Written by:
David Abel
November 20, 2007
A suspended Boston police officer pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to distributing steroids, committing perjury, and obstructing justice in a federal grand jury probe of police corruption, prosecutors said.
more stories like thisEdgardo Rodriguez, 38, of Hyde Park pleaded guilty to a six-count indictment that charged him with conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, distribution of anabolic steroids, three counts of perjury before a federal grand jury, and obstruction of justice, prosecutors said.
"The response to false testimony by a police officer should be swift and unequivocal," US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan said in a written statement. "There is no place in our system of justice for a law enforcement officer to lie to a grand jury, or to take any other action to obstruct the investigation of vitally important matters."
Philip A. Tracy Jr., a Boston lawyer representing Rodriguez, said he hopes to persuade the court to give his client a lenient sentence.
"He's accepting responsibility for his mistakes and misjudgments, but he is in no way connected or in any way approaches the level of concern of those other officers," Tracy said in a telephone interview.
"We will present a positive background and a strong family history," he said.
Between February and June 2006, Rodriguez conspired with former Boston police officer Roberto Pulido to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, which are a controlled substance under federal law, prosecutors said.
They said investigators intercepted Pulido's phone calls with Rodriguez and others.
In 2003, Rodriguez distributed steroids to another officer, who returned the steroids to him, prosecutors said.
On Oct. 5, 2006, after the arrests of Pulido and former officers Nelson Carrasquillo and Carlos Pizarro, Rodriguez appeared before a federal grand jury investigating police corruption.
In his testimony, Rodriguez made false statements under oath about steroid use and distribution by other officers, prosecutors said.
Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on each of the conspiracy, distribution, and three perjury charges.
He faces 10 years in prison on the charge of obstruction of justice.
All of the counts carry a maximum three-year term of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Prosecutors said there was no plea agreement.
Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 12.
