Former Police Association President Facing 18 Years In Prison

Charged with two felony counts

By H. Nelson Goodson
El Conquistador, LNS
March 5, 2009

Milwaukee - On Tuesday, Bradley DeBraska, 53, former Milwaukee Police Association President waived his preliminary hearing and will go on trial. DeBraska who retired 2005 was charged back in February 13, with two felony counts, according to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. He is charged with one count of identity theft to obtain money or credit, and one count of forgery, both as party to a crime.
DeBraska was once considered an influential figure within the ranks of the Milwaukee Police Department. He was a police officer for 27 years, including 17 as union president. DeBraska’s alleged corrupt and forgery scandal is now forcing the membership in the Milwaukee Police Association (MPA) to keep a distance from the former MPA president.
Chisholm says that DeBraska ordered his union secretary Candy Johnson in July 2004 to fabricate a memo he dictated word by word pretending to be a 1999 memo from former Common Council President John Kalwitz to city labor negotiator Frank Forbes. The secretary who is testifying against DeBraska said he told her to “take this to the grave,” according to the criminal complaint. “Potentially millions in public money was affected by this document. This is serious business,” said Chisholm.
The city wanted to used money from a pension fund, but the police union challenged their attempt to used more then $2 million to $3 million from the pension fund to upgrade pension computers. The city said it did not have a cap on spending, but DeBraska fabricated a memo saying that Kalwitz had agreed to a cap with “the ceiling of 3 million for ERS computer costs.”
If convicted, DeBraska is facing 18 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines. He remains free on a signature bond, according to court records.
Political activists in Milwaukee say that they doubt DeBraska will serve any actual time in jail. They believe DeBraska still has very influential friends in the political scene and at City Hall who would rather see him get probation.