“It seems the City of Miami Police Department has a culture of corruption that exceeds all other police departments. You threw away your career for chump change — $800.”
-From remarks made today by U.S District Judge Robert Scola before sentencing Miami police officer Harold James to 15 months in prison for extortion.
From the story by the Miami Herald's Jay Weaver:
Scola, a former state prosecutor and circuit judge, reminded the eight-year veteran that some people in the community have a hard time believing police officers because of the wrongdoing of cops like James and others in his embattled department.
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| The bodies of three men believed to be drug dealers are pulled from the Miami River on July 29, 1985. (Tim Chapman/Miami Herald) |
3 FOUND IN RIVER MAY HAVE DROWNED IN COCAINE RIP-OFF
Wednesday, July 31, 1985
by JOAN FLEISCHMAN
Herald Staff Writer
Three men whose bodies were found floating in the Miami River died from drowning, but they may have been the victims of a cocaine rip-off, robbed by a gang of men masquerading as police, Metro-Dade detectives said Tuesday.
"We don't know exactly what caused them to drown, whether they fell into the water or they were pushed in or purposedly jumped in," said Homicide Detective Alex Alvarez.
The three were identified as Pedro Martinez, 40, of 6800 SW 14th St.; Adolfo Lopez-Yanes, 37, of 5271 NW Second Ter.; and Juan A. Garcia, address unknown.
Garcia owned a restaurant, Lopez was a self-employed painter and Martinez was a handyman who did ceiling work, police said.
They were dressed in sports clothes when their bodies were fished out of the water Monday afternoon by employees of a salvage firm. Each of the victims had between $800 and $1,000 in large bills in their pockets, and still wore jewelry. Garcia and Martinez also carried pistols in their waistbands, police said. Only Garcia had an arrest record, but the charges were misdemeanors, police said.
I was researching Miami corruption when I stumbled across this very well written and comprehensive article. I have friend Frank Abrams. Frank is a Federal lawyer who recently wrote a book about the decline of Miami. Frank has a blog. His book is titled Miami a Survivor's Tale. It is both am memoir and an expose. If you google you will find him. I think that the two of you would have fun comparing notes.
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