Former Miami cop pleads guilty to drug charge in bribery case

by | Jan 30, 2019 | Drug Charges, Firm News

On Jan. 24, a former Florida cop pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge after accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to protect drug trafficking operations in Miami. On an undercover recording, she was caught saying that she didn’t care if her actions helped cover up a “dead body cut up in pieces”.

According to the FBI, the defendant and two other Miami police officers were caught up in an undercover investigation that occurred between April and October 2018. During the course of the investigation, the defendant reportedly sold a Miami Police Department uniform to an undercover FBI agent for $1,000. She also sold the agent a Miami police badge for $500. The agent was posing as a high-level cocaine and opioid drug trafficker who needed the items for a hit man.

In addition to selling the uniform and badge, the defendant was further accused of using and selling narcotics while employed as a police officer. She also reportedly said that she could make one of the other two cops involved in the bribes “disappear” if he caused any problems. In total, she accepted $17,000 in bribe payments. The other two officers accepted $10,000 and $6,500, respectively. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3.

If convicted, people who have been issued federal drug charges could face severe penalties, including decades in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. However, a criminal defense attorney could carefully review the case and work to obtain a more positive outcome for the defendant. In some situations, it may be possible to challenge the evidence and get the charges dropped. In others, it may be advisable to negotiate a plea deal that reduces the penalties.

Source: Miami Patch, “Former Miami Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Charge“, Paul Scicchitano, Jan. 25, 2019

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