A DeKalb County Police officer was arrested Friday on accusations he helped a ring of methamphetamine dealers, serving as a lookout and offering police information, authorities said.
William Miguel, an 11-year veteran, is charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and was taken into custody Friday morning by DEA agents and Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office investigators as he came to work, DeKalb Police Chief Cedric Alexander said.
Miguel, 44, was funneling vital police information to the head of a drug organization regarding arrests made in DeKalb County, among other things, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“The indications are that, at least partially, his involvement was to use his contacts and the fact that he was in law enforcement to get information about cases related to the drug organization,” Porter said.
An ongoing investigation of meth trafficking produced a number of arrests over recent months, prosecutors said.
“The head of the organization would get Miguel to look into the investigation,” Porter said. “We believe that (Miguel) also provided some security and counter surveillance for drug trafficking operations.”
Alexander said, although federal and Gwinnett County authorities have brought charges, Miguel, a part of the department’s gang unit, was likely involved in illegal activity elsewhere in the area.
“We suspect the involvement he has had has been pretty much metrowide,” Alexander told reporters Friday afternoon.
The chief said the revelations of an officer’s alleged criminal behavior shouldn’t leave a bad mark on the entire department, however.
“This is one individual’s decision to go above the law,” Alexander said. “Yes, it is embarrassing to us. It’s very disappointing. But we’re not going to let it taint us.”
Alexander said an internal investigation continues in addition to ongoing investigations in Gwinnett and with federal authorities. Miguel, who is being held at the DeKalb County Detention Center, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
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