Page 10, March 11,2019, The Islander
GBNET
Continued from Page 1
Public Defender Stephen Tillman
asked Haney if Cassada’s wife had
called him and said she was concerned
that Cassada did not come home one
night.
Haney said Cassada told him al
cohol was affecting his marriage and
asked Haney if alcohol treatment
would be detrimental to his career.
Haney said he became aware of
Cassada’s alleged improper conduct
regarding informants a few weeks ago.
Haney said his conversations with
Cassada were after he, Haney, had
left GBNET. “Our conversation was
limited to marital problems and al
cohol affecting his marriage,” Haney
said.
When pressed by Tillman about al
legations made by Cassada’s wife that
he, Cassada, had spent the night in a
motel room with a confidential infor
mant, Haney said he could not recall
the specifics of any conversation with
Mrs. Cassada only that she was con
cerned he had not come home and that
he had an alcohol problem.
Haney also testified that he did not
mention Cassada’s alcohol problem to
anyone. “There is no GCPD policy re
quiring me to notify anyone of some
one’s alcohol problem,” Haney said.
Haney also said that he knew the
GBI had been called to investigate
Cassada. Haney also said that he re
fused to talk to the GBI and would ad
vise others to refuse to talk to the GBI
as well.
GCPD Capt. David Hessler testi
fied next. Hessler was in charge of
GBNET and left in March of this year.
Hessler said no GBNET officer had
informed him about Cassada’s ac
tions. He did say Cassada’s wife called
him ranting and raving at 1 a.m. one
morning and said he, Cassada, “is
messing around, cheating on me and
has an alcohol problem.”
Hassler said Ms. Cassada texted an
apology to him the next day. Because
she did this Hessler said he assumed
they had worked things out and he did
not report the incident.
“I never saw alcohol affect his job
performance,” Hassler continued.
Hassler was also asked if he called
Mrs. Cassada a ‘crazy lady 5 to which
he responded that he didn’t recall.
Hassler also testified that GCPD
Investigator Dustin Davis did not re
port to him (Hassler) that Cassada
had a problem.
Hassler did say he did speak with
the GBI during their investigation of
Cassada.
At this point District Attorney
Jackie Johnson commented, “You
heard two officers at the last hear
ing (in February) say they told both
Hassler and Haney. The information
seems to have stopped with them. Af
ter rehab Cassada came back to the
GCPD and worked for another year on
GBNET.”
Brunswick Police Officer Meredith
Tolley told the court how she connect
ed information in one of the cases she
was transcribing to the rumors she
had heard about Cassada.
Tolley, an investigator for the
Brunswick Police Dept. (BPD), said
she had arrested Misty McDaniels in
February 2018. She interviewed and
videoed McDaniels. After Tolley left
the room, McDaniels continued to
talk and be recorded. She made state
ments about sexual interaction and
drugs and police officers but never
mentioned the officers names.
McDaniels also said she would re
lease the video to the Brunswick News.
Tolley said since no names were
mentioned she did not report the
information.
Tolley said in January 2019 she
was listening to the video and writing
up the incident when she heard the
part about sex, drugs and officers.
At that point she remembered In
vestigator Dustin Davis’ comment
about Cassada’s wife telling his (Da
vis) wife that she saw Cassada at a ho
tel with a confidential informant.
Tolley said she then reported this
to BPD Sgt. Michael Davis who along
with Tolley and Dustin Davis took the
information to the D.A.’s office.
Tolley said Assistant D.A. Lib
erty Stewart told them to take their
report to GCPD Investigator Jeremi
ah Bergquist which they did.
Bergquist testified that he spoke
with Dustin Davis who said that his
wife had spoked with Hope Cassada
about her husband’s infidelity, and
that he had reported it to Hassler who
was head of GBNET at the time.
GCPD Capt. Eugene Smith also tes
tified that he was division commander
of GBNET under Hassler. He said he
knew Cassada had gone to rehab for
30 days and returned to duty with no
restrictions.
Smith said he overheard that Cas
sada’s wife had called other GBNET
wives telling them her husband was
sleeping with a confidential informant
and that he reported it to Hassler in
January 2018.
Smith said he did not know if Has
sler had reported the information. “I
heard no more about it until February
of this year,” Smith said.
The hearing was recessed and will
reconvene at the request of the D.A.
and Public Defender.
Neptune Park
Continued from Page 1
said the landscape architect had sub
mitted a couple of proposed plans for
the park. He said he would be review
ing them with Commissioners Mur
phy, O’Quinn and county staff this
week.
While a date for a public meeting to
discuss the changes to Neptune Park
has not been set, both Murphy and
Austin said one will be held.
It could be a town hall type meeting
or it could be a drop-in meeting where
they have displays available and the
public stops in during a period of sev
eral hours to meet and speak with the
architects, staff and commissioners.
We will provide notice of the meet
ing once the date is set.
Linda Ganas
Honda and
Quality Pre-Owned Vehicles
912-223-7361
linda.ganas@gmail.com
Nalley
178 Altama Connector
Brunswick
Dave Jordan’s
Coastal Sports Connection
Talk Radio 93.7 FM
Weekdays at 7 p.m. and
Every Day at WBQ0937.com/sports
You can now read Dave's column in the Islander!
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