A ‘Girls Gone Wild’ party, Strip Uno and Lies: WSMV4 obtains transcripts of La Vergne police sex scandal interviews

By By Daniel Smithson and Brendan Tierney

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    LA VERGNE, Tennessee (WSMV) — WSMV4 has obtained transcripts of interviews with officers fired, suspended or involved in some way in a shocking sex scandal that has made national headlines.

The investigation found officers within the department’s evening shift were having sex with each other while on duty and on city property. The investigative report also highlighted a hot tub party and the exchange of explicit naked photos between officers.

The transcripts, first obtained by WSMV4, shed new light on the investigation. WSMV4 has combed through nearly 400 pages of documents provided by the City of La Vergne and have summarized the interviews below. The interviews include details about a “Girls Gone Wild” party, strip Uno games and documents times officers repeatedly lied during the investigation.

Officer Maegan Hall

Maegan Hall, hired by the La Vergne Police Department in 2020, was fired in connection to the sex investigation. Hall was at the center of the investigation and sex scandal. According to transcripts of interviews obtained by WSMV4, Hall admitted to having sex with Officer Larry Holladay but said she didn’t think it had to be reported because they weren’t dating, and she wasn’t on duty. Hall also admitted to having oral sex with Sgt. Lewis Powell at one of the La Vergne Police Department’s police substations. She added she had a threesome with Officer Patrick Magliocco and his wife, according to the transcripts. She also had sex with Magliocco multiple other times.

She added she sent nude photos to Officer Gavin Schoeberl, Magliocco, Powell and Holladay, according to the transcript of her interview. She said she received nude photos from several officers.

Hall said she initially lied about the sex scandal because she didn’t want to let down her police chief, who she claimed supported her through multiple crashes in her patrol vehicle. She added she didn’t want to mess up Powell’s career or marriage. She told investigators she was worried Powell would hurt her for talking.

“I got stupid,” Hall said. “I got desperate, I guess, and guys are guys, and they’ll stick their (expletive) in anything.”

At one point, she disclosed to investigators she had once “dry fired” a gun at her head, according to the transcript.

Sergeant Henry Ty McGowan

Sgt. Henry Ty McGowan, who was employed by the La Vergne Police Department for nearly two decades, was fired in connection to the sex investigation. His first interview with investigators took place in a car at an undisclosed location.

McGowan appeared to not know he was meeting up with an HR director. McGowan disclosed details about a hot tub party on Sgt. Eric Staats houseboat. He added he received nude photographs from Hall; he said he was aware of other officers having sex on the job; and talked about how the investigation would sink the entire department if it got out. He denied having sex with Hall but admitted he sent Hall a nude photo, according to the transcripts.

Patrol Officer Juan Lugo-Perez

Juan Lugo-Perez, who was employed by the La Vergne Police Department since 2018, was fired in connection to the sex investigation. The transcript of his interview with investigators shows he exchanged nude Snapchats with Hall. The two had sex on duty one time, according to Lugo-Perez. The transcripts show he lied about that until his second interview with investigators.

Sergeant Lewis Powell

Lewis Powell, who was hired by the La Vergne Police Department in 2008, was fired in connection to the sex investigation. According to investigators, he repeatedly denied his relationship with Hall. Then, once the investigation started, he finally admitted to having sex with her. He said he denied it initially because he was scared of the repercussions.

Detective Seneca Shields

Seneca Shields, a 10-year La Vergne Police Department officer and detective, was fired in connection to the sex investigation. Shields told investigators he knew about their investigation and claimed he knew who was involved in it, according to the transcript of his interview. He denied having sex with Hall, but later conceded they had sexual contact once. He explained they had oral sex and exchanged nude photos. He claimed Hall had a foot fetish.

Officer Larry Holladay

Larry Holladay, hired by the La Vergne Police Department in 2016, was punished with a two-week unpaid suspension related to the sex scandal. Holladay did eventually admit he was in a relationship with Hall and had sex with her and his child’s mom, according to the transcripts. He said he did not have sexual contact with Hall while he was at work. In a follow-up interview, Holladay said he stopped responding to Hall’s texts.

“I do my best to stay out of drama like that (expletive),” Holladay said in the interview. He claimed morale at the La Vergne Police Department is bad.

Officer Patrick Magliocco

Patrick Magliocco, hired by the La Vergne Police Department in 2021, was punished with a two-week unpaid suspension related to the sex scandal. The transcript of his interview with investigators appears to show Magliocco told the truth and helped catch others involved in the sex scandal. Magliocco told investigations he, his wife an Hall had sex, according to the transcripts. He said he never had sex while at work. He added he heard Powell and Hall had sex on the job. He said he received nude photos from Hall but never sent any, according to the investigation.

Officer Gavin Schoeberl

Gavin Schoeberl, hired by the La Vergne Police Department in 2021, was punished with a one-week unpaid suspension related to the sex scandal. He told investigators he received a nude photo of Hall, but he deleted it. He added he showed some officers a nude picture of himself while hanging out. He told investigators he never had a relationship with Hall and didn’t know of any relationships with other officers. Read the transcript here.

Sergeant Eric Staats

During the investigation, Sgt. Eric Staats, the La Vergne Fraternal Order of Police president, told investigators he had a lot of concern for Maegan Hall’s mental health. Staats had a houseboat party in which Maegan Hall got “sloppy drunk,” according to the transcripts, to the point where Staats’ partner said she wasn’t allowed back. Staats said Hall’s top came down during the hot tub party, in front of Lt. David Durham, and Staats berated her for it.

Lieutenant David Durham

Durham was at the hot tub party where Maegan Hall’s top came off, according to the transcript of his interview. Apparently, his whole family was there.

Officer Vielka Brizendine

Officer Vielka Brizendine was interviewed by those investigating the sex scandal. She said she went to a party where strip Uno was being played. Maegan Hall was there, but she left. The incident occurred before she was hired. Brizendine added she received nude photos from Sergeant Lewis Powell, according to the transcript.

In the past, Brizendine said she has been written up for being “unfriendly” and called insubordinate.

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