Two police officers in Memphis, Tennessee thought they could get rich from stealing money and drugs from suspected drug dealers during traffic stops, but the joke was on them because the corrupt officers were really robbing an undercover cop.
The officers even agreed to escort a large shipment of heroin across the city of Memphis for $9,000.
Fox 13 Memphis reports that officers Kevin Coleman and Terrion Bryson of the Memphis Police Department are charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, deliver, and sell — along with criminal attempt felony and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
In February, the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit received information that Coleman and Bryson were stealing money and drugs from undercover officers.
On April 5, Bryson began contacting an undercover officer about protecting a shipment of drugs that would be brought into Memphis, according to the affidavit. Bryson and Coleman thought the undercover officer was a real drug dealer.
The officers told the undercover officer they wanted $9,000 to offer security for the shipment of narcotics. They then agreed to protect 2.5 kilograms of heroin. Coleman was even brazen enough to threaten physical harm to the undercover officer’s family if the arrangement was a setup. The officers agreed get $4,000 when the heroin actually arrived in Memphis, from there they would protect the drugs from being seized and they’d get the other $5,000, according to the affidavit.
On April 12, $4,000 was put into a vehicle in the parking lot of a Walmart in Memphis. Bryson came to the location, went into the vehicle and took the money as payment to protect the heroin, according to the affidavit.
Later that day, Bryson and Coleman, who were on duty and driving a Memphis Police Department vehicle met the undercover officer, who had the shipment of heroin. The two escorted the shipment to a storage unit, where they were given another $5,000, according to the affidavit.
The two officers left and went to a police meeting where they were arrested in the middle of the meeting. During the arrests, Bryson and Coleman waived their Miranda rights and admitted to their role in the conspiracy.
“We don’t care what your profession is, and we don’t care who you are. If you break the law and you’re involved in illegal activity, we’re going to stop you, this is a perfect example of great police work. We recognized that two of our own were possibly involved with criminal activity and we investigated” MPD Director Mike Rallings said.
Arresting officers recovered $5,020 from Bryson’s vehicle. Bryson and Coleman have been relieved of duty pending this investigation. Bryson has been on the force since August 2015. Coleman started with the department in June 2012.
Recently another Tennessee cop was sentenced to prison for robbing drug dealers.
