DALLAS, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A former Dallas police detective was acquitted Tuesday on charges he falsified reports and lied about innocent Mexican immigrants arrested with fake drugs.
Mark Delapaz was the only policeman charged in the fake-drug scandal that eventually led to the dismissal of more than 80 narcotics cases. The arrests were based on the work of three informants who planted billiard chalk on the innocent victims.
Delapaz faced federal charges of falsifying reports and lying to prosecutors and the FBI in the 2001 arrests. He made no comment following the verdict but his attorney said he was made a scapegoat by the system.
Federal prosecutors had no immediate comment.
One of the innocent Mexican immigrants who spent three months in jail told The Dallas Morning News they were again victims.
"Once again, they played us for fools. He (Delapaz) was found innocent, even if he is really guilty, because he was a policeman. They step on us because we are Mexicans," said Erubiel Cruz, whose case was eventually dismissed.
