Florida Cop in Clearwater Busted for Allegedly Tipping Off Drug Traffickers To Investigation
A top Clearwater narcotics detective is accused of double-crossing his fellow officers by tipping off drug traffickers to an investigation. 🌐 #News #ClearwaterFL #Florida #Crime
CLEARWATER, FL – A narcotics detective and police union president in Florida is facing charges for allegedly helping drug traffickers evade police scrutiny, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said at a joint press conference on Tuesday.
Fredrick Lise, a narcotics detective with the Clearwater Police Department who has served as the president of the Clearwater Police union for the last three years, was arrested Tuesday on eight felony public corruption charges, Gualtieri said.
“Lise decided to cross the line from being a law enforcement officer to being a criminal,” Gualtieri said. “And in doing so, he dangerously endangered the lives of real law enforcement officers trying to rid the community of deadly drugs.”
Lise allegedly monitored narcotics investigations into Matthew Turner and Henry Smith, carried out by the sheriff’s office and other agencies, and tipped them off to law enforcement surveillance.
Gaultieri read out several text messages allegedly between Lise and Smith, sharing information and concocting an “elaborate scheme” to have Turner and Smith assist Lise in another bust in order to gain credit toward reducing potential future prison sentences.
Gaultieri said deputies do not know of any bribes accepted by Lise for his assistance, rather, investigators believe Lise helped the men because they were close friends of his.
Gaultieri said the Turner drug trafficking organization was being supplied with large quantities of multiple illegal drugs from a source in California, and distributing them through the Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg areas.
“Lise, especially as a union president, is supposed to be looking out for cops, not putting them in harm’s way,” Gualtieri said.
Gandy said Lise has been placed on administrative leave pending internal investigation, and the union has replaced him with an interim president. He said Lise’s alleged actions do not represent the Clearwater Police Department.
“It leaves me really angry beyond belief,” Gandy said. “It appears he put the interests of drug traffickers over those interests of his own officers.”
Reminder: All parties are considered innocent before proven guilty. Written by TMX staff, with additional reporting by Jack and Kitty Norton.
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