TRUMBULL COUNTY Officer faces disciplinary hearing

A guilty finding could mean a reprimand or suspension for the detective.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday for a police officer accused of offering to buy a German handgun from an elderly woman.
Detective Dewey Gray is charged administratively with using his position to gain advantage in a personal matter and buying a gun from a person who had turned over two guns to the police department.
Police Chief John Mandopoulos said the closed-door hearing will be conducted in his office. If the chief finds Gray guilty of the administrative charges, the 14-year veteran could face a reprimand or suspension.
The chief will issue his decision about 10 days after the hearing.
If Gray is disciplined, he can appeal to the safety-service director.
What report found
The internal report on Gray found that he violated procedures when he had a patrol officer hand him the guns, which should have been kept in an evidence room.
The internal report was given to Mandopoulos in November. The chief declined to say why he waited until now to have the hearing.
According to the internal report, a woman called police last September and asked them to take a .32-caliber revolver and a German Luger handgun. The woman's husband was in a nursing home and she no longer wanted the guns in her house.
The detective offered the woman $20 for the revolver and told her he'd have the other gun appraised before making her an offer. Before getting the guns appraised, he learned an internal investigation had been started and turned the guns over to the department's evidence room, records say.
Gray has been on paid administrative leave since last month when officials began investigating allegations that the detective accepted money to fix a traffic-related ticket.
Gray could not be reached to comment.
sinkovich@vindy.com