Former Metro cop convicted in robbery case

Kim Smith

Friday, Aug. 16, 2002 | 9:45 a.m.

As the guilty verdicts came in one after the other Thursday, 14-year police veteran Jack Brandon gasped loudly, began to cry and gazed in disbelief at the jury.

"I can't believe this," Brandon said loudly, shaking his head and sniffling.

After five hours of deliberations, a jury of five men and seven women convicted Brandon of one count of burglary and two counts of robbery for the Feb. 22 robbery of Rae's Lounge in Henderson.

Prosecutors Christopher Lalli and Robert Daskas immediately asked District Judge Donald Mosley to revoke Brandon's $15,000 bail. They expressed concern Brandon may harm himself or flee now that he is facing a lengthy prison sentence. After receiving reassurance from defense attorney Steve Stein that his client is neither suicidal nor a flight risk, Mosley denied the motion.

Brandon, who was fired by Metro Police shortly before the trial began last week, will be sentenced Oct. 9.

Robbery carries a prison sentence of two to 15 years and burglary is punishable by one to 10 years. If convicted, Brandon could receive probation, however, because the crimes were committed without the use of a weapon and he has no criminal history.

Outside the courtroom, as he rushed for the bathroom, Brandon told reporters he is innocent.

"It's bull (expletive)," Brandon said. "I didn't do it. I can't believe this."

Daskas and Lalli alleged the police detective was so desperate to pay off thousands of dollars in gambling debts he donned a ball cap, sunglasses and gauzes bandages and robbed two United Coin employees as they were making a pickup at the lounge.

Brandon was linked to the crime when the license plate of the alleged getaway car came back to his police-issued Ford Taurus and a Global Positioning System device showed his car was in the area at the time of the robbery.

During closing arguments Wednesday, Stein said the Rae's busboy who saw Brandon get into his car that morning mistook Brandon for the robber after losing sight of the real robber momentarily.

Brandon just happened to be in the lounge's parking lot looking for a woman from whom he hoped to buy an amethyst and diamond necklace for his fiancee, Stein said.

In a meeting with Lalli and Daskas after the verdict, jurors said the GPS evidence was the most compelling. They also had difficulty reconciling the differences between Brandon's statement to police and his testimony on the stand.

After the verdict, Stein complimented the professionalism of the prosecutors.

"The man insisted on his innocence and he went to trial," Stein said of the jury's decision. "I believe strongly in our jury system and the jury has spoken."

Daskas shook his head at Brandon's reaction to the verdict.

"To me that shows he's in denial about the robbery, just as he's in denial about having a gambling problem," Daskas said. "It's pathetic."

Still, both Daskas and Lalli agreed, Thursday was a sad day despite the verdict.

"This was not a case that prosecutors relish," Lalli said. "It's like getting a death penalty verdict. You don't feel good about it. It's right and it's just, but you don't jump up and down. It's a sad realization that a 14-year police officer committed these acts and the jury has seen that."