Pubdate: Thu,  8 Aug 2002
Source: San Antonio Express-News (TX)
Copyright: 2002 San Antonio Express-News
Contact:  http://www.mysanantonio.com/expressnews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/384
Author: Maro Robbins
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

FORMER SERGEANT SENTENCED TO 11 YEARS IN PRISON

A former San Antonio police sergeant who offered himself and his comrades as
guns for hire and wound up as a central figure in an FBI search for crooked
cops was sentenced today to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Conrad Fragozo Jr., who had been labeled as a ringleader in a scheme to
protect cocaine shipments, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in
prison and fined $5,000. He had pleaded guilty in February to a charge of
conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine in a plea deal that had capped
his sentence at 20 years.

Fragozo, 37, was accused of recruiting other law officers and his uncle,
Edward Fragozo, a civilian, to protect what they believed were carloads of
cocaine. It was actually bricks of drywall supplied by federal agents posing
as drug smugglers. The group was paid in cash in exchange for escort and
protection services, officials charged.

Of the original 12 defendants, 10 entered guilty pleas and one was found
guilty at trial. Another, former sheriff's deputy Richard Rowlett "Bucky"
Buchanan, entered into an agreement known as pretrial diversion, meaning his
theft charge will be dropped if he successfully completes a year under
federal supervision.

Two of the defendants, Lawrence Busos and David Anthony Morales, still are
awaiting sentencing.
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