A Los Angeles County deputy sheriff has been charged with operating a drug-trafficking ring in which other officers were hired to act as enforcers for dealers.
Kenneth Collins, 50, was arrested along with three other men in Pasadena Tuesday morning. The group is accused of offering protection services to an undercover team from the FBI for the transport of around 45lbs (20kg) of cocaine and more than 13lbs of methamphetamine – in return for a $250,000 cash payment.
“Deputy Collins sold his badge to assist an individual he thought was a drug trafficker,” US Attorney Nicola Hanna said in a statement. “This case is part of our long-standing and ongoing commitment to root out corruption, particularly when it involves sworn law enforcement officers.”
Two other men – David Easter, 51, and Grant Valencia, 34 – were also charged in the federal criminal complaint filed last week. A fourth man, Maurice Desi Font, 56, is expected to be charged by federal prosecutors in the coming days.
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