Pubdate: Fri, 26 Aug 2005
Source: Advocate, The (LA)
Copyright: 2005 The Advocate, Capital City Press
Contact: http://www.2theadvocate.com/help/letter2editor.shtml
Website: http://www.theadvocate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2
Author: Joe Gyan Jr.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

LUTCHER POLICE CHIEF INDICTED IN DRUG CASE

NEW ORLEANS -- A federal grand jury accused Lutcher Police Chief Corey
Pittman on Thursday of selling crack cocaine, once in June and twice
this month, to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration operative.

The three-count indictment came eight days after Pittman's arrest and
13 days after he allegedly sold crack to the DEA operative for $900.
That alleged sale occurred Aug. 12 at an Airline Highway truck stop in
Reserve and was monitored by video, audio and physical surveillance,
federal authorities said.

Pittman also is accused of selling crack to the undercover operative
on June 24 and Aug. 8. Those alleged sales too were monitored by
video, audio and physical surveillance, authorities said. The June
sale, for $1,900, allegedly took place in front of the Garyville/Mt.
Airey Magnet School on La. 54, federal prosecutors said.

A criminal complaint filed in federal district court in New Orleans
the day before the 29-year-old Pittman was arrested accused the police
chief of the June 24, Aug. 8 and Aug. 12 crack sales, and with selling
cocaine powder on June 9 and the prescription pain killer hydrocodone
on Aug. 8.

The four-page indictment does not mention the alleged sales of cocaine
powder or hydrocodone.

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten of New Orleans said those sales were omitted
from the indictment because the crack cocaine sales are the
most-serious charges and carry the stiffest penalties upon conviction.

"The crack has all the horsepower," Letten said of the charges
contained in the bare-bones indictment.

Pittman allegedly sold cocaine powder to the DEA operative for $400 on
June 9 at a construction site on North Nobel Street in Lutcher,
according to the criminal complaint, and crack cocaine and 40 tablets
of hydrocodone to the operative for $2,000 on Aug. 8 at the Airline
Highway truck stop in Reserve. The tablets were contained in a
prescription bottle with Pittman's name on it, the complaint said.

Pittman, who is being represented by the federal public defender's
office in New Orleans, is being held in federal custody. A federal
magistrate ordered him held without bond on Aug. 19.

The grand jury in New Orleans indicted Pittman on three counts of
distributing five or more grams of cocaine base, or crack cocaine. If
convicted, he faces five to 40 years in prison on each count and a
fine of up to $2 million, Letten said.

The indictment also puts Pittman on notice that the government seeks
to have him forfeit "any and all property constituting or derived from
any proceeds the defendant obtained directly or indirectly as a result
of the said violation" and "any and all property used or intended to
be used in any manner or part to commit and to facilitate the
commission of the violations alleged."

Letten said Pittman should make his first post-indictment court
appearance next week.

Pittman was elected Lutcher's first black police chief in October
2002. He started that job in January 2003. He was a Lutcher police
officer before running for the chief's post.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin