Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
A corrupt Detroit police officer has been recently sent to prison by a federal judge. This police officer was one of fourteen co-defendants in a wide ranging and long-lasting illegal drug trafficking ring. This drug trafficking ring was estimated to have lasted for at least five years before they were indicted. The officers involved used their positions as police officers to help facilitate the sale of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. The officer in this case specifically was involved in the sale of fentanyl. The amount listed in the indictment stated that the officer was found in possession of 400 or more grams of fentanyl.
Case History
Various amounts of drugs and money were found in the possession of many of these defendants. One defendant was found with six kilograms of cocaine in his possession. Another defendant was found with nearly one kilogram of heroin and just under 1/3 of a kilogram of fentanyl. Part of their conspiracy was to transport drugs via commercial airlines. They would have couriers take luggage to the airport, check their bags for the flight, but intentionally miss the flight. This would send the luggage to the destination where another courier would pick up the luggage. This technique is called a “check and miss.” The main officer in this case was said to be in a conspiracy with the others, supplying sensitive law enforcement information in furtherance of the crime. He was even allegedly paid $20,000 to stage a fake traffic stop of an associate to make their drug supplier believe that the cops had busted their drugs and money.
The Sentence
The officer was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox. In his sentencing memorandum, the Assistant U.S. Attorney explained that the corrupt cop had a choice. His choice was either to enforce the law to protect the citizens of Detroit or use his position as a police officer to help a drug trafficking empire; and he chose the criminal route over and over again. This is the second longest sentence handed down for a public official in Detroit. The title for the longest sentence for a Detroit public corruption case was, you guessed it, Kwame Kilpatrick who was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison back in 2013.
Public Corruption Cases In General
Public corruption can come in various shapes and sizes. The most commonly seen corruption cases involve a situation where a public officer receives a bribe to take a specific governmental action that will benefit the person paying them. The most common federal statutes regarding corruption are:
• Hobbs Act
• RICO
• Mail Fraud
• Wire Fraud
• The Travel Act
• 18 USC 201
• Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
The FBI and other federal agencies are constantly investigating cases of corruption, especially in the Detroit area and surrounding cities and counties. The resources the federal government has are significantly greater than what a local police department may have. Federal cases can be intricate and wide ranging. It is not uncommon for the FBI to take many years to build a case slowly before pursuing criminal charges. The federal government is exceedingly patient in making sure they have as much of a case as possible.
Note: Public corruption has a five-year statute of limitations. If a public official is not indicted for a non-capital offense within five years of it occurring, then the official may be protected from prosecution due to the statute of limitations.
Any Further Questions?
If you have any additional questions relating to this case or anything else related to drug trafficking or public corruption, then are happy to offer a FREE consultation. If you or someone you love is facing a criminal charge or is currently being investigated for a possible criminal charge, then it is important to seek the advice and counsel of an attorney immediately. At Grabel & Associates, we have over 100 years of combined experience in successfully representing clients in both federal and state court respectively. We are a criminal defense firm, it’s all we do. We are available by phone on our 24/7 defense line at 1-800-342-7896. You can contact us online or come visit us at one of our three statewide offices. We can also come to you.