SAN DIEGO — A Los Angeles police officer who was arrested last week on charges of trying to buy 10 kilograms of cocaine has been using his position at the LAPD to rob suspects of drugs and money for at least two years, a federal prosecutor charged in court Thursday.
LAPD Officer Ruben Palomares, 31, and four other men allegedly bought the 10 kilograms of cocaine as part of a more ambitious scheme to steal 50 kilograms from the drug supplier in the future, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Randy Jones.
"This was a prelude to a larger drug rip-off," Jones said.
The allegations against Palomares remain unproved, but the hearing Thursday represented the latest in a growing series of criminal charges against members of the LAPD, many of them, including Palomares, connected to the department's Rampart Division. Palomares' lawyer accused prosecutors of invoking Rampart to smear the officer, and other defense attorneys at Thursday's hearing said prosecution characterizations of their clients were inaccurate as well.
Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks declined to comment on the charges against the officer and on any connection they might have to the LAPD's own investigation of him.
In court, the prosecutor said Palomares attempted to use his LAPD badge to talk his way out of the alleged crime when he was arrested June 8 in Chula Vista.
"He said he was an LAPD officer on an undercover operation," Jones said. Palomares later recanted, admitting he was not on duty, the prosecutor said. The officer then said it was the first time he had been involved in a drug transaction, Jones alleged.
Prosecutors contend otherwise.
At a hearing in federal court in which Jones successfully argued that Palomares should be held without bail, he said the officer provided half of the $130,000 to buy the 10 kilos of cocaine.
During a consensual search of Palomares' Diamond Bar home, agents seized 13 firearms--including six unregistered semiautomatic assault rifles, 150 boxes of ammunition, and a money counting machine, which Jones said were common tools of drug traffickers. Agents also found a statue near Palomares' swimming pool that was equipped with a secret compartment, Jones said. The statue's compartment was empty, the prosecutor said.
According to Jones, Palomares used informants whom he encountered during his job as a police officer to identify drug dealers. Then, Jones alleged, Palomares would rob the dealers of their drugs and money.
