DETROIT – A Detroit police officer will spend 18 years in prison for his role in assisting members of a drug smuggling ring.
Christopher Staton, 52, a 19-year veteran of the force, was convicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances last year.
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According to officials, he conspired with known drug dealers, Meltwaine Dukes and Sedrick Jackson, to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
Staton would run license plates for the drug dealers and provide them with other law enforcement information, officials said.
One time, a drug courier got pulled over, so Staton told Dukes how to handle the situation and said he would figure out if the courier was really arrested, officials said.
Another time, Staton conducted a staged traffic stop of Jackson, who was transporting drugs and money, in order to fool their drug supplier into thinking police took the drugs and money because Dukes asked him to. Officials said Staton was in a police vehicle and had a gun at the time.
Staton was given $20,000 for the stop and fake arrest.
Officials said Staton would also purchase drugs from Dukes and resell them.
“Christopher Staton turned his back on his oath to serve and protect the citizens of Detroit. He used his position to make it easier for drug traffickers to push controlled substances into our community and now faces justice for his greed,” said Keith Martin, Drug Enforcement Agency special agent in charge.