Ex-Hialeah Gardens Detective Convicted Of Drug-Related Charges

Lawrence Perez will be sentenced on July 26

An ex-Hialeah Gardens police detective was found guilty of drug-related charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Monday.

Lawrence Perez was found guilty of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana plants and marijuana and attempting to possess with the intent to distribute over 100 marijuana plants.

In March 2010, he 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, prosecutors said. The marijuana was taken and sold. During another traffic stop in May 2010, 14 pounds of marijuana were stolen, 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.

Perez will be sentenced on July 26 and he faces a maximum of up to 40 years in prison.

His attorney's name wasn't immediately known.

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