NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The city of New Orleans has paid out $85,000 to settle a case in which three men said they were framed by a team of rogue narcotics officers.
The settlement stems from a 2002 raid on a tire shop that resulted in the arrests of Leo Hammond, his son Gregory Hammond and Tyrone Taylor on drug charges, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Monday. The men claimed the officers planted the drugs and the charges against them were dropped in 2003. They then sued the city in a civil action.
Four detectives involved have all since had legal problems of their own, and have been fired or quit the force. The Times-Picayune said one detective tested positive for cocaine; another was caught using a stolen Social Security number to lease a Corvette; and a third was pulled over in Illinois while driving an unauthorized squad car, allegedly transporting marijuana and a woman wanted for prostitution.
The fourth detective quit during an investigation into a stolen gun found in his squad car, the newspaper said.
