By H. Nelson Goodson
March 24, 2010
Milwaukee - On Tuesday, March 23, Bradley DeBraska, 53, former Milwaukee Police Association President was sentenced to 6 months in the House of Correction after he was convicted last August on two felony counts, one count of forgery and one count of identity theft. DeBraska also got huber privileges for work, allowed to do community services, and also will be allowed to get mental health and medical treatment. He must also pay for court costs and must begin serviing his sentenced on April 5, according to court records. DeBraska was facing 12 years in prison.
DeBraska said during sentencing that he was sorry, and his decision to commit forgery and felony conviction resulted in losing his reputation in the community, and has led to mental and health problems today.
DeBraska retired in 2005 from the Milwaukee Police Department. He 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.
The criminal complaint stated 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. Johnson testified that DeBraska had told her to “take this to the grave.”
Kalwitz during trial testified he did not write or signed the memo. “Potentially millions in public money was affected by this document. This is serious business,” said John Chisholm, Milwaukee County District Attorney in August.
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.”
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