Fla. officer found guilty in cocaine case

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MIAMI, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Three men in Miami-Dade, including a police officer and a firefighter, were found guilty of transporting cocaine for a man they believed was a club manager.

Firefighter Henry L. Bryant, Officer Daniel Mack and co-defendant Octavius McLendon were each found guilty of conspiring to possess and distribute multiple kilos of cocaine and using a firearm to protect the shipments, The Miami Herald reported.

Prosecutors said the defendants were paid $25,000 by the undercover FBI agent at Club Dolce to transport the drugs, which were fake but the defendants believed were real, from Miami Beach to Aventura.

The investigation into the three began when FBI agents recorded five code officers, including Bryant, accepting bribes in exchange for favorable inspections and lenient treatment.

Then, in December, an agent posing as Dolce's manager said Bryant asked if he "needed help with anything else."

The agent said he needed "protection for the transportation of drugs from the nightclub," which is stated in a recording of their conversation.

That led to two "sham" cocaine runs from South Beach to Aventura, the indictment against the defendants state.

Bryant, Mack and McLendon now face up to life in prison. Their sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19.