Former Hialeah Gardens Detective Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison in Drug Conspiracy Case

Ex-cop sentenced to 151 months behind bars in marijuana conspiracy case

A former Hialeah Gardens police detective who was found guilty of drug-related charges in May was sentenced to 151 months in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Thursday.

Lawrence Perez was sentenced Wednesday in federal court after being found guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana plants and marijuana and attempting to possess with the intent to distribute over 100 marijuana plants.

According to prosecutors, in March 2010, Perez and others planned to steal 10 pounds of marijuana by having Perez do a traffic stop and take the drugs from a person who was trying to sell it. The marijuana was taken and sold with the proceeds distributed among Perez and his conspirators.

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During another traffic stop in May 2010, 14 pounds of marijuana were stolen by Perez and his accomplices, prosecutors said. 

In July 2010, they met and made plans to invade a marijuana grow operation inside a warehouse, but authorities found out about the plan and seized 629 plants and 15 kilograms of packed marijuana, prosecutors said.

Evidence showed Perez used information he had access to as a law enforcement officer to aid and protect his co-conspirators. On one occasion he warned one of his co-conspirators that he was being investigated and should be careful, prosecutors said.

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