Ex-undercover Hamilton cop alleges betrayal by his own force

AMONG MANNING'S CLAIMS IN HIS LAWSUIT:

Hamilton police officers fraudulently claimed reward money from Crime Stoppers, and others were involved in "ripping off" drug dealers and marijuana grow operations.

Two officers "have been 'on the take' since the '80s." They would pay reward money to a relative and then split the proceeds.

A senior Hamilton officer sold information about the investigation into the unsolved 1998 murders of criminal lawyer Lynn Gilbank and her husband, Fred. It's believed Gilbank may have been the subject of a gangland hit at her Ancaster home, and that her husband was killed because he was there.

Several Hamilton police officers have ties to organized crime and the Hells Angels. Manning also names a Toronto police officer he alleges was selling guns to Toronto gang members.

He and his wife were falsely detained and their rural home subject to an improper search by Hamilton police, who told him they had received a tip and came looking for a marijuana grow operation.

More than 20 officers showed up but no grow op was found. What police did find and take from his safe without issuing a receipt, Manning alleges, were personal notebooks detailing his undercover activities.

Manning has made a court application to have the search warrant unsealed and his notebooks released.

The couple is also seeking $2.25 million from the OPP.

An off-duty Hamilton police officer frequented an illegal basement "booze can" operated by a member of the Hells Angels, where cocaine was openly "snorted off the bar."

I hate to say it, but this type of behavior is rampant. I have several friends in the RCMP, one is undercover, he said the amount of 'stealing' from the criminals is massive and almost expected. I had another friend transfer out of K division area because he said it was so bad, he was the only one who wasn't doing it and it was getting uncomfortable for him.

My sense is, I sort of understand where they are coming from. I mean, you kick in a door and there is $200k in cash, guns, drugs sitting there. When you go to bag it and issue receipts, who's going to know it was only $100k wasn't it? My own internal issue is, if I was in the same position, I am not sure how I would react. It's easy to sit here as an armchair QB, but..it's drug money. But then again, YOUR stealing it!

Hear anything about the OPP? They are also being sued.

I know of no one in the OPP...

Yeah because when you are hauling in over $100K a year who couldn't use more money. Bunch of slime worse than the ones hey arrests and steal from, if true. Hopefully he can prove enough to blow some of them out of he water.