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ST. GEORGE — Officers engaging in sex while on duty, trying to enter the wrong apartment while intoxicated and illegally using their police tools were among the cases heard Thursday by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.
Sixteen law enforcers were up for disciplinary review at the council's quarterly meeting on Thursday. Three officers had their law enforcement certification revoked, 11 were handed penalties ranging from a letter of caution to a 3-year suspension of their certification, and the council decided not to take action on two officers.
Former Sanpete County Sheriff's deputy Marcus Lambert had his peace officer certification revoked for having sex with a woman while on duty more than 20 times between 2010 and 2014, according to the council. On one occasion, he had sex with the woman in the back of his patrol car while on duty, the council stated. On another, he left his car parked in public after getting into her car to go back to her residence, the council stated. Lambert later resigned from the department.
Former Salt Lake County Sheriff's deputy Sateki Mosaati Nau, who used to work in the jail, had his certification revoked for twice receiving drugs from people outside of the jail and agreeing to deliver them to inmates, the council stated. He also used some of the drugs he was given for himself, the council stated. He was later charged and pleaded guilty in December to drug distribution, a second-degree felony.
Former Washington County Sheriff's deputy Jay Strausser also had his certification revoked for having sex on duty and stalking his ex-wife. Strausser, who used to work at a courthouse in Washington County, had sex with a court employee while on duty, the council stated. Strausser's wife filed for divorce in October 2015. Strausser was convicted of multiple counts of violating a stalking injunction against him in two separate cases in 2016 for showing up at his ex-wife's home and refusing to leave and constantly sending her text messages, according to the council.
Domestic problems were the cause for other disciplinary action handed down Thursday. A since retired Layton police officer had his certification suspended for a year after spotting his girlfriend's vehicle at a motel and telling the motel clerk he needed to enter her room on police business, according to the council.
A Morgan County Sheriff's deputy who has since resigned from his department had his certification suspended for a year for using his police computer to look up the addresses of men he thought his wife was having affairs with, the council stated.
A Salt Lake County Sheriff's deputy had his certification suspended for three months for getting into an argument in public with his now ex-wife over alleged affairs.
Unified police officer Nicholas Riggs went before the council with a recommendation of having his certification suspended for three months. Riggs, while off-duty, became extremely intoxicated one night with a group of friends who went to a concert. When they returned to his friend's apartment complex, Riggs went to the wrong apartment and tried to force his way in.
"I take full responsibility for my actions," Riggs told the council Thursday, while saying what he did was "inexcusable" and that he was "embarrassed by my conduct."
But Riggs also said the incident was a "wake up call" for him. He entered Alcohol Anonymous shortly after and has been sober now for 20 months. The council agreed to reduce his penalty to a letter of caution.
