TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Federal investigators say a Florida sheriff’s deputy helped drug dealers avoid law enforcement, in part by using his K-9 to see if drugs could be detected in a vehicle.
Federal prosecutors in Tallahassee announced Friday that Gadsden County sheriff’s deputy Joseph Barnes is charged with aiding the offense of possession with intent to distribute drugs.
Barnes’ cell phone number was found in the records of people recently charged in a drug investigation. One suspect agreed to be an informant. According to an affidavit, the informant asked Barnes to search a vehicle for hidden tracking devices. Barnes did so.
On another occasion, the informant asked Barnes to use his K-9 to see if drugs could be detected on his vehicle. The dog alerted on the vehicle, but Barnes made no arrest.
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