A police worker used a colleague's computer log-on to leak confidential information to a target of a major drugs investigation for a promised fee of $5000.
Darren Ian Hodgetts, 34, is likely to escape a prison sentence after admitting he used the national police computer system to look up details of an Auckland man who happened to be under surveillance in Operation Ark, which led to 22 arrests in November.
The 12-month investigation targeted the manufacture and supply of Ecstasy, or pills purporting to be the class-B drug, which were linked to serious aggression that led to people, some just schoolgirls, being taken to hospitals in Auckland and Hamilton.
Hodgetts was one of two non-sworn police staff charged and could lose his job after pleading guilty to accessing the computer system for a dishonest purpose.
Two charges of participating in an organised crime group and perverting the course of justice were dropped and he is likely to be sentenced next month to community work.
Court documents released to the Herald show Hodgetts, who worked as a motorway support officer in Ellerslie, was approached by an associate last July to do a police computer check on Shalendra Singh.
In a bugged phone conversation, Singh allegedly arranged with Hodgetts' associate - who has interim name suppression - to organise a police computer check to establish whether there was any police interest in him.
Singh, 32, allegedly agreed to pay $5000 for the confidential information. At first, Hodgetts was unable to obtain Singh's police file because his security clearance was not high enough. He later checked the database using a computer logged on under a police colleague's identity, in a bid to hide his unlawful access.
Hodgetts also told his associate that if police asked why he was checking on Singh, he would say he had stopped him while on motorway patrol. Hodgetts did another check and printed two pages of information, which was given to his associate and faxed to Singh.
Singh queried the information and said it was worth only $200 - not the $5000 promised.
Singh faces 27 charges including supplying methamphetamine and Ecstasy, as well as money laundering more than $100,000.
There is no suggestion Hodgetts knew Singh was allegedly involved in the drug distribution syndicate.
Hodgetts has previously worked for the Fire Service, St John Ambulance and Surf Lifesaving NZ. His future in the police will be determined after an internal employment hearing after his sentencing.
Defence lawyer Todd Simmonds said Hodgetts was a "decent and generous young man" who had made a serious blunder, for which he was genuinely remorseful.
He was particularly aware that he had breached the trust placed in him by the police and apologised for any harm caused.
The other police employee charged with leaking police information is Timothy John Russell Sarah, 36, who was a prosecutor in the Auckland District Court. He faces 20 charges including possessing and supplying methamphetamine and Ecstasy.
Several Operation Ark accused are company directors who have name suppression until their next hearing on February 20.
About $14 million worth of assets were seized in the raids in November, including homes worth millions, up to $1 million in cash, and luxury cars.
At the time of the arrests, Detective Inspector Bruce Good said the alleged syndicate was pressing tens of thousands of potentially fatal tablets a week, which sold for at least $40 each.
What a dope Darren Hodgetts is. He trusted an illicit drug manufacturer to pay him five thousand dollars - then got ganked for $4800 of that 5k - and lost his career for two hundred bucks.
That is so sad that it is funny, and just goes to show what involving yourself with those kinds of people - and P - will eventually do to your life.
I can't wait for the name suppression to run out on these drug making and dealing "company directors". I knew one of them during my bad old days. His bad choices took years to catch up to him but like always - they eventually did - and in what a spectacular way!
It won't happen overnight - but it WILL happen!
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