Breaking News:Dangerous Delays: What Washington State (Re)Teaches Us About Cash and Cannabis Store Robberies [REPORT]

This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Cops in the drug war this week are accused of stealing snitch money, lying to get search warrants, growing and peddling pot, and engaging in a little coke-smuggling. Let's get to it:

In Miami, a former TSA supervisor was indicted last Wednesday for helping to smuggle at least 11 pounds of cocaine through the Virgin Islands. Dwight Durant, 44, is accused of conspiring with another Virgin Islands resident to traffic cocaine during the first eight months of 2012. He is charged with participating in a trafficking conspiracy and is looking at 10 years to life in prison if convicted.

In Buffalo, New York, a Buffalo police officer was arrested last Wednesday on charges he was growing and selling marijuana. James Hamilton, Jr., went down after he sold $1,100 worth of weed to a snitch. He was then arrested, and a subsequent search of his home revealed a grow op with 82 plants and four pounds of processed weed. He is charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of marijuana; manufacturing and possession with intent to distribute 50 or more marijuana plants; maintaining a premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing marijuana; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He's looking at between five years and life in prison.

In New Orleans, two New Orleans police detectives were indicted last Friday on charges they conspired to steal thousands of dollars in funds that were earmarked for paying confidential informants. Rafael Dobard, 39, and Quincy Jones, 33, had been assigned to the Fourth District Narcotics Unit. They also got nailed for falsifying time sheets, and Dobard is also charged with paying bribes to other detectives in the unit. They are both on emergency suspension.

In Baltimore, a Baltimore police officer was arrested last Friday for lying to obtain a search warrant in a drugs and guns case. Thomas Wilson III, a 19-year veteran, is accused of lying when he said he saw a suspect leaving a home carrying a black bag. Wilson also had earlier problems with truthfulness; in 2003, a federal judge said an affidavit he filed in a case was packed with "knowing lies" and threw the case out. Then, he got a short suspension; now, he is charged with perjury and official misconduct.

Permission to Reprint: This article is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <i> <blockquote> <p> <address> <pre> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <br> <b>

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Drug War Issues

Criminal JusticeAsset Forfeiture, Collateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Court Rulings, Drug Courts, Due Process, Felony Disenfranchisement, Incarceration, Policing (2011 Drug War Killings, 2012 Drug War Killings, 2013 Drug War Killings, 2014 Drug War Killings, 2015 Drug War Killings, 2016 Drug War Killings, 2017 Drug War Killings, Arrests, Eradication, Informants, Interdiction, Lowest Priority Policies, Police Corruption, Police Raids, Profiling, Search and Seizure, SWAT/Paramilitarization, Task Forces, Undercover Work), Probation or Parole, Prosecution, Reentry/Rehabilitation, Sentencing (Alternatives to Incarceration, Clemency and Pardon, Crack/Powder Cocaine Disparity, Death Penalty, Decriminalization, Defelonization, Drug Free Zones, Mandatory Minimums, Rockefeller Drug Laws, Sentencing Guidelines)CultureArt, Celebrities, Counter-Culture, Music, Poetry/Literature, Television, TheaterDrug UseParaphernalia, Vaping, ViolenceIntersecting IssuesCollateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Violence, Border, Budgets/Taxes/Economics, Business, Civil Rights, Driving, Economics, Education (College Aid), Employment, Environment, Families, Free Speech, Gun Policy, Human Rights, Immigration, Militarization, Money Laundering, Pregnancy, Privacy (Search and Seizure, Drug Testing), Race, Religion, Science, Sports, Women's IssuesMarijuana PolicyGateway Theory, Hemp, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Marijuana Industry, Medical MarijuanaMedicineMedical Marijuana, Science of Drugs, Under-treatment of PainPublic HealthAddiction, Addiction Treatment (Science of Drugs), Drug Education, Drug Prevention, Drug-Related AIDS/HIV or Hepatitis C, Harm Reduction (Methadone & Other Opiate Maintenance, Needle Exchange, Overdose Prevention, Pill Testing, Safer Injection Sites)Source and Transit CountriesAndean Drug War, Coca, Hashish, Mexican Drug War, Opium ProductionSpecific DrugsAlcohol, Ayahuasca, Cocaine (Crack Cocaine), Ecstasy, Heroin, Ibogaine, ketamine, Khat, Kratom, Marijuana (Gateway Theory, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Medical Marijuana, Hashish), Methamphetamine, New Synthetic Drugs (Synthetic Cannabinoids, Synthetic Stimulants), Nicotine, Prescription Opiates (Fentanyl, Oxycontin), Psilocybin / Magic Mushrooms, Psychedelics (LSD, Mescaline, Peyote, Salvia Divinorum)YouthGrade School, Post-Secondary School, Raves, Secondary School