01-31-2014, 04:44 AM
Posted on Thursday, 01.30.14
emailprintcommentreprints
Convicted Miami police officer gets seven years in prison
BY JAY WEAVER
JWEAVER@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Vital Frederick, a young Miami cop convicted of pocketing bribes, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on Thursday.
At trial in October, Frederick never disputed the undercover evidence revealing he accepted dirty money from two fellow police officers working with the FBI in a pair of sting operations.
But Frederick, 27, testified his colleagues threatened that unless he took the cash they would expose his “secret” — that he was gay and had a 10-year relationship with a boyfriend from high school.
Frederick's surprise defense did not convince a Miami federal jury, which found him guilty on four charges of extortion and three of stealing identification records for tax-refund scams.
U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore found that Frederick perjured himself on the witness stand before sentencing him to 81 months.
Frederick’s case, defended by lawyer Stuart Adelstein, was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys Robin Waugh and Michael Davis.
Frederick is one of a dozen Miami cops who were convicted, fired or resigned over the past year as a result of the crackdown on protection rackets and ID scams run out of the North District station in Liberty City.
The two officers who flipped on Frederick, Nathaniel Dauphin and Malinsky Bazile, have been convicted as well. Dauphin, who pleaded guilty, got a probationary sentence with no jail time; Bazile, found guilty at trial, is awaiting sentence in February.
READ MORE MIAMI-DADE STORIES FROM THE MIAMI HERALD
Grassroots efforts seek to reverse brain drain in South Florida
Miami Beach’s Club Madonna faces closure over non-payment of resort taxes
Get the Miami Herald Afternoon Update
VIA EMAIL
Join the
DISCUSSION
The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.
Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/30/3 ... rylink=cpy (http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/30/3903541/convicted-miami-police-officer.html#storylink=cpy)
emailprintcommentreprints
Convicted Miami police officer gets seven years in prison
BY JAY WEAVER
JWEAVER@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Vital Frederick, a young Miami cop convicted of pocketing bribes, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on Thursday.
At trial in October, Frederick never disputed the undercover evidence revealing he accepted dirty money from two fellow police officers working with the FBI in a pair of sting operations.
But Frederick, 27, testified his colleagues threatened that unless he took the cash they would expose his “secret” — that he was gay and had a 10-year relationship with a boyfriend from high school.
Frederick's surprise defense did not convince a Miami federal jury, which found him guilty on four charges of extortion and three of stealing identification records for tax-refund scams.
U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore found that Frederick perjured himself on the witness stand before sentencing him to 81 months.
Frederick’s case, defended by lawyer Stuart Adelstein, was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys Robin Waugh and Michael Davis.
Frederick is one of a dozen Miami cops who were convicted, fired or resigned over the past year as a result of the crackdown on protection rackets and ID scams run out of the North District station in Liberty City.
The two officers who flipped on Frederick, Nathaniel Dauphin and Malinsky Bazile, have been convicted as well. Dauphin, who pleaded guilty, got a probationary sentence with no jail time; Bazile, found guilty at trial, is awaiting sentence in February.
READ MORE MIAMI-DADE STORIES FROM THE MIAMI HERALD
Grassroots efforts seek to reverse brain drain in South Florida
Miami Beach’s Club Madonna faces closure over non-payment of resort taxes
Get the Miami Herald Afternoon Update
VIA EMAIL
Join the
DISCUSSION
The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.
Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/30/3 ... rylink=cpy (http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/30/3903541/convicted-miami-police-officer.html#storylink=cpy)