6 of 9 charges against former city policeman dropped
-
Michael C. Johns
Share with others:
With little explanation, the Allegheny County district attorney's office on Friday withdrew the majority of charges against a former Pittsburgh police officer accused of running a prostitution service.
County police in August charged Michael C. Johns, 44, with nine counts of crimes including promoting prostitution, obstructing justice and drug possession with intent to deliver. Detectives said he helped prostitutes obtain heroin, provided them transportation and let them use a computer in his Brookline home to post online ads to adult websites.
Mr. Johns, who was on the force for 16 years before he resigned last month, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday on three remaining counts -- drug conspiracy, filing false police reports and insurance fraud, a felony that would prevent him from future work as a police officer if he is convicted.
Mike Manko, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, said he could not comment about why prosecutors withdrew the other six charges. Phillip DiLucente, one of Mr. Johns' attorneys, said he did not know exactly why the charges were withdrawn but noted that they had not made a plea agreement. His client, who also works as a taxi driver, is pursuing other employment and opportunities for higher education, he said.
County police officials did not return calls for comment about the investigation, which spawned from an April traffic stop involving a car that was rented by Mr. Johns. The driver, whose prostitution charges also have since been withdrawn, told detectives he had been driving a woman to a man's house for a "sexual performance" and that the woman's boyfriend, Mr. Johns, had rented the car, a Cadillac sedan.
The insurance fraud charge was filed because police said he lied about how the vehicle's passenger side became damaged. A witness told detectives he was driving a woman "on a job" when he got stuck in the mud and hit a tree trying to free himself. Mr. Johns, however, filed a claim with State Farm Insurance, saying the vehicle was damaged in a hit and run, according to a criminal complaint.
Mr. Johns often rented such vehicles for women "to travel and do 'shows and deals,' " the complaint said. He also gave them cellphones to promote their services and spent thousands of dollars to post sex ads to adult websites, police said. His arrest came days after an August sting in which detectives said they watched Mr. Johns drive to police informants in a taxi cab to buy heroin on the North Side.
Mr. Johns had worked out of the city's Hill District station but was transferred to the warrant office soon after the county began its probe. City police officials put him on paid leave shortly before he resigned.
First Published October 22, 2011 12:00 am
