Story Published:
Sep 23, 2009 at 8:17 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Sep 23, 2009 at 8:17 PM PDT
A former Huntington Park police sergeant was sentenced Monday to 15 years in federal prison for ripping off drug dealers and selling the stolen drugs to other dealers.
Alvaro Murillo, 45, of West Covina, was convicted in May in U.S. District Court of four of five charges of drug conspiracy, extortion and tax evasion. He was acquitted of one count of extortion.
Before imposing sentence, U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson had harsh words for Murillo, who sat with his hands clenched and declined an opportunity to address the court.
“Here was a police officer who abdicated his responsibility totally and engaged in drug trafficking with his own informants in such a blatant way that in some ways the court had to take a step back and reflect on whether this could be happening,” Wilson said.
“It almost seemed like one of those TV cop shows come to life,” the judge said. “It all seems so inexplicable.”
During trial, witnesses testified that Murillo recruited confidential police informants to set up buys of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine from traffickers. Once the drugs were delivered, frequently to a hotel in Downey, Murillo’s associates stole the contraband and later sold it.
Evidence included secretly recorded video and audiotapes showing Murillo planning drug heists, along with testimony from several admitted participants in the three-year conspiracy.
Wilson said Murillo not only “corrupted society by adding to the drug predicament the country currently faces — he corrupted his office.”
“This is not only a stain on him, it’s a stain on his police department,” the judge said.
Murillo testified in his own defense during the weeklong trial, insisting he was only playing the role of a corrupt cop in order to find out what his informants were up to. Asked if he had anything to do with actual drug crimes, he repeatedly responded “Absolutely not.”
Wilson said he took into consideration while determining the sentence that Murillo had repeatedly lied on the stand.
“I tried to find some truth — but what he was saying made no sense,” Wilson said.
The investigation began when one of Murillo’s informants, Josefina Calixto Oroteza, went to federal agents in May 2006 to tell them that Murillo was running a scheme — in which she was involved — to steal and sell drugs.
The woman told the six-man, six-woman jury panel that she had taken part in at least six drug stings with Murillo.
Another co-conspirator, Alberto Del Real-Gallardo, testified that although he was paid modestly by the Huntington Park Police Department for his help in legitimate drug investigations, the money from the rip-offs was considerable.
“We would steal the drugs, sell them, and that’s how we would pay ourselves,” Real-Gallardo testified.
Real-Gallardo, who is serving a federal prison term for his part in the conspiracy, said Murillo was known among the group as “The Godfather.”
Along with prison time, Wilson sentenced Murillo to five years supervised release after he is freed custody. The ex-officer was given three weeks to surrender to authorities.
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