The details of a secret internal affairs investigation codenamed Operation Oklahoma in Australia have been made public several months after its conclusion. The investigation implicated eight police officers as well as local businessman and athletes. The investigation led to the firing and resignations of the “Tamworth four” which included the snitch who provided critical information about the steroid ring to investigators. Ironically, the details of Operation Oklahoma were only made public because the informant at the center of the investigation submitted an application for wrongful termination.
Former Constable Matthew Walsh became a “willing informant” for the New South Wales Police Integrity Commission during their two-year internal affairs investigation of a police network involved in the trafficking of anabolic steroids. Walsh provided assistance to investigators and agreed to provide court testimony against fellow officers implicated in the steroid trafficking ring. The Commission acknowledged his assistance with a “letter of comfort” that confirmed his willingly participation during the investigation.
During the PIC inquiry Mr Walsh provided statements to assist investigations and agreed to give evidence in any subsequent court proceedings against Mr McCulloch and other officer and civilians. […]
Mr Walsh was sacked despite being provided with a ”letter of comfort” from a senior PIC investigator to Police Internal Affairs which had confirmed he had become a willing informant.
Walsh apparently assumed his cooperation during the internal affairs investigations guaranteed his job security. In spite of his cooperation, Walsh was still fired in June 2010 for the illegal use of anabolic steroids and the failure to report fellow officers who used and/or sold steroids.
Walsh subsequently filed for wrongful termination in an attempt to get his job back. Unfortunately for Walsh, not only did the Court reject his application finding that his job termination was “not harsh, unreasonable or unjust”, his application opened the door for the public disclosure of his involvement as an informant and details about the other police officers involved in the steroid trafficking ring.
Details of the operation, which ran until last year, were revealed in a Commission hearing where an officer sacked for steroid use lodged an unsuccessful bid to get his job back.Constable Matthew Walsh claimed his sacking by police commissioner Andrew Scipione last June was harsh.
The Commission heard that using listening devices on mobile and police station phones, Operation Oklahoma’s initial target was Tamworth senior constable Nathan McCulloch – a 15-year veteran of the NSW Police Force.
It was told the ring involved three other officers including McCulloch’s wife, Elisa Maree McCulloch, a senior constable with 20 years’ experience.
Another senior constable, Terri Whitton, was recorded having conversations with officers about sourcing steroids from her then boyfriend Ben Wilson – a forward for the Wee Waa Panthers rugby league team.
Constable Matthew Walsh admitted to using steroids sourced from McCulloch on multiple occasions, the court heard. He also admitted to being aware that the steroids were imported over the internet from Thailand and from other people in Australia.
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