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U.S. NEWSThursday 3 December 2015
Former Miami police officer is
sentenced for aiding drug ring
DAVID PORTER he has cooperated with
Associated Press authorities since his arrest
NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) last year and made numer-
— A former Miami police ous secret audio and video
lieutenant who authorities recordings that could lead
said used his position to to further prosecutions.
help drug smugglers elude According to Wigenton,
security at major airports the evidence showed
was sentenced to 10 years Mata wasn’t a dupe
in prison Wednesday by a forced into helping the
judge who called his ac- drug ring, but instead was
tions “truly reprehensible.” an active participant who
Ralph Mata, a 22-year vet- “stopped at nothing” to
eran of the Miami-Dade offer his assistance. That in-
police department and cluded traveling between
a lieutenant for 11 years, Florida, New York and the
stood stoically as the sen- Dominican Republic, and
tence was read. His wife setting up bank accounts
sat in the gallery with her to receive drug proceeds.
eyes closed and her chin Prosecutors alleged Mata,
resting on her hand. The who was nicknamed “The
two embraced afterward. Milk Man,” helped mem-
During a statement to the bers of the New Jersey-
court, Mata apologized based organization move
and said he had “tarnished hundreds of thousands of
the badge.” dollars in illicit profits.
He called his crimes the He also allegedly used his
“inexcusable, irrational ac- airport contacts to smug-
tions of a foolish man” that gle weapons concealed
dishonored his family, his in luggage to the dealers
job and the community he and even suggested how
once served. they might carry out a po-
“I realized I didn’t have the tential hit on a rival gang.
courage to deal with my The sentence was squarely
weaknesses” that includ- in the middle of the range
ed a drinking problem, he contained in federal sen-
said. tencing guidelines which
U.S. District Judge Susan recommended a sentence
Wigenton was unmoved between nine years and a
by Mata’s apology or by little more than 11 years.q
his attorneys’ noting that
Prosecutor: Officer could’ve saved black man’s life
DAVID DISHNEAU rallying cry in the “Black picked Gray up from the William Porter, left, one of six Baltimore city police officers
JULIET LINDERMAN Lives Matter” protest move- floor and placed him in charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, walks to
Associated Press ment, which emerged an upright position on the a courthouse with his attorney Joseph Murtha in Baltimore. Por-
BALTIMORE (AP) — The first nationwide in response to bench, and did not secure ter faces charges of manslaughter, assault, reckless endanger-
of six Baltimore police offi- several police killings of him in a seatbelt, as re- ment and misconduct in office.
cers charged in the death African-Americans over the quired by Baltimore Police
of a 25-year-old black man past year. Department policy. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)
who suffered a spinal injury Porter wasn’t involved in Gray arrived at a police
went on trial Wednesday, Gray’s initial arrest in April, station unresponsive, was beginning in January. indicated that he knew of
seven months after the city but he was present at five taken to a hospital and According to a pretrial fil- a previous arrest in which
erupted in riots over the of six stops that the van died a week later. ing, Porter told investigators Gray allegedly tried to kick
case. Freddie Gray died made during a 45-minute Porter, who is also black, that arresting Gray “was out the windows of a police
a week after suffering the ride after Gray was taken faces charges of involun- always a big scene” and vehicle.q
critical injury when he was into custody, prosecutors tary manslaughter, second-
handcuffed and shackled said. At one point, Porter degree assault, miscon-
in a police transport van. asked Gray if he needed duct in office and reckless
In his opening statement, a a medic, and the young endangerment. The charg-
prosecutor Michael Schat- black man replied that es carry maximum prison
zow said Officer William he could not breathe and terms totaling about 25
Porter could have saved could not move from the years. His attorneys were to
Gray’s life simply by push- floor of the van, where he present their opening state-
ing a button on his uniform had been placed head- ment later Wednesday.
to call for a medic. first, in plastic handcuffs Two other officers charged
Gray’s April 19 death trig- and leg shackles. in the case are black and
gered protests and rioting Instead of calling a med- the three others are white.
in Baltimore. It became a ic, prosecutors say Porter They will be tried separately
