After a misdemeanor charge for his Kopbusting activities was dropped by prosecutors in Texas, Ex-Narcotics officer turned pot activist; Barry Cooper says he is just getting started going after corrupt cops.
The charges, filed by the Texas Rangers against Cooper, his wife Candi, and an associate after they set up a sting operation to bust corrupt police officers, were dropped by Ector County prosecutors who say the charges did not reflect the facts of the case.
"The statute in Texas requires that the false report be made during an investigation, and there was no ongoing investigation," County Attorney Cindy Weir-Nutter told the Odessa Nation. "You have to be able to prove all elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt."
"I knew the charges were bullshit because I used to be a cop," Cooper told Cannabis Culture. "They never should've applied for the warrant in the first place and the judge should never have granted it. I knew their actions were done in retaliation but I still believed we would have to go through the system and prove that it was all bullshit and still might not win. This is great and fantastic news."
The charges were filed after the Coopers set up a fake cannabis growing operation in a house in Odessa, Texas, using Christmas trees instead of pot plants. An anonymous letter was dropped off at a local church and eventually given to police. The cops responded as Cooper expected and less than 24 hours later the Odessa narcotics unit raided the house (without probable cause), finding only a KopBusters attorney, spy cameras, and a couple of pine trees.
Texas Ranger Brian Burney later filed charges against the Coopers claiming it was "obvious that the information given to the Odessa Police Department was false and deceptive with the intent to cause a reaction from officers who were conducting the investigation."
Cooper recently filed a $40 million lawsuit against Texas law enforcement groups and officials but said he would drop the city of Odessa as a defendant in the case.
The Texas resident still faces a different misdemeanor charge in Williamson County for filing a false report in connection with another KopBuster sting where Cooper's team planted a 'suspicious package' full of cash in a public location that was apparently stolen by police. It is not yet evident if the ruling in the Ector County case will have any effect on Cooper's charges in Williamson County.
There may be future battles in store for the Coopers, but Barry says his Kopbusting activities are far from over.
Cooper, who is known for his NeverGetBusted series of DVDs, told Cannabis Culture he is working on a new product line that includes "Barry Cams": small cameras that can be installed in a vehicle and quickly activated to record nasty interactions with police officers during traffic stops.
"When the police pull them over they can hit the button and it records the traffic stop in color, with full audio, for 2 1/2 hours," Cooper said. "That person will be able to upload their footage to my website for my personal analysis to advise if the police did anything wrong."
Cooper said other products he will unveil include LED growing lights, plant chameleon - an all-natural dye that can be sprayed on plants to protect them from prying eyes in the sky, smell-proof bags that totally stop ALL permeation of scent, and a floating garden.
The third volume of his NeverGetBusted series is also due for release in coming months, and is titled NeverGetBusted Advanced Techniques: Examining the Mind of a Cop.
Cooper says he wants to launch the products as soon as possible "to help citizens and continue Kopbusting with those cameras. Now everyone can do their own Kopbusting."
The products should be available from the NeverGetBusted website in the next few months.
If this amazing story of a Narc turned Narc-hunter seems to you like something out of a Hollywood movie you aren't far off, actually, you are right on the money.
The story has been deemed so amazing that it will be the subject of a feature motion picture and Cooper has been working with Hollywood producers Franck Khalfoun and Brett Ratner, directors responsible for the Rush Hour movies, Prison Break TV show, and other films.
Barry said he has been talking to the directors on a weekly basis preparing the script for production.
"I spend a couple hours each week on the phone with them writing the script," Barry said. "The movie is going to start when I was 12 years old and they took me from my momma, and it's going to go all the way through till today."
Cooper said he's sure he will run in to more opposition from law enforcement, but that he will continue to bust corrupt cops.
"Once I get that product line up, I'm going to do another KopBusters sting. I'm not going to stop, because it would be selfish of me to stop. The charges got dropped on us here and they will probably be dropped in Williamson County, but there are just too many people in prison to stop. While we are sitting pretty we're going to go out and stir this shit up again because it's the right thing to do."
The charges, filed by the Texas Rangers against Cooper, his wife Candi, and an associate after they set up a sting operation to bust corrupt police officers, were dropped by Ector County prosecutors who say the charges did not reflect the facts of the case.
"The statute in Texas requires that the false report be made during an investigation, and there was no ongoing investigation," County Attorney Cindy Weir-Nutter told the Odessa Nation. "You have to be able to prove all elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt."
"I knew the charges were bullshit because I used to be a cop," Cooper told Cannabis Culture. "They never should've applied for the warrant in the first place and the judge should never have granted it. I knew their actions were done in retaliation but I still believed we would have to go through the system and prove that it was all bullshit and still might not win. This is great and fantastic news."
The charges were filed after the Coopers set up a fake cannabis growing operation in a house in Odessa, Texas, using Christmas trees instead of pot plants. An anonymous letter was dropped off at a local church and eventually given to police. The cops responded as Cooper expected and less than 24 hours later the Odessa narcotics unit raided the house (without probable cause), finding only a KopBusters attorney, spy cameras, and a couple of pine trees.
Texas Ranger Brian Burney later filed charges against the Coopers claiming it was "obvious that the information given to the Odessa Police Department was false and deceptive with the intent to cause a reaction from officers who were conducting the investigation."
Cooper recently filed a $40 million lawsuit against Texas law enforcement groups and officials but said he would drop the city of Odessa as a defendant in the case.
The Texas resident still faces a different misdemeanor charge in Williamson County for filing a false report in connection with another KopBuster sting where Cooper's team planted a 'suspicious package' full of cash in a public location that was apparently stolen by police. It is not yet evident if the ruling in the Ector County case will have any effect on Cooper's charges in Williamson County.
There may be future battles in store for the Coopers, but Barry says his Kopbusting activities are far from over.
Cooper, who is known for his NeverGetBusted series of DVDs, told Cannabis Culture he is working on a new product line that includes "Barry Cams": small cameras that can be installed in a vehicle and quickly activated to record nasty interactions with police officers during traffic stops.
"When the police pull them over they can hit the button and it records the traffic stop in color, with full audio, for 2 1/2 hours," Cooper said. "That person will be able to upload their footage to my website for my personal analysis to advise if the police did anything wrong."
Cooper said other products he will unveil include LED growing lights, plant chameleon - an all-natural dye that can be sprayed on plants to protect them from prying eyes in the sky, smell-proof bags that totally stop ALL permeation of scent, and a floating garden.
The third volume of his NeverGetBusted series is also due for release in coming months, and is titled NeverGetBusted Advanced Techniques: Examining the Mind of a Cop.
Cooper says he wants to launch the products as soon as possible "to help citizens and continue Kopbusting with those cameras. Now everyone can do their own Kopbusting."
The products should be available from the NeverGetBusted website in the next few months.
If this amazing story of a Narc turned Narc-hunter seems to you like something out of a Hollywood movie you aren't far off, actually, you are right on the money.
The story has been deemed so amazing that it will be the subject of a feature motion picture and Cooper has been working with Hollywood producers Franck Khalfoun and Brett Ratner, directors responsible for the Rush Hour movies, Prison Break TV show, and other films.
Barry said he has been talking to the directors on a weekly basis preparing the script for production.
"I spend a couple hours each week on the phone with them writing the script," Barry said. "The movie is going to start when I was 12 years old and they took me from my momma, and it's going to go all the way through till today."
Cooper said he's sure he will run in to more opposition from law enforcement, but that he will continue to bust corrupt cops.
"Once I get that product line up, I'm going to do another KopBusters sting. I'm not going to stop, because it would be selfish of me to stop. The charges got dropped on us here and they will probably be dropped in Williamson County, but there are just too many people in prison to stop. While we are sitting pretty we're going to go out and stir this shit up again because it's the right thing to do."
