SUNRISE — Police in this suburban town best known for its sprawling outlet mall have hit upon a surefire way to make millions. They sell cocaine.
. . . police seized nearly $3 million in cash plus scores of vehicles, phones
and other items, the Sun Sentinel determined. Yet, of the convictions
prosecutors secured, only two led to the 15-year mandatory minimum
sentence for cocaine trafficking in Florida.
“It’s always hard to deal with cases where the police are posing as
drug sellers instead of drug buyers,” said Gallagher, the top prosecutor
in the drug trafficking unit. “They’re legally allowed to do it. But
jurors have a hard time grasping it.”
Most buyers were men: young guys in their 20s, middle-aged men, a couple approaching Medicare eligibility.
The overwhelming majority were Hispanic.
