10-14-2023 6:50am

Former Murrieta Police Detective Pleads Guilty to Accepting Illicit Benefits from Colombian Art Dealer in Exchange for Immigration Help

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

A former detective with the Murrieta Police Department was found guilty of soliciting bribes from a Colombian art dealer who was seeking immigration benefits in the United States. Paul John Gollogly, aged 74, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery.

Gollogly was hired in March 2013 to lead the anti-money laundering program at the Murrieta Police Department. As part of his role, he directed confidential informants (CI), including non-US citizens who needed authorization from the US government to enter and work in the United States.

In April 2013, Gollogly registered a Colombian national known as "Person A" as a CI with the Murrieta Police Department. Person A was a wealthy art dealer who owned galleries in New York and Spain, as well as a hotel in Mexico. Despite not being a US citizen or holding a green card, Gollogly helped Person A obtain various immigration benefits, including authorization from the Department of Homeland Security to enter and work in the United States.

Gollogly also wrote letters of support to DHS for Person A's approval to enter the United States, falsely stating that Person A's work as a CI resulted in arrests, seizures of large amounts of money and drugs, and additional investigations, although no such things occurred.

On at least 25 occasions, Person A texted Gollogly to inform him of their arrival in the US, including arrival date and location, and flight information in case they got held up at a port of entry by immigration authorities. On at least five occasions, Gollogly personally drove to San Ysidro to meet Person A and facilitate their incident-free reentry into the United States.

In exchange for his help, Gollogly solicited and received benefits from Person A, including receiving tickets to art shows in New York and Miami, arranging for hotel stays for Gollogly's relatives and a family friend, helping a Gollogly relative secure a job with a major philanthropist, and paying for dinner at an upscale New York restaurant for Gollogly and four relatives.

Gollogly will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison with his sentencing hearing scheduled for January 19, 2024. The FBI investigated the matter, with assistance from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility.

By Anita Johnson-Brown