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Denver fires 2 parking officers exposed for writing bogus parking ticket

8:31 AM, Dec 16, 2010   |    comments
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Officers Eric Madril and John Culhane were fired on Dec. 9, according to a statement released to 9NEWS Wednesday.

The news was bittersweet to driver Joshua Miscles because it means the officers were fired around Christmas.

"I don't wish any harm on bad feelings on anybody," Miscles said. "But at the same time, I was the victim. They wrote something falsely on me and they got in trouble for it. Hopefully, everybody will see if you do something wrong and get caught, you get in trouble."

According to records and interviews, Madril got angry at Miscles after Miscles called him a "meter maid" and told him to "get a real job" on Aug. 19, 2009.

Madril then called his co-worker and friend who he graduated parking enforcement training school with, Culhane, and asked Culhane to write Miscles a bogus, expensive ticket.

Culhane mailed the fraudulent handicapped parking ticket late to Miscles so that the fine had doubled from $150 to $300 by the time he received it.

After Miscles fought and won his case in traffic court, the Public Works Department investigated the two officers. The department suspended Culhane for two days because he actually wrote the fake ticket, but did not punish Madril.

After the story aired on 9NEWS, drivers were outraged that the officers still had their jobs. The story prompted a Denver Police Department investigation and police charged the officers with forgery and/or conspiracy to commit forgery last month.

On Nov. 12, the Department of Public Safety revoked their badges and special police officer appointments and put them on paid leave. On Dec. 3, Denver Public Works held a meeting and determined Madril and Culhane should not be agents.

"Upon reviewing the information presented at these meetings, Denver Public Works Right of Way Enforcement determined both individuals are ineligible for employment as Right of Way Enforcement agents," wrote Daelene Mix, spokeswoman for Public Works.

If you have any news tips about this or anything else, please e-mail Investigative Reporter Deborah Sherman at Deborah.Sherman@9NEWS.com.

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