A Toronto jury has convicted Hamilton police officer Craig Ruthowsky of four charges after a six-week trial.Ruthowsky was found guilty of bribery of officers, obstruction of justice, breach of trust and drug trafficking. He was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.The jurors retired to deliberate late Monday afternoon, and returned to the court with a verdict on Wednesday at 2:45 pm.The prosecution alleged Ruthowsky, a 17-year veteran of the Hamilton Police Service, had a corrupt relationship with a cocaine trafficker who paid him $20,000 a month for sensitive police information, including times of pending search warrants, covert police techniques and the identity of confidential informers.The dealer testified Ruthowsky was there for him in a pinch, warning him that he might be in the crosshairs of other police investigations.“I was pretty much allowed to sell drugs,” the dealer testified. His identity is covered under a publication ban.Defence lawyer Greg Lafontaine argued the dealer “invented the entire story” to hide the fact he was Ruthowsky’s confidential informant, who was “working for my client” by providing tips about other criminal activity.The dealer said his cash-for-protection arrangement began in Aug. 2011 —and lasted for about 14 months — after members of the Hamilton police guns and gangs unit, which included Ruthowsky, raided his condo and seized nine ounces of cocaine, 10 pounds of marijuana and cash. Those charges were stayed.Prosecutors called a forensic accountant who had analyzed Ruthowsky’s finances, and found his family’s net worth had grown by at least $130,000 over four years due to “unknown sources of income.”But Ruthowsky, 44, testified he didn’t accept a dime from a drug dealer and that he had extra cash coming in from his swimming pool business, even if he wasn’t the best bookkeeper. Nor was he a stickler for adhering t ...
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