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The Oklahoman's Watchdog team is a dedicated group of journalists here to expose corruption in Oklahoma. If you have any information about possible fraud, waste or abuse click on the Whistle Blower link below or call (405) 475-3322 and let us know.

New OSBI director pledges openness

News | Yesterday | Comment on this article Leave a comment

The interim director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation pledged Wednesday to be more transparent with the public about criminal cases handled by the agency.

German man who rode with Oklahoma City police faces deportation

News | Wed, Jul 28, 2010

A German man who trained and rode with Oklahoma City police officers faces deportation after he was sentenced to time served for illegally possessing ammunition.

Commission names forensic artist as Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation interim director

News | Wed, Jul 28, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment

A forensic artist and 38-year veteran of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has been appointed the law enforcement agency's interim director.



Watchdog Stories from The Oklahoman

Oklahoma City mom gets 20 years for enabling child abuse 1 hr ago Oklahoma City woman let boyfriend take care of their daughter even though he was a convicted child abuser. Read More
3 face charges in Texhoma 'sexting' Yesterday | Comment on this article Leave a comment TEXHOMA — Three men have been charged with the possession and distribution of obscene images of an underage girl, a Panhandle prosecutor said. He also said he isn’t sure punishments fit the alleged crime. Read More
New OSBI director pledges openness Yesterday | Comment on this article Leave a comment The interim director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation pledged Wednesday to be more transparent with the public about criminal cases handled by the embattled agency. Read More
German man who rode with Oklahoma City police faces deportation Wed, Jul 28, 2010 Maziar Golchehr gets time served for illegal possession of ammunition. Read More
Commission names forensic artist as Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation interim director Wed, Jul 28, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Harvey Pratt, regarded as one of the foremost forensic artists in America, has been named the interim director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Pratt, 69, is a member of the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes and a 38-year veteran of the OSBI. Read More
Commission begins search for OSBI director Tue, Jul 27, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment The next director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation will inherit an agency under fire. OSBI director A. DeWade Langley is starting a new job at the University of Central Oklahoma — a move that will put him under the third state pension system of his career. Read More
OKC woman's second strip-search leads to claim against Seminole County Mon, Jul 26, 2010 An Oklahoma City woman who was strip-searched twice after being arrested on a misdemeanor by a Wewoka police officer has filed a claim for damages with Seminole County. Read More
1976 Oklahoma City homicide solved by DNA, prosecutors say Thu, Jul 22, 2010 Suspect in the 1976 slaying of an Oklahoma City waitress is a convicted murderer serving a life term for 1978 killing. Read More
Smoking to be allowed again in some Oklahoma prisons Thu, Jul 22, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Tobacco use will once again be permitted at minimum-security prisons in Oklahoma starting in August. Read More
Norman man charged in accident that killed jazz singer Tue, Jul 20, 2010 Justin Taylor Hill, 22, was charged with second-degree murder Monday in Oklahoma County District Court. Prosecutors allege he was driving drunk at the time of the accident on Interstate 235 in Oklahoma City that killed Ashlee Taylor Madison, 24, of Norman. Read More
Oklahoma's abortion law stays blocked for now Tue, Jul 20, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment An Oklahoma County judge today issued a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the state's tough new abortion law. Read More
EPA serves warrant on Hughes County hog farms Mon, Jul 19, 2010 Officials said they didn't find anything significant after serving a warrant to inspect Hughes County hog farms where manure was possibly discharging into tributaries of the North Canadian River. Read More
Errors lead to firing of OSBI DNA analyst Mon, Jul 19, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation DNA analyst was fired last month after an internal review of her case work revealed multiple instances of sample contamination, sample handling errors and documentation mistakes, has confirmed. Read More
Elected county officials salaries in Oklahoma may rise under new law Sun, Jul 18, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment A change to state law may force counties in Oklahoma to pay elected officials the highest possible salaries under state law if they aren't already doing so. Read More
Oklahoma grand jury won't meet next week after all Sat, Jul 17, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Oklahoma's multicounty grand jury could take up political corruption allegations in August. Read More
Payne County man arrested on child molestation complaint Fri, Jul 16, 2010 OSBI agents arrested John Phillip Ward, 69, on a child molestation complaint Wednesday night and seized thousands of images that appear to be him engaged in various sex acts with children. Read More
Oklahoma Rep. Randy Terrill discussed taking drug fund money months ago, records show Fri, Jul 16, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Records show that Oklahoma Rep. Randy Terrill has long considered taking money out of a narcotics bureau fund for another agency. The fund has been labeled a "slush fund" by a prosecutor conducting a political corruption investigation targeting Terrill and other Oklahoma lawmakers. Read More
Oklahoma City area students create anti-bullying campaign to honor 11-year-old suicide victim Thu, Jul 15, 2010 High school students with the Upward Bound summer session at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City had heard of Ty Field's story suicide after reportedly being bullied and created the "Stand for the Silent" campaign. Ty's father thanked the group on Wednesday. Read More
Judge hears testimony in 'Bicycle Bob' slaying Thu, Jul 15, 2010 Testimony will determine if prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a trial in the death of Dwite Morgan, 54, a homeless man from Edmond known as "Bicycle Bob." Read More
Renovations planned for Canadian County jail Thu, Jul 15, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Canadian County, OK, officials move forward with plans to update and expand the county jail. Read More
Oklahoma County court candidate calls on opponent to resign workers' comp judgeship Wed, Jul 14, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Oklahoma County judicial candidate Pat Crawley accused opposing candidate Kent Eldridge of violating the law Wednesday and called for him to resign as presiding judge of the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court. Read More
Paroled killer charged in Oklahoma City slaying Wed, Jul 14, 2010 A man out on parole for a 1990 Oklahoma murder was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the June 22 truck stop shooting death of Billy Gene Cooks Jr. of Moore. Read More
Oklahoma City teen charged with murder in shooting Tue, Jul 13, 2010 A 15-year-old Oklahoma City boy was charged with first-degree murder Tuesday in the May 28 shooting death of Joshua Malone. Police said the killers had the wrong address. Read More
Former death row inmate freed after plea deal, banished from Oklahoma Tue, Jul 13, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment James T. Fisher Jr., 46, of Buffalo, N.Y., twice was convicted and sentenced to death for the Dec. 12, 1982, murder of Terry Gene Neal, 30, of Oklahoma City. Both convictions were overturned because of ineffective counsel. Fisher was ordered freed Monday. He's being sent to an Alabama reintegration program. Read More
Meth labs again on the rise in Oklahoma Sat, Jul 10, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment The one-pot recipe for methamphetamine is spreading and the addiction isn't stopping in Oklahoma. Read More
Macomb grandmother arrested was "the wrong person,' Oklahoma City police say Fri, Jul 9, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Oklahoma City Police Department officials say the wrong person was arrested last year when Macomb grandmother Debra Self was picked up in a department store parking lot. Read More
Macomb grandmother files false arrest lawsuit Fri, Jul 9, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment A Macomb, OK, grandmother has filed a $250,000 federal lawsuit against Oklahoma City and three of its police officers, alleging she was the victim of false arrest because of shoddy police work. Read More
Oklahoma County jail officials dispute Department of Justice report Fri, Jul 9, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment If there were 100,000 inmates a day in the Oklahoma County jail, there would have been 30 deaths a year from homicides during the years 2000 to 2007, according to a study released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. It's a higher homicide rate than any other large jail jurisdiction in the country. Read More
Hearing postponed for former Oklahoma City triple-homicide suspect who wants his record sealed Fri, Jul 9, 2010 A hearing to determine if Tybream Demont Rogers could have his record wiped clean of three first-degree murder charges stemming from a 1996 gang shoot-out was postponed. A future hearing was not scheduled. Read More
Hearing postponed for former Oklahoma City triple-homicide suspect who wants his record sealed Thu, Jul 8, 2010 A hearing to determine if Tybream Demont Rogers could have his record wiped clean of three first-degree murder charges stemming from a 1996 gang shoot-out was postponed. A future hearing was not scheduled. Read More
Mercury levels in 16 Oklahoma lakes called unsafe Thu, Jul 8, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Fish in 16 Oklahoma lakes have unsafe levels of mercury, prompting the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to issue a fish consumption advisory. Read More
Former Tonkawa postmaster sentenced in thefts Wed, Jul 7, 2010 A former Tonkawa postmaster was sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days of home confinement Wednesday for stealing money produced by stamp sales. Read More
Oklahoma City man sentenced for false Hurricane Katrina claims Wed, Jul 7, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment An Oklahoma man who pleaded guilty to filing false claims for emergency assistance following Hurricane Katrina was sentenced Wednesday to four months in federal prison and ordered to pay $4,358 in restitution. Read More
Former prison employee sentenced for accepting bribes Wed, Jul 7, 2010 A former El Reno federal prison employee was sentenced to federal prison for accepting bribes to smuggle tobacco. Read More
Mercury levels in 16 Oklahoma lakes called unsafe Wed, Jul 7, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Fish in 16 state lakes have unsafe levels of mercury, prompting the state Department of Environmental Quality to issue a fish consumption advisory. Read More
Two Dell workers accused of computer crimes in Oklahoma City Wed, Jul 7, 2010 Two Dell employees were charged with computer fraud Tuesday, accused of using separate schemes to cheat their employer out of more than $133,000 through the unauthorized sale of company merchandise at greatly discounted prices. Read More
Pottawatomie County Republicans seek new candidate for commissioner's post after hopeful dies Tue, Jul 6, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Candidate for Pottawatomie County commissioner dies, new hopeful sought Read More
Oklahoma Department of Transportation sues company over paint job on bridge Tue, Jul 6, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is suing a bonding company, alleging that a bridge painting contractor did substandard work in west Oklahoma City. Read More
Search of Oklahoma City man's apartment, van bring little evidence in burglary at Norman church Tue, Jul 6, 2010 | Comment on this article Leave a comment Oklahoma City police executed search warrants on an apartment and van last week, but recovered little additional evidence to tie an Oklahoma City burglary suspect to the theft of items from a Norman church and several home construction sites. Read More
Former Oklahoma City triple-murder suspect asks to seal his criminal record Tue, Jul 6, 2010 A man charged with three 1996 murders wants his record wiped clean of the arrest. The 1999 trial of Tybream Demont Rogers was declared a mistrial after sexual misconduct allegations were raised against a police officer. More than 10 years later, Rogers wants his role in the episode erased. Read More


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Mark Hutchison - Watchdog editor

Mark Hutchison
Mark Hutchison has been in Oklahoma newspapers since 1986, first at the Enid Morning News & Eagle. He joined The Oklahoman in 1989 in the Lawton Bureau and has been a reporter and editor since. He has won several state and regional reporting awards for investigative, breaking news and feature stories. Among them are coverage of an American Indian chief who was indicted and imprisoned; malfeasance that led to the resignation and firings of public officials and problems within the state juvenile justice system. A journalism graduate from the University of Kansas, he has three daughters.
phone: (405)990-6160
email: mhutchison@opubco.com

Randy Ellis

Randy Ellis
For the past 26 years, staff writer Randy Ellis has exposed public corruption and government mismanagement in news articles. Ellis has investigated problems in Oklahoma's higher education institutions and wrote stories that ultimately led to two college presidents being sentenced to prison and a former chancellor being forced to resign. He has written about abuses of Oklahoma's workers compensation system, corruption in the state's municipal bond industry, bid-rigging by county officials, self-dealing by state housing officials, misconduct involving state legislators and a variety of other topics. Ellis, 52, has won more than 80 state, regional and national awards for journalistic excellence. Prior to joining The Oklahoman in 1982, Ellis worked at Arkansas newspapers. He is a 1977 graduate of Kansas State University.
phone: (405)475-3522
email: rellis@opubco.com

Ann Kelley

Ann Kelley
Ann Kelley has been an Oklahoma journalist for 10 years. She was a reporter for The Ada Evening News and The Shawnee News-Star before joining The Oklahoman in 2002. Kelley has received numerous awards for breaking news, investigative and government reporting. In 1999, she was an Associated Press sweepstakes winner for her stories about two wrongfully convicted men. Her work is featured in John Grisham’s bestselling book, “The Innocent Man,” and used as a source in “Actual Innocence,” co-authored by attorney Berry Scheck, founder of the Innocence Project.

Kelley is a graduate of Fresno State University. Prior to her career in jounalism, she worked as a social worker and as a legal assistant.
phone: (405)475-4097
email: akelley@opubco.com

Paul Monies

Paul Monies
Paul Monies is the Database Editor for The Oklahoman. He’s in charge of maintaining the newsroom’s databases for everything from voter information and state finances to inspections and campaign finance. Paul has worked at newspapers in Texas and Missouri and spent five years as an award-winning business reporter for The Oklahoman. He is a native of Scotland who graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and has a master’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
phone: (405)475-3730
email: pmonies@opubco.com

Vallery Brown

Vallery Brown
Vallery Brown has been covering Oklahoma since she started working for Oklahoma Today magazine. She spent time in Washington, D.C. learning about national government. She has a journalism degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and is working toward a master's degree. Brown joined The Oklahoman in 2008 covering health and medical news before joining the watchdog team, where her work has aided in the prosecution of criminals, business reform and government accountability. Born in Montana, Brown is an accomplished vocalist.
phone: (405)475-3464
email: VBrown@opubco.com

John Estus

John Estus
John Estus is a staff writer at The Oklahoman, where he focuses on investigative public affairs reporting and inventive uses of new technology in reporting. Estus entered the news business at age 16 and studied journalism at Oklahoma State University, where he won awards for investigative work. He joined The Oklahoman in 2006 and has since produced award-winning government reporting that has prompted changes in public policy. He’s also covered political corruption, religious scandals, high-profile crimes, natural disasters and the sports industry. A proud music geek who once managed artists and a record store, his writing on music in Oklahoma has been published worldwide. He lives in Oklahoma City.
phone: (405)475-3929
email: jestus@opubco.com

Michael Baker

Michael Baker
Michael Baker is a senior staff writer. He has served in that position since March 2010. Before, Michael was Local Editor at The Oklahoman.
Michael believes it is the journalist's responsibility to be a tenacious watchdog of public officials and government institutions, as well as seek to help those who are powerless.
Michael was born in Edmond, went to Edmond High School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Oklahoma. He obtained a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
Michael worked as a journalist in California for about 10 years before returning to his Oklahoma roots in 2003.
phone: (405)475-3384
email: mbaker@opubco.com



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