The city of Tucson has paid out an estimated $85,000 to eight police employees who were being investigated for possible ties to a long-running prostitution ring.
Tucson Police fired Officers Nathaniel Luttrell, Oscar Ramos, Daniel Santa-Cruz, Martin Walker, along with crime-scene technician Enrique Wilkins, late last month. All five are appealing the department’s decision.
Their leave ended when they were fired. Two more officers resigned before the investigation was concluded: Officer Jesus Maldonado resigned in April, after two days on paid leave, and Sgt. Michael McGuire resigned in June, after two months on leave.
An eighth officer is still under investigation after providing new information to the department’s internal affairs investigators. He remains on paid leave.
The department began investigating a ring of illegal massage parlors — which went by names like “By Spanish” and “Daisy’s Delights” — in December 2011. The officers’ possible involvement as customers was discovered earlier this year.
Tucson Police officials would not say how much they have paid the employees on leave.
The Star arrived at the $85,000 figure by calculating the base pay for each employee and how long each one was on leave from the department.
The estimated figure is as of the end of July. It continues to grow with the one remaining officer on leave.
