Helpful Pages at CBS4.com
Jul 18, 2008 7:59 pm US/Eastern
Two Dade Officers Arrested In Drug & Gambling Ring
Two Miami-Dade officers were charged with tipping off a drug ring to police operations
Click Here To Read Michael King's Arrest Warrant
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami announced on Thursday the arrest of approximately 40 people, including two Miami-Dade officers Michael King, 42, and Antonio Roberts, 46, charged with state racketeering and federal drug charges.
On Friday, the two officers appeared before U.S. Magistrate Robert Dube, and said both will be held in jail until next Wednesday's bond hearing. The government requested the two men be denied bond until the completion of their trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Koukios told the judge, "We are seeking pretrial detention because we believe they are a danger to the community and pose a risk of flight."
CBS4 Reporter Gary Nelson spoke exclusively to Robert' s sister and brother.
Stephanie Roberts said, "My brother has spent a lifetime serving the public. He is an outstanding police officer and pillar of the community."
His half-brother, Sam Powell, said the family was shocked to learn of the charges, adding, "We were floored, and we're totally confused and dont know what's going on."
According to the
arrest warrant, Miami-Dade officer Michael King, 42, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to racketeering, and bookmaking.
Along with the two officers, a former Miami-Dade jail guard, Marvin Coney, 42, was also taken into custody by Miami-Dade detectives.
King and Roberts are patrolmen in the Northside district who have been with the department since 1989 and 1981 respectively.
Coney, who faces charges in both state and federal court, was a Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation guard from 1988 to 1998. He was fired for drug abuse, corrections spokeswoman Janelle Hall told the Miami Herald.
This was a joint investigation by the FBI and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Prosecutors in the Michael King case said they have both audio and video evidence against him.
In the press conference prosecutors also said that one of the officers was tipping off the other suspects by holding up his police radio to a telephone receiver, so they can hear the police chatter.
According to the arrest warrant, King was heard on a wiretap taking illegal bets on basketball games, including from former jail guard Marvin Coney.
The warrant also states that King received betting lines and information from Ricardo Munoz, who allegedly ran a bookmaking operation. King also allegedly, "laid off" portions of his client's bets to Munoz.
On April 8, 2008, the warrant states King was seen leaving Munoz' office when he stopped a pick-up truck which he had recognized as an undercover police vehicle. King approached the driver, identified as Sgt. Trujillo. Officer Trujillo told King he was conducting surveillance at a heroin drug hole a short distance from the area. Sgt. Trujillo then left. Immediately after, Michael King called Ricardo Munoz and reported that, "I just stopped one of my lieutenants at the corner watching ya'lls s—t, man."
The warrant also states that on April 2, 2008, King was videotaped giving a client gambling winnings while sitting in his patrol car.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS4.com staffers show off events in South Florida
