WTHR |Three IMPD officers charged in marijuana trafficking

Three IMPD officers charged in marijuana trafficking

Steve Jefferson/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - The FBI arrested three Indianapolis Metropolitan police officers along with a fourth man. The officers are part of an indictment for alleged drug trafficking.

The federal investigation involves officers whom federal investigators say took part in a marijuana drug ring. The three officers are at the Marion County jail on a federal hold.

In the last 24 hours, federal agents arrested 33-year-old James Davis, 37-year-old Jason Edwards and 34-year-old Robert Long. All of them face federal drug trafficking charges.

An indictment unsealed Tuesday morning names Long, Edwards and Davis. It describes Long as a narcotics detective and the leader of a conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute. It says Long illegally seized marijuana and tipped a fourth defendant about police investigations.

"This conduct can not be tolerated," said U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison, who said the officers were caught through surveillance, undercover operations and the interception of telephone communications.

Edwards is accused of illegally seizing marijuana and money, and the indictment says Davis illegally entered apartments and to steal marijuana and money.

This is not the first legal trouble for Officer Jason Edwards. He got in trouble after prosecutors charged him for allegedly stealing and cashing a money order taken in a drug raid. Metro Police Chief Michael Spears had already suspended Edwards in that case pending the outcome of his criminal investigation. Spears says he is "disgusted" by the conduct of the officers.

"As far as I'm concerned, they are criminals," he said.

"It is just so striking to me that we're gonna hear some news today about some officers accused of something in the federal court that is not going to reflect well on the IMPD. In a sense it won't reflect well. In another sense it will reflect that our process, our system, our commitment to quality and to the mission works," said Scott Newman, the city's public safety director, at an awards conference Tuesday.

The indictment said the officers talked in code by telephone and that Long tipped a fourth defendant named in the indictment, Kabec Higgins, about police plans to search his business, Ear Candy Music.

Long also seized a FedEx parcel containing up to 13 pounds of marijuana, the indictment states. About eight pounds were removed and sold for $4,000. Long then turned in nearly five pounds from the parcel to a police narcotics vault to cover up the missing portion.

The court document also says Long and Davis entered an apartment looking for marijuana, and the three officers took five pounds of the drug and $18,300 from a home during a June 4 break-in.

After that break-in, Davis "wiped the interior door handle and lock with his gloves in an attempt to clean off any fingerprints," the indictment states.

It also states that Long and Davis illegally seized $20,000 from a person they thought was selling marijuana in March. Davis also is accused of "illegally stopping cars" to seize money.

Dajuan Nelson claims when he was robbed twice late last year, it was police officers who did it.

"They ran in and kicked me in the face," Nelson said. "They took jewelry, money orders, Playstation 3's."

Nelson said the robberies happened December 5 and again December 8. He agreed to talk to Eyewitness News after seeing a news report about the arrested officers. He insists that while the case against the officers involves suspected drug dealers, he's not in that category.

The three officers face counts alleging drug trafficking and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. As they made their initial appearance in federal court Tuesday, their bosses were already starting the process to end their jobs as police officers.

"We are in the process of doing the paperwork to recommend discharge of these officers to the merit board," Spears said.

A detention hearing is set for Monday at 1:00 pm at the Federal Courthouse. A federal trial is scheduled for July 28th. 

Read the indictment