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CMC guard sentenced for selling contraband

August 25, 2013

CMCshadowA California Men’s Colony guard who sold contraband to inmates was sentenced to 30 days in jail for accepting a bribe.

Kevin Jon Venema, 50, pled guilty to one count of accepting a bribe.

In September, CMC internal affair’s investigators asked Venema to respond to allegations he was selling tobacco and cellphones to inmates. A search revealed Venema had three bags of tobacco in his lunchbox, six cellphones hidden inside his protective vest and several prescription drugs in a container.

In his vehicle, investigators found 24 rounds of .38-caliber bullets, a machete, an altered protective vest and several pocketknives.

Venema told officials he had been going through a “dark period,” because of a divorce, financial issues and a child’s battle with leukemia.

California prison inmates are not permitted to have cell phones, tobacco or drugs. Even so, cell phones have become abundant in prisons. In 2010, prison officials confiscated 10,761 cell phones inside California prisons.

 


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I say give this guy a pay raise and force transfer him to the Avenal facility until retirement. The timeline will then be in his court and not ours.


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Who of the commentors on this item have NOT gone through “Dark Periods,” in their respective lives?

I just retired from ASH after almost 25 years working in “mental health (Ha!),” and as one might suspect I have gone through a number of dark periods. At NO time, however, did my thinking ever

become so bent on making a quick buck to ameliorate my angst that I was willing to forego the rules on contraband, thereby endangering my fellow employees and/or patients. This guy is a disgrace to the people he is supposed to be protecting (citizens AND inmates). I don’t care if he has 28 years or 2800 years in the system. He deserves nothing. His actions go way beyond the pale of a reaction to “having

a bad hair day.” S–T HAPPENING” is part of the life experience for every Homo Sapiens on this planet, and there are ways to deal with a lot of it other than “poor little me.”


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I think a lot of animosity comes from people who do not have the luxury of a guaranteed job for “almost 25 years” and then getting a nice retirement. Many of us just know we have to work until we’re dead, and get taxed and fee’d and fined and regulated forevermore. This may be why many are “dark” on public “servants” (especially unionized pub. sector, which is ridiculous to begin with).


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what a joke the union is?


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SD guy was nasty even if he didn’t do all that


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isn’t that how it works? who cares? tired of this


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Actually, as CCPOA members are eligible to retire at age 50, if he has 28 years in, he will receive 84% of his salary for the rest of his life. I’m sure he will file his retirement papers soon, if he hasn’t already.

But 30 days? That is ridiculous! He put other employees at risk by his actions.


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Venema rhymes with? don’t these guys make alot already?


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SLOBIRD,


I may be wrong, but I believe your comment is not true. CDCR takes a very dim view of this type of behavior from their employees.


I believe that this Officer not only has thrown away his 28 years of service, but also his pension and medical benefits.


Such a very dumb thing on his part to do.


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of course they take a dim view; what else would they say?


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Dim views from dimwits? Sorry, couldn’t resist.


I’m sure there’ll be hand-slapping all around, and a nice big payout. Same as it ever was…


…same as it ever was. Same. As. It. Ever. Was.


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I could be wrong but I think he was charged this 3 felony counts and it was reduced to one misdemeanor count and allowed to resign therefore keeping his pension which was my main point. Definitely special treatment for a government employee and besides, 3 felony counts was a joke too! He should have been charged with a lot more, including putting all CMC employees at risk. What a joke our government is!


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Another government employee given a golden handshake and a pat on the wrist (Following Filthy Filner of San Diego):


Prison Guard for his wrongdoing: is:

1. Allowed to resign his job and keep his 28 year big time pension.

2. 30 days in jail

3. 3 years unsupervised probation

4. No fine


Average citizen:

1. Is fired from his job and has no pension

2. Front page in Tribune, Public court trial, and lots legal costs

3. 10 years prison time

4. 5 years supervised probation

4. Fined $50,000


What is wrong with this picture. double standard!


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(slightly off-topic): that San Diego guy still had supporters cheering his denials as he resigned. “I’m a VICTIM!!” and they cheered on queue. Seem familiar?


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