Let’s start here: a Baltimore cop is facing charges after conspiring to sell cocaine from a drug bust, and I may just choke on the irony.
The drug bust in question by the Violent Crimes Impact Division happened almost a decade ago but the hammer is finally dropping now. The bust, per the Baltimore Sun, reportedly involved 41 kilograms of cocaine found in the rear of a truck near owned by a drug trafficker in West Baltimore.
Recently, federal prosecutors have said that the bust, which would have been record-breaking, did not happen as the officers claim it did. Earlier in March 2020, Detective Ivo Louvado was charged with lying to the FBI regarding taking part in a plan to sell cocaine seized from that drug bust. According to prosecutors, Louvado conspired with two others to sell three kilograms of cocaine that were not recorded as part of the bust and split the proceeds. Louvado would have made $10,000 from the scheme.
Louvado is now the 14th officer from the Baltimore Police Department to be charged in this extensive scheme. The investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office began back in 2015 after an officer was wiretapped. The wiretap found misconduct that had been happening for years inside the Gun Trace Task Force. So far, the investigation has uncovered drug dealing, lying on police reports, and robbing citizens.
Commended for their work
In an ironic twist, the officers involved in this cocaine bust received a commendation from the department that read “In a thirty-day period, they arrested five violent traffickers along the I-95 corridor netting 44 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $5,000,000. None of these cases utilized any complex investigative measures, just good old fashioned police work from the ground up.”
Authorities are not sure if the three additional kilograms left behind that were “discovered” by Louvado and his co-conspirators were intentionally left behind or if leaving them behind truly was an oversight. Either way, the plan was to sell the cocaine and split the proceeds. The deal went south when the officers tried to have a drug dealer-turned-informant sell the cocaine.
What the h*ll is going on with the BPD?
It seems as though a lot of officer conduct issues have fallen through the cracks from the early-2000’s on, and the investigation into the Gun Trace Task Force was just the tip of the iceberg. Even the truck that held the cocaine was searched illegally. The officers peeked underneath an unsecured cover and found the drugs then they asked for a search warrant. However, the officers never told the judge that they looked in the truck prior to asking for a warrant.
Sounds like these officers are gonna need a good lawyer. I may be able to make a recommendation. ?
Drew Cochran, Attorney at Law represents clients facing criminal charges in Annapolis, Ellicott City, Centreville, and throughout the state. Call our office at 410-271-1892 or complete a contact form to schedule a consultation.
And remember – Keep Calm, and Call Drew.
