MIAMI, March 26 (UPI) -- A former Miami police sergeant has been sentenced to four years in prison for planting drugs on suspects, stealing from dealers and lying to investigators.
Raul Iglesias, 40, must also spend three years on supervised probation, The Miami Herald reported. He received the sentence Friday and is scheduled to surrender to federal authorities April 26.
Iglesias was convicted in January of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice. A co-defendant, Roberto Asanza, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge and testified for the prosecution.
A former Marine, Iglesias headed a crime suppression team. In a letter asking for a lengthy sentence, federal prosecutors said he used his subordinates as "pawns."
Rick Diaz, Iglesias' lawyer, argued his client has been punished by the loss of his job and the humiliation of trial and conviction, and said he "really poses no threat to the public."
