Third person charged in Boston cop gun robbery
By: News Staff
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PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) – A Providence man faced a judge Monday and was charged with trying to steal a department-issued handgun from an off-duty Boston police officer.
24-year-old Kyle Benford was arrested Saturday on an active warrant out of Pawtucket.
According to police Benford is facing two charges of stealing the handgun, and conspiring with two exotic dancers.
They say the Boston officer arranged to meet Neish Rivera and Melissa Dacier at the Hampton Inn in Pawtucket.
Rivera was arrested in December on a prostitution charge during an undercover sting at the Foxy Lady.
Police said Dacier asked the officer, identified as Emanuel Brandao, to get a phone charger out of the off-duty cop’s car while at the Hampton Inn in Pawtucket.
When Brandao checked in his glove box later on that night, his Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun was missing.
Rivera and Dacier were arrested a short time later and are being held at the ACI.
In court Monday, prosecutors said that Rivera and Dacier identified Benford as the person who stole the gun.
But the Providence man’s cousin Jason Doggett said he believes the women are trying to set up Benford.
“My cousin don’t steal nothing from nobody. The kid got money, he works, he’s a good kid [sic],” Doggett said. “He’s wrongfully incarcerated.”
Doggett said Benford was staying at the Hampton Inn with his girlfriend and baby and got into an altercation with the two women who tried stealing things out of their child’s diaper bag.
According to a police report, there was a verbal fight between Rivera and Dacier at the hotel with an unidentified male and female. But the off-duty cop was able to calm things down.
The Boston police officer, Emanuel Brandao, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of this internal investigation.
Doggett believes Brandao should be the one behind bars.
“His gun got stolen and now they’re blaming my little cousin, it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “That cop belongs in jail”
Benford is being held on $20,000 surety.
©WLNE-TV /ABC6 News
