A drug seizure eventually led to the arrest of a Texas police officer involved in the process. No longer employed with the police department, the former officer is facing federal drug charges for trafficking. He is also facing at least one additional criminal charge for allegedly receiving compensation for his actions.
In March 2013, police seized what they suspected to be cocaine from a taxi cab that had been abandoned. After being transported to a police facility, officers discovered that 4 of the 17 kilograms of possible cocaine had been removed. Four wooden blocks were found mixed in with the drugs to apparently make up for the lost weight.
According to a defendant, who is cooperating with police, the former-officer was apparently involved with a drug trafficking network and helped stage the seizure. The cocaine obtained during the seizure was actually diluted with other substances, although it still held enough of the drug to test positive if investigators went that far. Investigators believe that the event was staged in order to conceal the subsequent distribution of the drugs.
The ex police officer was allegedly compensated with $5,000 for taking part in the setup and follow through of the seizure, although authorities have not yet named the other defendant who has been providing them with information. Drug charges at the federal level can have severe consequences, including steep fines and time spent behind bars. However, defense preparations for both federal and state crime charges are largely similar. In general, most defendants in Texas can determine the best approach by conducting a thorough and careful review of the charges alongside their respective counsels.
Source: lmtonline.com, “Ex-South Texas cop faces drug trafficking charges”, Aaron Nelsen, April 4, 2016
