Ex-city cop gives up officer certification

William Ryberg voluntarily signed an agreement with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board with the understanding that he would never again be able to work as a law-enforcement officer in this state.

The agreement does not disclose any details about the FBI's investigation, which began in 2008.

The FBI has declined to release any information or confirm the investigation.

Ryberg resigned from the Tucson Police Department on Nov. 23, police officials said. He worked for the agency for 16 years.

At the time of his resignation, the Police Department said Ryberg had been under investigation for several months. The department would not discuss the focus of the investigation and did not conduct an internal investigation.

Ryberg's attorney, Michael Piccarreta, would not comment Monday on whether the investigation is still ongoing but did say he is still representing the ex-lieutenant.

"When (Ryberg) resigned, he decided he had no interest in law-enforcement employment, so there was no point in maintaining his law-enforcement status," Piccarreta said.

He did not know if his client has found employment elsewhere.

Piccarreta declined to comment on the allegations but said there was no wrongdoing.

The Peace Officer Standards and Training board also took action Wednesday against a former South Tucson police lieutenant convicted on two federal charges of stealing more than $500,000 from the city and its Police Department.

The board revoked the certification of Richard Garcia, who is serving a 33-month sentence.

Garcia worked for the South Tucson Police Department for 13 years. He was fired in June 2008 after an internal investigation.

He admitted taking nearly $560,000 from the department's asset-forfeiture program and its evidence room between February 2004 and May 2008.

Court documents say he used the money for gambling and trips to strip clubs.

Garcia pleaded guilty to charges of theft from an organization receiving federal funds and filing false federal income tax returns.

The standards and training board also decided to initiate proceedings against a Cochise County sheriff's deputy who resigned amid allegations that he pursued a social relationship with a woman shortly after pulling her over for DUI.

Steven M. Vaughn resigned April 16, nearly three years after he began working for the agency.

According to board documents, on Feb. 8 Vaughn arrested a 20-year-old woman at 3 a.m. on suspicion of DUI.

After giving her a citation, he gave the woman a ride home — standard practice in the district in which he was working — and dropped her off just before 5 a.m.

Less than an hour later Vaughn contacted the woman via MySpace and suggested that they go to dinner, documents say.

Vaughn gave the woman his number and they exchanged text messages over the next two days.

On Feb. 11, Vaughn sent the woman a MySpace message saying, "I'm sorry you feel the way you do. I don't know what changed your mind all of a sudden but it did. This will be my last message to you. I hope everything works out for you."

The woman did not respond.

As a result, the Cochise County Attorney's Office dismissed the DUI charge, saying Vaughn compromised the case and rendered it nonprosecutable, documents show.

Vaughn was also investigated in 2008 when he failed to take enforcement action upon discovering a group of underage drinkers at a desert party, board documents said.

Vaughn even posed for photos with the young drinkers, at least one of which was posted on MySpace.