Jury Deliberations Underway In Tulsa Police Corruption Trial

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Closing arguments are done in the corruption trial of three Tulsa Police officers and the federal jury has begun deliberations. 

Defense attorneys and government prosecutors made final arguments in federal court Friday.

The final argument is the chance for each side to sum up its case before the jury goes into deliberations in the charges against Officers Nick DeBruin, Bruce Bonham and Corporal H.R. Wells.

The judge in the case asked the jury to consider each defendant separately. The judge read a total of 13 counts. Four are against all thee. Individually, Wells is charged with 6 counts, DeBruin with 2 and Bonham with 1.

For the defense.

Each of the three defense lawyers got 45 minutes for their closing arguments.

The defense attorneys asserted that the prosecution failed to make its case that Officers Nick DeBruin, Bruce Bonham and Corporal H.R. Wells conspired to plant evidence and steal drug money. In the course of three FBI stings, no money was ever taken by the three officers on trial. Nor did the officers break any department rules, the defense argued.

With so many agents and informants wiretapped, there should be solid evidence that the officers planted drugs – evidence that the prosecution has not been able to present, defense attorneys argued.

The defense argued that the real bad guys are the dirty cops with plea deals, walking away with probation and immunity.

Defense attorneys asked the jury to give more attention to the slew of officers who testified they never saw the three accused men steal money or plant drugs.

For the prosecution.

The prosecution made its final arguments in the corruption trial of three Tulsa Police officers earlier Friday morning.

The government argued that the police officers conspired by gathering together specific "buddies" to make the bust at a Super 8 Motel room on May 18, 2009, officers they knew would cooperate in stealing the alleged drug money.

They also pointed to the hidden camera video that shows Corporal H.R. Wells saying, "You got us," and Officer J.J. Wells saying, "I took a grand."

6/9/2011 Related Story: Tulsa Police Officer On Trial For Corruption Says He Never 'Pocketed Money'

They contested some of Officer Nick DeBruin's testimony from earlier this week, saying that DeBruin had no reason to give money to fellow officer Bruce Bonham because Bonham was about to leave – other than to steal the cash.

Prosecutors also claim that DeBruin went on high alert when he saw the federal agent in the parking lot, and only then did the officers get together and decide to return the money to evidence.

Federal prosecutors told the jury that the three officers have had months to watch the video tape evidence and coordinate stories such as their intentions to take the cash to a drug dog to sniff.

Keep checking back to NewsOn6.com for updates in this story, and watch reporter Emily Baucum's report in the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.