ATLANTA, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Ten Atlanta-area police officers have been charged with working for a drug gang, taking payoffs in exchange for protecting the cocaine operation.
The officers were arrested Tuesday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The suspects include officers from Atlanta, Stone Mountain, DeKalb County, the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and even a contract officer with the Federal Protective Service.
U.S. Attorney Sally Yates, at a news conference announcing the arrests, said the "breadth of corruption is troubling."
"These are people they are supposed to be arresting, not taking money from," she said.
Investigators said some of the officers, caught on wiretap, appeared ready to kill to protect drug dealers. None has been charged with actual acts of violence.
The investigation began in August 2011 when agents with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives learned a street gang was using police officers for protection. The FBI took over the corruption investigation.
