Former Benton Harbor officer arrested on drug trafficking charges

Tribune Staff Report

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By WSBT News1

Story Created: Dec 1, 2008 at 10:41 AM EST

Story Updated: Dec 1, 2008 at 7:32 PM EST

A former Benton Harbor officer was arrested Monday morning on drug trafficking charges, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Grand Rapids.

The arrest of Andrew Thomas Collins, 26, comes with his indictment, which claims he used his position as an officer to keep the drugs. He is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of crack cocaine, according to a news release from Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney, who will be prosecuting the case.

The charges stem from a case on Feb. 18 in which crack cocaine and other controlled substances allegedly were seized from Collins while he was serving as a narcotics officer for the Benton Harbor Police Department.

More than once, the attorney’s office states, Collins failed to report and give drugs that he’d seized to the police department. He’s accused of keeping the drugs for his own use or gain.

The indictment alleges that Collins also reported fictitious drug sales he made as an officer to improperly gain search warrants and embezzle funds from the police department.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ office in St. Joseph, with help from the Michigan State Police, the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office and the Benton Harbor Police Department.

A press conference will be held at 1 p.m. Monday.

Reporter John Paul was at that press conference and will have the latest information on WSBT News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

10:47 AM sorry for your luck wrote ...

This is a good reason NOT to hire fresh out of the academy. There need to be an age restriction on academies. Young people just don’t have the life experience to handle a tough job. The common thought of, We’ll train them the way we want to” is not good. I blame the academy instructors and the administration.

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 4:46 PM anonomous wrote ...

OH MY GOODNESS! i know andrew and he is a WONDERFUL man! he is NOT an addict! he is a very good christian man and is SO nice! he has a GORGEOUS baby girl that JUST TURNED 3! guess when she turned 3? THE DAY HE WAS ARRESTED! that is horrible! and he even does her hair sometimes! how many drug addicts would do that? NONE! he is NOT a drug addict! he is an amazingly nice man! i love him so much that I CRIED when i heard he was arrested! i keep thinking of his baby girl, who loves him so much!!!!!!!

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 11:42 AM Anon wrote ...

This article also states that "Collins also reported fictitious drug sales he made as an officer to improperly gain search warrants and embezzle funds from the police department"....if he did do this, well this is wrong to obtain and illegal search warrant. But if he found drugs during the search, then NEWSFLASH people: whoever he was searching where drugs were found was still GUILTY of having the drugs right?? So the ends don't exactly justify the means, but they were stil guilty!

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 11:38 AM Anon wrote ...

To the person who posted he should face the death penalty......Really? Are you serious here? What an idiot you are! Let's give murderers and baby rapists a slap on the wrist but a police officer who allegedly stole drugs, yeah lets fry him. How stupid can you be? I believe people should be punished for their crimes, but COME ON!!! How stupid do you have to be to say someone like this needs to die for their crimes??!!!

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 10:58 AM Dillweed wrote ...

Andy is such a wonderful person. I dont know why people are picking on him. He has a family to support and now he is a changed person. He sought help on Alcoholic annonimous and got all the counseling possible. Now, should we trust him with some profession? Can he handle being a heart doctor or a lawyer? have a heart people. We all have mistakes in our own lives. The skeletons in the closet are hidden very well and if anyone finds out some of our foults will have a coronary shock waves all over.

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 6:26 AM A Benton Harbor Resident wrote ...

About time he is caught. To his wife, I can’t feel any sympathy for you or him. Collins knew what he was doing. When normal people mess up at work, they don’t affect other people lives or families like he did. What about the fathers who was locked up by his corrupt ways? Don’t you think their children were crying out for their dads too? What makes Collins different from any other person he has locked away? I hope they follow through with all the charges, because he deserves everything he gets!

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 6:16 AM you know wrote ...

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha good for him

Tuesday, Dec 2 at 2:02 AM Bubba wrote ...

To the wife, I do feel for you and your child, But as others have posted, He was not thinking of the other wifes and children of others your husband dealt with. I do hope that after all the court issues are over that he is dealt with in a fashion that he can overcome this and make you and your child proud of him in the future. As an officer and he has broken the oath. He would not be charged if there was not enough evidence against him. But he still needs your support to get thru this!!!

Monday, Dec 1 at 10:15 PM what the... wrote ...

To Cindy C: We are thinking before we open our mouths. It is simple, he was caught. He broke the law while he was suppossed to be protecting us. It's not our fault he has a family and made bad choices. He needs to learn from his mistakes and if he chooses to be part of the LAW he needs to follow them first. If it was a stanger you would be on the other side as well. You need to THINK next time you bash someone for wrong doings that many ppl make mistakes not just the ones you know.

Monday, Dec 1 at 9:50 PM Wife wrote ...

Let me start by asking all of you that left negitive comments...have you ever messed up at your job before? I'm sure most of you can say yes, and you probably got a slap on the wrist. My husband has messed up, but I don't think he deserves all this. He is the most amazing husband and father to our child, and I cant bear to think about what could happen. So before you call him a drug addict or say he deserves to be behind bars, think of our 3 year old girl that's going to cry out for her daddy!

Monday, Dec 1 at 9:25 PM Anon wrote ...

Wow, so you people already have him convicted before he has even gone to trial? I wonder how many GUILTY people will now try to claim that Collins "set them up" because of these charges. I think the entire police dept. needs to be looked at more closely, not just this one officer who is no longer one of them.

Monday, Dec 1 at 9:18 PM Kate wrote ...

I knew Andy way before he was a cop in Benton Harbor. He was a friend of my sister's, and it shocks me that this happened. He is a good person, and it's a shame that he made the choices he did. He DOES NOT deserve the death penalty; I know his family personally and they don't deserved to go throught that as much as he doesn't.

Monday, Dec 1 at 8:55 PM Karma wrote ...

Now Cindy C. you should think before you type, because evidently you don't know him as well as you thought! Not once did he think about all the kids of the fathers that he falsely put in jail, or the families he tore apart due to his lying, thieving, deceptive tactics. So, why should anybody give a hoot about his. You say he's changed? Yeah right! Only because he's not on the police force anymore to do his dirt. Pay attention to this case, because there's a lot more to come.

Monday, Dec 1 at 7:49 PM SadinBH wrote ...

I know him....and I know people he has arrested. Many people swore they were set up by him, things like jackets, phones stolen by him. Its sad that he does have a wife and a baby girl, but so do many people he arrested. the difference is he knew what he was doing was wrong and he didn't have to do this to survive. They need to drug test the dept. and they'll see theres more bad apples... collins always thought he was better than everyone else, glad to see we'll get our justice on him.

Monday, Dec 1 at 6:45 PM Cindy C. - Benton Harbor wrote ...

I know this man personally. He is a good man, who is different now than he was when on the force. You don't know the first thing about him. Don't forget that he has a family - what are they to do without him? He also has many people who love him very much and believe in the person he is now. Why don't you all think before you open your mouths?

Monday, Dec 1 at 6:31 PM he needs the death penalty wrote ...

he should face the death penalty prison is not the place for him. he's getting sued by a friend of mine for and illegal search warrant.

Monday, Dec 1 at 6:01 PM Chief Al Mingo wrote ...

Please don’t paint all police officers with the same broad brush. Keep in mind it was the Benton Harbor Police who requested the State Police and FBI to look into this matter after relieving Collins of his duty. Also keep in mind that like most companies, police officers are members of unions. Any union person knows one cannot take action on rumors, but facts that can be proven.

Monday, Dec 1 at 5:00 PM Paul wrote ...

It's Benton Harbor..this isn't nothing new. Been going on since the 80's at least. The department HAD a good Chief at one time but the bad ones in the department and city government ran him OUT!!!

Monday, Dec 1 at 5:00 PM Proud SBPD wrote ...

Lucy, you are wrong, you can trust just about EVERY officer. Every profession has it's bad apples. People forget it is always cops who arrest bad cops. Do doctors arrest dirty doctors? NO! Do lawyers arrest dirty lawyers? NO!

Monday, Dec 1 at 4:49 PM Ronnie Ellis wrote ...

H is 26 years old and his future is ahead of him. Hiding drugs is no laughing matter it is so dangerous to children and adults who are prone to become addicted to this poison. Now his record of good behavior is gone for good. He needs to change direction in his life and take another look at what lies ahead. Go back to college. Take couses in Psychology or counseling so life will show you that drugs are not the answer for depression or loneliness. ls he married? Does he have a girlfriend ?

Monday, Dec 1 at 3:46 PM lucy wrote ...

And people wonder why so many people don't trust police officers. Once upon a time you could trust about any officer, now you can trust only a very few!!

Monday, Dec 1 at 2:41 PM Will ALL Of His Cases Be Reviewed?? wrote ...

will the Berrien County Prosecutor review all of his cases to determine if any INNOCENT people are in custody and ought to be released ???

Monday, Dec 1 at 2:23 PM Averymack wrote ...

i've had a few encounters with collins before & all i can say is "it took this long for someone to finally believe all the stories that was told about him."

Monday, Dec 1 at 1:33 PM Desperation wrote ...

They'll hire anybody there, won't they?

Monday, Dec 1 at 1:27 PM hillbilly wrote ...

bad cop..no no...go to jail.

Monday, Dec 1 at 12:31 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Addict? HAHAHA I know this man personally and he is very far from an addict!

Monday, Dec 1 at 12:25 PM Bout Time wrote ...

I've been living in Benton Harbor for 4 years now. I have a couple of relatives who have done their share of illegal acts, but there have been a couple of times where they swore to their innocence but some way some how Collins has always seemed to find them guilty on drug charges. I've always heard the statement that "Collins set me up", I never wanted to believe that such a decorated officer could be involed in such bull crap. I wonder will all his drug cases be re examined due do this new info

Monday, Dec 1 at 12:14 PM agape with shock wrote ...

This is despicable! A Police Officer should be setting an example for society, and this is what he does???? Prison is too good for him...

Monday, Dec 1 at 12:10 PM Rocky wrote ...

ahhh dude.

Monday, Dec 1 at 11:50 AM Benton Harlem wrote ...

Sounds like he was smoking the crack when he was supposed to be selling the crack!

Monday, Dec 1 at 11:41 AM Southof30 wrote ...

Just a thug with a badge...

Monday, Dec 1 at 11:31 AM Wild Card wrote ...

Hopefully this man will be locked up for a long time. It doesn't matter if he is an addict, he broke the law.

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