Former Caldwell police officer found guilty of evidence destruction and witness tampering
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Hoadley Series
The FBI began investigating at least two Caldwell Police Department officers in 2021. So far it’s led to four federal charges against one Caldwell police officer: Lt. Joey Hoadley, who since has been fired. Here is our coverage since the investigation began.
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Fired Caldwell Police Lt. Joey Hoadley was found guilty of three of four counts against him Saturday in an FBI probe prompted after the former officer allegedly struck a 49-year-old Caldwell man while arresting him in 2017.
After several hours of deliberations, a 12-person jury convicted Hoadley — who was fired from the Caldwell Police Department in May – of three of the four counts he faced: destruction, alteration or falsification of records in a federal investigation; tampering with a witness by harassment; and tampering with documents.
He was acquitted on the first charge, willfully depriving another person of rights under the color of law.
The former officer broke down in sobs as U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, a Wyoming judge brought in for the trial, read the verdict Saturday evening.
The verdict came about five hours after a replacement juror joined the panel. Skavdahl directed jurors to “start deliberations anew” at around noon Saturday, according to court documents.
Skavdahl declined to take Hoadley into custody until sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 15.
The Idaho Statesman reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Hoadley’s attorney for comment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Caldwell Police Department are expected to hold a news conference on Monday.
Excessive force claim prompted FBI investigation
An incident on March 30, 2017, spurred an investigation into Hoadley’s alleged excessive use of force.
Hoadley and additional officers responded to a Caldwell home that day after a 911 hang-up call from the house. Court documents said they found marijuana in the home and arrested the owner, referred to as B.H. An officer present that day, Eduardo Ibarra, testified that he saw Hoadley strike B.H. in the face as he arrested him.
Ibarra said he reported the incident to superiors.
“Our job is to protect the people, not hit them while they’re handcuffed,” Ibarra said in his testimony.
Hoadley was fired in May after a career that spanned more than 20 years with the Caldwell Police Department. He joined the agency in 2001 and was one of the founding members of the department’s Street Crimes Unit, which was formed in 2004. Prior to his dismissal from the department, Hoadley had risen to the rank of lieutenant and was in charge of the investigation unit.
The FBI probe also includes a now-resigned Caldwell sergeant. The details of allegations against him have not been disclosed.
Hoadley denied the allegations and has maintained throughout the proceedings that he did not strike B.H. in the face. The jury ultimately found Hoadley not guilty of the charge related to the allegation of striking B.H.
“I used the least amount of force necessary,” Hoadley said.
The charges he was convicted of Saturday stemmed from the investigation into the incident with B.H. Officials said Hoadley wiped his department-issued laptop and cellphone before returning them to the department in April and made intimidating statements to another officer who spoke with the FBI about Hoadley.
“Whether or not he’s convicted, I think justice will be served and the people will have spoken,” Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram told the Statesman by phone Friday before the verdict. “I support whatever the people decide in their verdict.”
Ingram added that no current Caldwell police employees are under FBI investigation.
This story was originally published September 24, 2022 at 6:14 PM.
