DETROIT (WWJ) -- A former Detroit police officer will serve 18 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute drugs.
Christopher Staton, who was convicted last September of being part of a drug trafficking organization, learned his sentence Wednesday for his involvement in the case.
Authorities say the 52-year-old Staton conspired with two known drug dealers, Meltwaine Dukes and Sedrick Jackson, to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. An investigation found that Staton used his position on the Detroit Police Department to assist the drug trafficking organization by running license plates and providing other sensitive law enforcement information.
In one instance, officials say Staton jumped in after one of the organization's drug couriers was pulled over by a police officer while trying to deliver nearly one kilogram of fentanyl. Staton provided advice to Dukes about how to handle the situation and agreed to find out whether the offender had actually been arrested, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider's office.
On another occasion, Staton, at the request of Dukes, conducted a staged traffic stop of Jackson, who was transporting drugs or drug proceeds, in order to fool their drug supplier to think that police had taken the drugs / money. Staton was in a police vehicle and armed with a firearm at the time of the stop, the attorney's office said. Staton was paid $20,000 in cash for performing the staged traffic stop and fake arrest.
In addition to using his position as a police officer to assist Dukes and Jackson in running the drug business, Staton was also a drug customer—purchasing drugs from Dukes for re-sale.
“Although the vast majority of police officers in Michigan are fully dedicated to protecting the public, sometimes there is an infrequent example of an officer driven by corruption and greed,” Schneider said in a written statement. “Here, instead of protecting and serving the public, Staton acted at the behest of the drug dealers peddling fentanyl. Nonetheless, former Officer Staton’s actions, while egregious, do not overshadow the outstanding work of so many other great police officers.”
Keith Martin, special agent in charge with the Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, says Staton turned his back on his oath to serve and protect the citizens of Detroit.
“He used his position to make it easier for drug traffickers to push controlled substances into our community and now faces justice for his greed. I applaud our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern Michigan for their efforts in this investigation," Martin said.
“The conduct of former Detroit Police Officer Christopher Staton is reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono. “The City of Detroit has long been ravaged by the impact of the drug trade, and Staton served his own agenda by profiting off the very criminal activity his former department is working to eradicate. Unlike Staton, the men and women of the Detroit Police Department are dedicated servants to the community whose reputations should not be tarnished by the outrageous conduct of this one police officer.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, in collaboration with the Detroit Police Department’s Office of Internal Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Cares and Mitra Jafary-Hariri.