Boston Cops Indicted on Drug Charges
Jim Kouri, CPP
September 16, 2006
Three veteran officers from the Boston Police Department were indicted Friday by a federal grand jury for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. One of the officers was charged with framing an innocent businessman, as well.
In July, the men were arrested in an FBI undercover sting operation after they had traveled to Miami, Florida to receive a $35,000 payment for protecting what they believed to be 100 kilograms of cocaine.
Roberto "Kiko" Pulido, age 41, Carlos Pizarro,age 36, and Nelson Carrasquillo, age 35, were charged in an Indictment with one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 1 kilogram of heroin.
Pulido and Carrasquillo were charged in a second count with attempting to aid and abet the possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on or about April 23, 2006. And the three police officers were charged in a third count with attempting to aid and abet the possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on June 8, 2006.
Pulido and Pizarro have been Boston Police officers since 1996 and Carrasquillo since 1999. Both Pulido and Carrasquillo were most recently assigned to the Special Operations Division, Mobile Operations Patrol. Pizarro is a patrol officer in Area D-4 (South End). All three were placed on administrative leave shortly after their arrest in July 2006.
According to the Indictment, documents previously filed with the Court, and testimony at hearings in August 2006, it is alleged that Pulido came under federal scrutiny in November 2003 when it was discovered that he engaged in a scheme to buy and distribute retail store gift cards, which had been obtained by an identity theft ring.
Over the course of a two and one-half year investigation, agents from the FBI, working in cooperation with the Boston Police Department's Anti-Corruption Squad, allegedly discovered that Pulido routinely engaged in a wide range of criminal activities including: identity theft; drug dealing; sponsoring and protecting illegal after-hours parties at which prostitutes routinely worked; robbery; threats; insurance fraud; money laundering; illegal alien smuggling; and trafficking in stolen goods.
Pulido also framed a business partner on drug and weapons charges. It is alleged that both Pizarro and Carrasquillo joined in some of this illegal conduct.
In December 2005, the FBI developed an undercover sting operation aimed at revealing the extent of Pulido's criminal contacts within the BPD. As part of that undercover operation -- which took place in Boston, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida -- in April 2006, Pulido and Carrasquillo were paid $20,000 to provide protection for the sale of 40 kilograms of cocaine.
The sale, which they agreed to protect from detection by the BPD, was actually from one FBI undercover group to another. It is alleged that the sale took place in a garage in Jamaica Plain operated by Pulido.
A second sting operation took place in early June 2006. In this operation, Pulido and Carrasquillo were joined by Pizarro in allegedly protecting the transport and sale of what they believed to be 100 kilograms of cocaine. It is alleged that on June 8, 2006, the three officers escorted a truck they believed to be carrying 100 kilograms of cocaine from western Massachusetts to Boston, and oversaw and protected the transfer of the narcotics at Pulido's garage.
During the transfer, it is alleged that Pulido was actively monitoring the BPD radio traffic while Carrasquillo and Pizarro escorted the drug transport vehicles and provided perimeter security. That day, Pulido was paid a $15,000 down payment for the police protection provided by himself and the two other cops. The remainder -- $35,000 -- was to be paid in a celebratory meeting scheduled to take place in Miami.
In July 2006, the three police officers traveled to Miami to meet with the undercover agents to receive the additional $35,000 owed to them for protecting the June shipment, and to plan the next operation. In recorded meetings in July 2006, the men agreed to protect much larger quantities of cocaine, including two shipments totaling 1000 kilograms in August 2006 (with a street value of approximately $20 million). They also agreed to protect 5 kilograms of heroin. On July 20, 2006, following their receipt of $36,000 from the undercover agents, the defendants were arrested. They have been in federal custody since that time.
The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of the money paid to the defendants during the course of the undercover investigation.
If convicted, the three police officers face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison up to a maximum of life, and a $4 million fine on each of the three counts.
The on-going investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the Boston Police Department's Anti-Corruption Squad. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil in Sullivan's Public Corruption Unit.
In July, the men were arrested in an FBI undercover sting operation after they had traveled to Miami, Florida to receive a $35,000 payment for protecting what they believed to be 100 kilograms of cocaine.
Roberto "Kiko" Pulido, age 41, Carlos Pizarro,age 36, and Nelson Carrasquillo, age 35, were charged in an Indictment with one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 1 kilogram of heroin.
Pulido and Carrasquillo were charged in a second count with attempting to aid and abet the possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on or about April 23, 2006. And the three police officers were charged in a third count with attempting to aid and abet the possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on June 8, 2006.
Pulido and Pizarro have been Boston Police officers since 1996 and Carrasquillo since 1999. Both Pulido and Carrasquillo were most recently assigned to the Special Operations Division, Mobile Operations Patrol. Pizarro is a patrol officer in Area D-4 (South End). All three were placed on administrative leave shortly after their arrest in July 2006.
According to the Indictment, documents previously filed with the Court, and testimony at hearings in August 2006, it is alleged that Pulido came under federal scrutiny in November 2003 when it was discovered that he engaged in a scheme to buy and distribute retail store gift cards, which had been obtained by an identity theft ring.
Over the course of a two and one-half year investigation, agents from the FBI, working in cooperation with the Boston Police Department's Anti-Corruption Squad, allegedly discovered that Pulido routinely engaged in a wide range of criminal activities including: identity theft; drug dealing; sponsoring and protecting illegal after-hours parties at which prostitutes routinely worked; robbery; threats; insurance fraud; money laundering; illegal alien smuggling; and trafficking in stolen goods.
Pulido also framed a business partner on drug and weapons charges. It is alleged that both Pizarro and Carrasquillo joined in some of this illegal conduct.
In December 2005, the FBI developed an undercover sting operation aimed at revealing the extent of Pulido's criminal contacts within the BPD. As part of that undercover operation -- which took place in Boston, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida -- in April 2006, Pulido and Carrasquillo were paid $20,000 to provide protection for the sale of 40 kilograms of cocaine.
The sale, which they agreed to protect from detection by the BPD, was actually from one FBI undercover group to another. It is alleged that the sale took place in a garage in Jamaica Plain operated by Pulido.
A second sting operation took place in early June 2006. In this operation, Pulido and Carrasquillo were joined by Pizarro in allegedly protecting the transport and sale of what they believed to be 100 kilograms of cocaine. It is alleged that on June 8, 2006, the three officers escorted a truck they believed to be carrying 100 kilograms of cocaine from western Massachusetts to Boston, and oversaw and protected the transfer of the narcotics at Pulido's garage.
During the transfer, it is alleged that Pulido was actively monitoring the BPD radio traffic while Carrasquillo and Pizarro escorted the drug transport vehicles and provided perimeter security. That day, Pulido was paid a $15,000 down payment for the police protection provided by himself and the two other cops. The remainder -- $35,000 -- was to be paid in a celebratory meeting scheduled to take place in Miami.
In July 2006, the three police officers traveled to Miami to meet with the undercover agents to receive the additional $35,000 owed to them for protecting the June shipment, and to plan the next operation. In recorded meetings in July 2006, the men agreed to protect much larger quantities of cocaine, including two shipments totaling 1000 kilograms in August 2006 (with a street value of approximately $20 million). They also agreed to protect 5 kilograms of heroin. On July 20, 2006, following their receipt of $36,000 from the undercover agents, the defendants were arrested. They have been in federal custody since that time.
The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of the money paid to the defendants during the course of the undercover investigation.
If convicted, the three police officers face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison up to a maximum of life, and a $4 million fine on each of the three counts.
The on-going investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the Boston Police Department's Anti-Corruption Squad. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil in Sullivan's Public Corruption Unit.
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