Glad they had no "ill intent" as the Minneapolis cops' spokesman has said. If only all of us could use that explanation for breaking the law. The police department apparently won't hold its officers accountable for their behavior, but negotiators, judges, and perhaps juries probably won't do the same favor for the department itself.

Casey Buck, Burnsville Police Department
Five accesses reported in filing.

Casey Belisle, Chisago County Sheriff's Department
Seven accesses reported in filing.

Valerie Lonetti, Cottage Grove Police Department
One access reported in filing.

John Grant, Dakota County Sheriff's Office
One access reported in filing.

John Melvin, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Five accesses reported in filing.

Dean Grothem, Minnesota State Patrol
One access reported in filing.

Michael Nelson, Minnetonka Police Department
One access reported in filing.

Danielle Anselment, Eagan Police Department
One access reported in filing.

Joe Dutton, Golden Valley Police Department
One access reported in filing.

Todd Williams, Lakeville Police Department
Three accesses reported in filing.

Blake Fjosne, Rebecca Lawrence; Pine County Sheriff's Office
One access each reported in filing.

Dan Vosika, Pine County Sheriff's Office
Four accesses reported in filing.

Joseph Backlund, Princeton Police Department
One access reported in filing.

John and/or Jane Doe(s), Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
Three accesses reported in filing.

Elke Hobus, Red Wing Police Department
Three accesses reported in filing.

Phillip Hartung, South St. Paul Police Department
One access reported in filing.

Sean Huls, University of Minnesota Duluth Police Department
Nine accesses reported in filing.

Tony Ofstead, Woodbury Police Department
One access reported in filing.