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Arrests of 2 Deputies Prompt Hiring Review

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By LISA A. DAVIS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 22, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Coming off the sting of having two deputies arrested on federal drug charges - and then their promptly being fired - Pasco County Sheriff Bob White is evaluating existing drug-screening policies.

He's also conducting an internal investigation into what led to the arrests of the deputies who worked for the agency for nearly a decade.

Former Cpl. Donald Riggans, who was a patrol deputy, is accused of conspiring to possess and distribute the painkiller hydrocodone. Former detention Cpl. Rodney Philon is accused of distributing anabolic steroids. Both are out of jail on $50,000 signature bonds and have declined to speak with reporters.

According to federal criminal complaints, Riggans used his patrol car to help steal $25,000 in drug money last week, while Philon sold 10 pink tablets of Dianabol (also called D-bol) to a confidential informant. Investigators say Philon and Riggans worked with others in a scheme to get the money.

The deputies' work histories didn't raise any red flags. But the question remains: Is there anything sheriff's officials should have noticed?

One tool many law enforcement agencies use is random drug testing. While the sheriff's offices in Hernando and Hillsborough counties use such tests, those in Pasco and Pinellas counties do not.

But since his deputies' arrests early Sunday, it's something White is exploring, said agency spokesman Doug Tobin.

Even if Pasco did have random drug testing, there's no guarantee it would have made a difference for Riggans, 34, and Philon, 38, because they aren't charged with taking drugs. And there's no way to know whether either man would have been asked to take the unannounced test.

Annually in Hernando County, at least 10 percent and no more than 25 percent of sheriff's personnel in "special risk or safety sensitive positions" are selected by a computer program for drug testing. That's an average of about 33 employees a year, said agency spokeswoman Sgt. Donna Black.

As with several other local agencies, Pasco tests when there's "reasonable suspicion." White has relied mostly on those and pre-employment screening.

"Up until now, he said, he believed his drug policy does work," Tobin said. "... He does have his attorney taking a look at it to see if a random drug testing is possible."

Just From Pumping Iron?

Those tests, however, generally don't detect steroids, say several officials with area sheriff's offices.

Philon, who is a bodybuilder, isn't charged with using steroids, but he is charged with selling steroids March 15 at a Publix on State Road 54.It's no secret Philon is a bodybuilder, and some colleagues have questioned how he achieved his physique. "I knew Philon," said Kevin Doll, a Pasco sheriff's office spokesman. "I knew he was big, but I didn't think he was overly big."

Just having a ripped physique isn't reason enough to test an employee for steroid use, said Kevin Doll, a Pasco sheriff's office spokesman.

"If we had what they call 'roid rage' or any behavior like that, then we would certainly test for it," the spokesman said.

Hillsborough sheriff's Maj. Jim Previtera recalls how a recruiter for his agency suspected a prospective detention deputy, who was about to start training, was on steroids and had him tested.

"He came back positive for anabolic steroids," Previtera said, and the door to employment slammed shut.

In another recent instance, a Hillsborough detention deputy was fired after a screening confirmed suspicions he was taking synthetic growth hormones, the major said.

There are legitimate reasons for using steroids and other prescription drugs.

Applicants at most area sheriff's offices - if not all - are asked if they're taking any doctor-prescribed medications. If so, then they must prove they have a legitimate prescription and medical need for it, Previtera said. And even then, plenty of people are addicted to prescription medications.

According to the National Institute On Drug Abuse, steroids can be obtained legally in the United States to treat conditions caused by abnormally low testosterone, such as delayed puberty, impotence, "body wasting" from AIDS and other diseases that result in the loss of lean muscle mass.

Anabolic steroids, according to the institute, are typically taken orally or injected cyclically and are a common choice of athletes looking for performance-enhancing drugs.

Health hazards can include liver tumors, cancer, jaundice, hair loss, severe acne, trembling, high blood pressure and infertility. Steroid use also can lead to aggressive behavior, extreme mood swings and other maniclike symptoms.

Positively No Guarantee

Nobody reported any such changes in Philon, and even if someone had, there's no guarantee he would have tested positive.

Many of the numerous steroids on the market now can be detected only by testing for that specific kind. In other words, you have to know what kind of steroid you're looking for, said Previtera, head of Hillsborough's training and recruiting.

That's the same problem that Major League Baseball, other professional sports and the Olympics have had in identifying performance-enhancing drug users.

In addition, testing for steroids is expensive and could be cost prohibitive for some agencies, Previtera said.

While White's predecessor as Pasco sheriff, Lee Cannon, didn't have a random drug testing policy - at least not near the end of his tenure - his pre-employment screening specifically tested for anabolic steroids, including chlorotestosterone and testosterone.

When White replaced that 1999 policy in 2003, he did away with steroid screening for a reason that wasn't immediately clear. But someone still could be tested according to "reasonable suspicion," spokesman Doll said.

"If it's any illegal drug and we have suspicion, we'll test for it," he said.

In May, Deputy Matthew Cohen was fired after refusing to take a drug test to determine whether he was addicted to prescription medications. Then his wife, Kimberly, a pharmacist, was arrested on a charge of trafficking hydrocodone. While authorities suspected she might be her husband's supplier, he wasn't charged with a crime.

Sheriff's officials said Philon and Riggans had exemplary personnel files.

Before Riggans was promoted to corporal, a supervisor wrote that he was always reliable and pulled his unit together during difficult times.

"He is respected by his peers, and looked upon as a squad leader," Sgt. William McVey wrote in May.

Philon, who never used a sick day in nearly a decade at the agency, was a "team player" who always went the "extra mile" and did "exceptional" work, according to his personnel file.

"He is an asset to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and to the community at large," wrote one supervisor in 2003. "He sets a good example for everyone and is definitely a welcome addition to any squad."

Tribune researcher Michael Messano contributed to this story. Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083 or ldavis@tampatrib.com.

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