Three Miami-Dade police officers arrested a repeat convicted felon, but the officers allegedly lied about the circumstances of the arrest. The case has been dismissed with the officers facing indictment for obstruction of justice and perjury charges. Officers Alkibiades Dodge and Sergeant Waell Majed Farraj were indicted in federal court. The third officer, Jorge Luis Gonzales, is on vacation in Cuba and has indicated he will surrender when he returns next week.
The three officers arrested Pedro Marte, a drug dealer and repeat convicted felon, for illegally carrying a handgun early last year. The officers claimed they pulled Marte's car over on 27th Avenue and found the gun hidden under the car's hood. The officers also said that Marte consented to the search and waived his miranda rights.
However, prosecutors argue that the officers' statements about the circumstances of Marte's arrest are lies. According to prosecutors, the officers' story began to fall apart when the GPS on the officers' patrol car showed the Marte's arrest happened at a different location. Based on the discrepancy, the case against Marte was dismissed.
Some have lamented the dismissal of the case against a repeated felon and drug dealer. John Musca, who frequently handles criminal cases in Miami pointed out, "Obviously, I do not know whether or not the officers' testimony was truthful, but the consequences of having officers lie about the circumstances of an arrest is something a court takes very seriously."
The officers' attorneys insist their clients were truthful about the arrest of Marte. "They did nothing more than arrest a one-man crime wave, a scourge on the community. Pedro Marte is a violent, drug-dealing criminal that they arrested with a gun," said one of the officers' attorneys. One of the other defense attorneys said, "To indict these officers - and if they convict them, they will go to federal prison - is atrocious. I think it's an abomination."
Musca Law Firm has over 100 years of combined legal experience with convenient offices located across the State of Florida. Our Miami criminal defense team will aggressively defend your rights on the State and Federal level. The prosecution is looking to punish you to the fullest extent of the law. You need a knowledgeable attorney that will watch out for you. Contact Musca Law for a free, comprehensive review of your case.
