Cops charged with extortion

SAN JUAN (AP):

Two former police officers have been charged with trying to extort $50,000 from a suspected drug dealer in exchange for help in getting his case dismissed, authorities said on Tuesday.

One officer, 30-year-old Abimael Arroyo Cruz, is accused of misidentifying the suspect in court to force prosecutors to drop the case. The other, 36-year-old Josue Becerril Ramos, is accused of not showing up at court to testify and of not giving a prosecutor the documents needed to validate a search warrant, according to the indictment.

Both officers are free on $25,000 bond each, although United States attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said federal prosecutors are seeking to revoke the bond. Police Special Assistant Ricardo Martinez said the officers have been suspended without pay.

It's the first time police officers in Puerto Rico have faced these types of charges, but Rodriguez said she believes there may be similar cases that have not yet been investigated.

"I think it's a small number," she said. "If you have 17,000 police officers, it's to be expected. It's unfortunate, but I don't think it's unusual,"said Rodriguez.