Fresno Deputy Police Chief Keith Foster, 3 others arrested on drug charges
FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno Police Department's second-in-command has been arrested in a federal drug conspiracy investigation.
Deputy Chief Keith Foster, 51, is accused of distributing and possessing drugs, including oxycodone, marijuana and heroin. He was taken into custody Thursday after a year-long investigation by the FBI and ATF.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer met with his staff to address any questions and to reassure them that no one, including officers, is above the law.
Foster was one of three deputy chiefs in the department. Dyer says Foster's job is to oversee patrol -- and each of the four policing districts in the city. Foster became a deputy chief eight years ago.
At a news conference, Dyer said he was just made aware of this case after Foster was arrested. Federal investigators are not revealing details of the investigation other than to say they have surveillance, which includes Foster. Investigators were authorized to use wire taps on telephones.
"This is a very sad day for the Fresno Police Department, the citizens of Fresno and the law enforcement profession," said Dyer.
When Dyer was asked what a stunning arrest like this means for the citizens of Fresno, his officers and the criminals they fight against each day -- he replied, "The message I want to send to everyone is that when we place this badge on our chest, it is a badge of honor. And there's a lot of responsibility that goes along with it. And that it is important that we do everything we can to maintain and enhance the trust that our citizens have in us. And when things of this nature happen it does serve to erode that trust."
The chief says he hopes his officers can still hold their heads up high. He stressed that Foster and the others arrested are innocent until proven guilty.
Three others are also in custody in this case. Federal authorities say 41-year-old Rafael Guzman worked with Foster to distribute heroin. Foster's relative, 48-year-old Randy Flowers is accused of conspiring to distribute oxycodone. And 35-year-old Jennifer Donebedian was arrested for conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Two other arrest warrants were issued, along with 10 search warrants conducted by the FBI and ATF. Deputy Chief Foster and the others will be in federal court Friday afternoon to determine if they will get bail.
Dyer says Foster is on paid leave right now. He has been stripped of his peace officer powers and has turned in his department-issued gun.
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The criminal complaint reveals much of what the FBI and ATF did over the last year as they investigated Foster and a conspiracy to sell the different drugs.
The bulk of the investigation started in November last year when federal investigators started wiretapping Foster and two relatives believed to be involved in the drug trafficking operation. In December, investigators say the wire caught Foster telling Flowers he had "100 of those things," which they understood to mean oxycodone pills. Agents later confirmed Foster picked up 100 pills at a local Rite-Aid just before, and then drove to Flowers' home and stayed there for two minutes. They believe Foster did the same thing a month later.
Also in December, Foster asked a relative if he could "get some units for his boy" and then they talked money. Investigators believe this was a transaction involving marijuana.
And later that month, investigators say they intercepted a call between Foster and a known drug dealer, Guzman. They spoke in code, but after Foster said "What's the ticket?" Guzman asked "How good of clothes they want." Investigators say they continued to talk about China white, which is code for black tar heroin.
The complaint also outlines drug activity between some of the other players in the alleged conspiracy. And all of this is after federal investigators got the wiretap, which was already four months into their investigation.
Foster and his family are well known in Fresno. His family has a long tradition in Southwest Fresno. The Southwest Fresno Police Substation is named after Keith Foster's father. During his decades with the police department, Foster climbed the ranks all the way to the second-in-command.
Foster has always been behind Dyer at press conferences. And when Dyer is away, Foster and two other deputy chiefs rotated as the top in command.
For the past several years, Foster has led the patrol division, before that investigations. The Foster family has had many successes, and Keith Foster's soaring law enforcement career was one of the highlights. Whenever his family endured tough times, his boss and friend was always right beside him, even when Keith's nephew was shot by an officer in 2002.
"I am personal friends of the Foster family. Keith Foster is one of my best friends. And so it's difficult for me, it's extremely difficult for the family," Dyer said.
The Foster family has also made some headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2012, Foster's brother Patrick, a correctional officer, was arrested after officers said he was a getaway driver in a burglary at the Clovis Kohl's.
For now, the police chief described his shock late Thursday by saying he is at a loss for words. Dyer has been in the process of planning to redeploy his top brass -- for now, one fewer.
