Former Dunwoody Police Detective Pleads Guilty To Running Fraudulent Warrant Checks In Return For Airline Tickets And Other Kickbacks

ATLANTA – Former Dunwoody Police Detective Robert Pasquale Bentivegna has pleaded guilty to disclosing sensitive law enforcement information in exchange for receiving kickbacks for him and his family.

“It is a sad day when a career law enforcement officer turns his back on decades of public service by selling his access to sensitive law enforcement information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John Horn.  “Bentivegna’s conduct undermines trust in law enforcement and could have exposed the public to significant harm.” 

J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The FBI’s number one criminal investigative program remains that of public corruption due to the vast harm that it can cause.  The guilty plea of former Dunwoody Det. Bentivegna illustrates the betrayal of the badge by a very seasoned law enforcement officer and the consequences that he now faces for this betrayal.”    

“Acts of corruption within the Department of Homeland Security represent a serious threat to our nation and undermines the integrity of all DHS employees, who strive to maintain the integrity of the Department.  The Office of Inspector General and its law enforcement partners will continue to pursue allegations of corruption and hold such shameless individuals like Mr. Bentivegna accountable,” said James E. Ward, Special Agent in Charge, DHS-OIG.

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: In July 2011, Bentivegna, a career law enforcement officer employed at the time with the Dunwoody, Georgia, Police Department and who had also served as a federal task force officer, began using an individual connected with a variety of illegal activities as a confidential informant. 

In exchange for valuable personal items for himself and his family, Bentivegna performed searches and informed the confidential informant about any active arrest warrants listed under the informant's name in the Georgia Crime Information Center (“GCIC”) database.  Such information can be valuable information to criminals, allowing them to flee before authorities can arrest them.  In exchange, over the course of approximately 18 months, Bentivegna received airline tickets for himself and his wife to travel to New York, his daughter received a convertible car which she used for over a year, and his son received a car to drive for a period of time. 

Bentivegna, 64, of Woodstock, Georgia, pleaded guilty to computer fraud for accessing information in the GCIC database for an improper purpose.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2015 before United States District Judge Leigh Martin May.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security - Office of the Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.