So to protect a privileged convicted drug-planting corrupt law enforcement officer, we're moving him to a prison in the State of Hawaii?
What level of scrutiny will there be over this decision?
It seems to me that a corrupt former law enforcement officer who planted drugs to get phony convictions shouldn't be rewarded for it.
It's our money.
ZACHARY WESTER could be protected without moving him to Hawaii. May I suggest Alaska? The ambient air temperature would match that of the felon's cold heart.
UPDATE: Now, DOC says he is not in Hawaii, but may be in a New Mexico private prison with a contract for Hawaiian prisoners. Now, all information on WESTER has been scrubbed from the public website. I love a mystery.
Video fron sentencing:
From Tallahassee Democrat:
Drug-planting former North Florida deputy Zachary Wester transferred to custody of Hawaii
Zachary Wester, the disgraced North Florida deputy convicted of planting meth on innocent motorists, has been transferred to an out-of-state prison far from home, according to Florida Department of Corrections records and victim notifications.
Wester, a former deputy in Jackson County, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison following his conviction in May on charges that included racketeering, official misconduct, fabricating evidence and false imprisonment. He was jailed at the Jackson County Correctional Facility in Marianna — the same place he took his victims after setting them up on drug charges — before going into state custody.
Back story:
- Former deputy Zachary Wester sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for drug planting
- Former Florida deputy Zachary Wester guilty of 19 counts in drug-planting trial. What's next?
- 'Karma will find you': Zachary Wester's victims react to guilty verdict in drug-planting trial
Victims were notified last week that Wester was transferred from a state facility in Lake Butler that initially houses new convicts to another facility in Hawaii. The notification, from the Florida Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system, did not specify the institution or give a reason for his transfer.
“This email is to inform you that Zachary Wester, with offender number G91136, was transferred from Reception and Medical Center to the custody of an out-of-state facility in Hawaii,” the notification says. “Your registration has also been transferred. You will continue to receive updates about this offender.”
It wasn't immediately clear when exactly he was transferred or whether his final destination will in fact be off the mainland. Hawaii's victim notification system shows him "in custody" at the Saguaro Correctional Center, a private facility outside Phoenix, Arizona, that houses prisoners from Hawaii.
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections could not immediately confirm the transfer. FDC’s website lists his current facility simply as “Hawaii.”
His lawyer, Ryan Davis of Tallahassee, said he was aware that there had been talk of a transfer for safety reasons. But he said over the weekend he had not heard of the transfer.
Wester, a 29-year-old Sneads native, joined the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in 2016 but was fired two years later, shortly after the drug-planting accusations came to light. The Tallahassee Democrat first broke news of the Wester story, chronicling the allegations against him and impact of his crimes on his victims.
Hard evidence quickly mounted against Wester, including incriminating video from his own officer-worn body camera and a secret stash of ready-to-plant drugs and paraphernalia found in the trunk of his patrol car.Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.
I'm willing to bet they transferred this slimey slug to somebody's out of the way house.
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