Found Deceased ND - Andrew Sadek, 20, Wahpeton, 1 May 2014 *alledged undercover drug informant*

[IBsleuthin]

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. ~Lord Acton.

 

[MINNESOTA-MOM]

This interview with a "former" board member of SEMCA spells it all out. I appreciate him answering the questions but he sounds somewhat clueless in some aspects.
[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8NhoX_d54wE[/video]

 

[IBsleuthin]

I thought that was an excellent interview. I have to say, I've spent some time reading many news articles on drug busts in that area and I challenge ANYONE to do the job of these narcotics officers. What a thankless, dangerous, low paid job. I just shake my head. The meth problem in my state is overwhelming and the people make me sick. They are a worse problem than global warming. I keep saying there are no zombies, but there are! WHO among you would want to deal with this segment of society for a living? Not me. It looks like they need someone to refill that vacant BCI position and oversee, but I wouldn't trash SEMCA. Do you want the drug manufacturing to overcome your area?

 

[IBsleuthin]

In the end, who should be held accountable? Who is responsible for Andrew's behavior? He is responsible for his own behavior. Who is responsible for his death? We may never know. This is just a very sad story.

 

[CantNotCare]

This interview with a "former" board member of SEMCA spells it all out. I appreciate him answering the questions but he sounds somewhat clueless in some aspects.
[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8NhoX_d54wE[/video]

To me...this says it all. It is a system that DEFINITELY needs reviewed. Outrageous charges considering situation to increase involvement. Age of being able to participate needs reviewed (not just the "they are 18 now and instantly an adult" idiotic view). The fact that this process can cause YOUNG people who have made a bad choice, then to potentially go on to a next level of bad choice with potential fatal harm as a result is outrageous. You can bet that SEMCA board members wouldn't suggest that their 18-25 year old children participate if they were to get caught doing something illegal, god forbid, and I bet they would have the opportunity to advise THEIR children. The way I understood this SEMCA representative's position was: Maybe not the best plan, but "that's what we do and how we do it, and we THINK its done everywhere like that".

I am NOT surprised at all, just so thankful that Tammy Sadek is digging in her heels, and Andrew would be SO PROUD of his mother. I don't know Tammy, but I want to thank her for all she's doing, AND offer my deep sincere condolences in the loss of her beautiful son (he looked like a very fine young man).

 

[CantNotCare]

I thought that was an excellent interview. I have to say, I've spent some time reading many news articles on drug busts in that area and I challenge ANYONE to do the job of these narcotics officers. What a thankless, dangerous, low paid job. I just shake my head. The meth problem in my state is overwhelming and the people make me sick. They are a worse problem than global warming. I keep saying there are no zombies, but there are! WHO among you would want to deal with this segment of society for a living? Not me. It looks like they need someone to refill that vacant BCI position and oversee, but I wouldn't trash SEMCA. Do you want the drug manufacturing to overcome your area?

It already has overcome. This process isn't slowing it down a bit. Obviously not from what you've witnessed either (zombies).

 

[CantNotCare]

It already has overcome. This process isn't slowing it down a bit. Obviously not from what you've witnessed either (zombies).

That is because only small fish are mostly being fried. The big fish are too scary for drug task forces to deal with directly themselves, so drones are sent in to take the risk. These young drones couldn't be prepared for what they've agreed to face, and often really can't accomplish the job at hand. Thus....

 

[CantNotCare]

In the end, who should be held accountable? Who is responsible for Andrew's behavior? He is responsible for his own behavior. Who is responsible for his death? We may never know. This is just a very sad story.

I agree, very very sad. But maybe some good will come of this, that's my hope.
Who should be held accountable? Depends on the definition of accountable, I think the charge should fit the crime. And...I think LE and SEMCA need to be accountable as well with full disclosure to these families. Anything else causes distrust. Why is the laptop being with-held, who is getting protected by that maneuver? Possibly the perpetrator? How is that being accountable?

 

[MINNESOTA-MOM]

I don't think anyone is giving Andrew a PASS as it stands to what he did. What he did was wrong but it didn't deserve death.

SEMCA's job is probably very dangerous - exactly why they shouldn't be bringing nineteen year old kids in to do THEIR jobs... Exactly why they need to be investigated.

 

[IBsleuthin]

That is because only small fish are mostly being fried. The big fish are too scary for drug task forces to deal with directly themselves, so drones are sent in to take the risk. These young drones couldn't be prepared for what they've agreed to face, and often really can't accomplish the job at hand. Thus....

(BBM) I respectfully disagree with that statement. The men and women I know involved in this work are tremendously brave and THRIVE on taking on the big fish. The problem is that they would be spotted 100 miles off by who they are trying to infiltrate.

I also am going to add that SEMCA didn't put any of these kids in the drug market. These kids PUT THEMSELVES in the drug market. They were ALREADY there. SEMCA is just utilizing their contacts to help try to curb this insidious infection of our society.

To be clear, these kids were already there. They choose to sell drugs and associate with other people selling drugs.

We wouldn't need a SEMCA or a drug task force or informants if there wasn't supply and demand. Emotions get in the way.

 

[CantNotCare]

I apologize if it appears that I was "trashing" SEMCA, I am not of that view, I DO feel they have an important job, and standard operations of important jobs need reviewed/overseen and especially when lives are at stake. Hospitals and the people who run them are necessary, and there are many people who wouldn't want those jobs either, but their standard operations are constantly being reviewed, and that is important and a necessity.
I understand that people "PUT THEMSELVES" in the drug market, but while these same people are being "utilized" their safety should be considered, and when/if these same people succumb to harm, why shouldn't it be thoroughly investigated?
I have recently been reading online about arrests of obviously "big fish" moving HUGE amounts of meth (in my opinion the devil) from state to state, and I am thrilled to hear whenever one is apprehended/stopped. What I don't understand is that some of the maximum sentences involve far less than what AS was warned as his charges. To me this brings the question to light of "scaring" someone into making choices and providing services for which they are not suited/equipped but feel as if they have no choice.
I have no emotional ties to either drug task force or AS, or any other victim of a questionable death (thank the Lord). But I do believe SEMCA needs reviewed, and their practices made accountable to be as safe as is possible.

 

[IBsleuthin]

I agree with your well written post. I wish I knew how to fix it.

 

[Rocco]

I apologize if it appears that I was "trashing" SEMCA, I am not of that view, I DO feel they have an important job, and standard operations of important jobs need reviewed/overseen and especially when lives are at stake. Hospitals and the people who run them are necessary, and there are many people who wouldn't want those jobs either, but their standard operations are constantly being reviewed, and that is important and a necessity.
I understand that people "PUT THEMSELVES" in the drug market, but while these same people are being "utilized" their safety should be considered, and when/if these same people succumb to harm, why shouldn't it be thoroughly investigated?
I have recently been reading online about arrests of obviously "big fish" moving HUGE amounts of meth (in my opinion the devil) from state to state, and I am thrilled to hear whenever one is apprehended/stopped. What I don't understand is that some of the maximum sentences involve far less than what AS was warned as his charges. To me this brings the question to light of "scaring" someone into making choices and providing services for which they are not suited/equipped but feel as if they have no choice.
I have no emotional ties to either drug task force or AS, or any other victim of a questionable death (thank the Lord). But I do believe SEMCA needs reviewed, and their practices made accountable to be as safe as is possible.

I agree with your post and as I'm sure you know, SEMCA is being investigated for it's practices. As far as scaring anyone into providing services though, they are just conveying what the courts have determined a maximum sentence could be if convicted. Those are the court guidelines and they're there in black and white as fact. However, as most of us know, people rarely get the maximum sentence for any crime-------- especially young first time offenders. With an attorney, he probably could have gotten the charges reduced to a misdemeanor and been sentenced to probabtion and some community service. I'm assuming he wouldn't have had the finances for an attorney but since he was of age, he could have requested a court appointed attorney. An initial consultation with an attorney is usually free so if he really didn't want to work for SEMCA, he could have spoken with an attorney and explored his options. Did SEMCA tell him that? Maybe they did and maybe they didn't. Just maybe he did want to work for them rather than go the court route to keep the situation as quiet as possible. But I still agree with you that the practices of SEMCA should be investigated to make sure what they're doing is as safe for the people they're involving as possible.

 

[CantNotCare]

I agree with your post and as I'm sure you know, SEMCA is being investigated for it's practices. As far as scaring anyone into providing services though, they are just conveying what the courts have determined a maximum sentence could be if convicted. Those are the court guidelines and they're there in black and white as fact. However, as most of us know, people rarely get the maximum sentence for any crime-------- especially young first time offenders. With an attorney, he probably could have gotten the charges reduced to a misdemeanor and been sentenced to probabtion and some community service. I'm assuming he wouldn't have had the finances for an attorney but since he was of age, he could have requested a court appointed attorney. An initial consultation with an attorney is usually free so if he really didn't want to work for SEMCA, he could have spoken with an attorney and explored his options. Did SEMCA tell him that? Maybe they did and maybe they didn't. Just maybe he did want to work for them rather than go the court route to keep the situation as quiet as possible. But I still agree with you that the practices of SEMCA should be investigated to make sure what they're doing is as safe for the people they're involving as possible.

Rocco, you mentioned "With an attorney, he probably could have gotten the charges reduced to a misdemeanor and been sentenced to probation and some community service. I'm assuming he wouldn't have had the finances for an attorney but since he was of age, he could have requested a court appointed attorney. An initial consultation with an attorney is usually free so if he really didn't want to work for SEMCA, he could have spoken with an attorney and explored his options" and "Did SEMCA tell him that?"

This has me thinking....this would involve SEMCA offering INFORMED CONSENT, and knowing that many 18-24 year olds can still be very naïve, and don't always understand the jargon especially if they haven't had previous experience with the law. I believe I heard in a Tammy Sadek interview that she learned later that Andrew had been told not to discuss it with his parents. Now this could have been in relation to the choice he'd already made to be involved with SEMCA?
I have concern that informed consent just with SEMCA isn't adequate for this age group, and should require an initial consultation with an attorney.

 

[IBsleuthin]

I agree with your post and as I'm sure you know, SEMCA is being investigated for it's practices. As far as scaring anyone into providing services though, they are just conveying what the courts have determined a maximum sentence could be if convicted. Those are the court guidelines and they're there in black and white as fact. However, as most of us know, people rarely get the maximum sentence for any crime-------- especially young first time offenders. With an attorney, he probably could have gotten the charges reduced to a misdemeanor and been sentenced to probabtion and some community service. I'm assuming he wouldn't have had the finances for an attorney but since he was of age, he could have requested a court appointed attorney. An initial consultation with an attorney is usually free so if he really didn't want to work for SEMCA, he could have spoken with an attorney and explored his options. Did SEMCA tell him that? Maybe they did and maybe they didn't. Just maybe he did want to work for them rather than go the court route to keep the situation as quiet as possible. But I still agree with you that the practices of SEMCA should be investigated to make sure what they're doing is as safe for the people they're involving as possible.

This also is a very well written post. Thank you.

 

[IBsleuthin]

Well? What's the latest?

 

[CantNotCare]

I'll apologize in advance, because I don't know if this is kosher, and I'm not trying to hijack this page for Andrew, but I want to point out:

There is another case right now (Dammion Heard) where the parents have been told it was suicide, and LE has closed the case. There is a poll for votes going on the FB page whether or not the case should have been closed.

I can't imagine being any of these parents, and being told their child committed suicide, when they sincerely believe otherwise.

 

[CantNotCare]

I believe that if SEMCA was using him as an informant, they would not let him go for a full year without bearing any fruits from that tree. Nor would they just not file those warrants for a year without his cooperation with them. So during that whole year who did they (SEMCA) bust based on Andrew's information? If the "bigger fish" caught wind of a small dealer/informant cramping his style and costing him money. Somebody's going to get hurt and a message is going to be sent. At the end of the deal Andrew only got a thank you note in the form of arrest warrants 13 months after his "sales".

JMO's

This is a very good post!

 

[Rocco]

This also is a very well written post. Thank you.

Here you go------

Hire an attorney=community service and probabtion

http://www.wday.com/content/msu-moo...eaving-concert-arrange-pot-deal-pleads-guilty

 

[IBsleuthin]

I'll apologize in advance, because I don't know if this is kosher, and I'm not trying to hijack this page for Andrew, but I want to point out:

There is another case right now (Dammion Heard) where the parents have been told it was suicide, and LE has closed the case. There is a poll for votes going on the FB page whether or not the case should have been closed.

I can't imagine being any of these parents, and being told their child committed suicide, when they sincerely believe otherwise.

I just finished reading through the preliminary information on Dammion's case and all I have to say is, WOW.

The thing is, if someone like me, who is completely unrelated to this case, who is just reading through it for the first time with no bias, can see clearly that something is VERY FISHY about that whole story, then why is it the police can't see it?

Well, I'll tell you why, and I apologize to my friends in law enforcement before I write this;

Ego.

This wouldn't be the first time LE declares something so, then is shown otherwise but refuses to recant. I don't know what the h#@ll they teach them in officer's training or maybe it's the personality profile that goes with the job, but the whole, "I'm right and you had BETTER not question my authority" mentality needs to STOP.

I've experienced that particular problem first hand. Not only had you better not question them but they will then make you feel like you are trash, convey this attitude to their co-workers and if you attempt to go around them they will give you a backlash to make you wish you would have never even attempted to question the situation.

Now, before some of you get angry and defend LE because they are saints, they are also human. Among these saints are some nasty people who no longer serve and protect but have turned large areas of this country into police states.

This is a ridiculous story and makes me angry.

In the town I'm in it was so bad that I had to remind the local law enforcement and the city that just because someone may have a lower income than others, had better not suggest that they give different treatment to one party over the next. This is a hot topic with me.

This family needs national media and the state level officials to look at this.

Sorry, I also didn't mean to hijack this thread so off topic. I will search for Dammion's thread.