Carlos A. Pizarro, one of three former Boston police officers that were arrested in an undercover drug bust last year, pled guilty to federal cocaine charges yesterday. He pled guilty to possession of 100 kg of cocaine with intent to distribute and a second count of cocaine possession with intent to distribute. As part of the plea deal, the government dropped its charge that Pizarro engaged in heroin trafficking.
Pizarro has already spent a year in jail while waiting for his trial. In court yesterday, Pizarro admitted to guarding a shipment of cocaine in 2006 for drug dealers that were actually undercover FBI agents. The other two ex-police officers, Nelson Carrasquillo and Roberto Pulido, continue to maintain their innocence.
The plea deal does not obligate Pizarro to testify against his two former partners. He does, however, have to provide details regarding his own involvement in any crimes. He also has to give up the $17,000 he was given to protect the drug shipment. The government will now recommend that he serve no more than 14 years in prison.
The three former police officers were taken into custody in Miami in July 2006 when they came to a meeting with undercover FBI agents. The agents paid the three men the remaining $36,000 of their $51,000 fee for guarding the shipment while it was transported to Jamaica Plain from Western Massachusetts.
Pulido, dubbed the group’s ringleader, is also accused of identity theft, bringing illegal immigrants into the country, selling steroids, insurance fraud, and guarding parties attended by drug dealers, police officers, and prostitutes at a warehouse in Hyde Park. He had initially been suspended without pay after his arrest related to the undercover drug bust. He was fired in May 2007, however, after he refused to take his yearly drug test.
Pulido has to stay in jail until the case is resolved. Carrasquillo is out on bail.
Here are a few facts about drugs in Massachusetts from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s web site:
• The primary drugs that are abused in Massachusetts are heroin and cocaine.
• MDMA, a club drug, is also widely available in Massachusetts • Other drugs that are readily available in Massachusetts include marijuana, Roxicet, Percocet, and OxyContin
A person can be apprehended for drug-related charges if he or she is found trafficking drugs, distributing drugs, smuggling drugs, manufacturing drugs, laundering money related to drug deals, or drug possession.
Ex-officer admits guilt in drug case, Boston.com, September 11, 2007
Massachusetts 2007: Drugs and Drug Abuse, DEA
Related Web Resources:
Drugs and Crime Facts, US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics
Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Drug Policy Alliance
If you have been arrested for a drug crime in Massachusetts, you deserve the legal services of a criminal defense attorney that is committed to defending you and protecting your rights.
At Altman & Altman LLP, we have successfully handle criminal cases involving drugs before the First Circuit Federal Court in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts District Courts, and the Massachusetts Superior Courts. We are here to protect our clients.
Contact Altman & Altman LLP for a free consultation.