The U.S. attorney's office has confirmed that a former Dallas Police Department officer is being sent to prison for two-and-a-half years for allowing a nightclub king to sell cocaine in his clubs to boost profits. According to Dallas News, Eddie Vilarreal was sentenced for making a false statement to the FBI during their investigation of Alfredo Navarro Hinojosa.
Vilarreal was Hinojosa's supervisor of security. He pleaded guilty to charges in January 2018. District Judge Sam Lindsay ordered the former officer to pay a $10,000 fine. A jury convicted Hinojosa in November for a handful of charges including managing drug premises and conspiracy to manage drug premises.
WFAA reports Hinojosa is set to be sentenced in June and faces 10 years to life in prison. More than 30 people tied to this case have been convicted on multiple charges. One of those people included former Dallas police officer, Craig Woods. He also lied to the FBI about his activities in support of Hinojosa. Woods worked off-duty for Hinojosa for years and ended up receiving only three years' probation. Hinojosa grew his empire by allowing cocaine sales in his club bathrooms, drawing large crowds to his venues. WFAA says dealers were selling as many as 200 baggies of cocaine each weekend, netting them thousands of dollars.
Dallas News reports club security guards testified that Hinojosa and Rodriguez knew about the drug deals and ordered security personnel to allow it. Prosecutors had drug traffickers that were convicted in the case also testify during the trial. It was reported that the FBI had installed hidden cameras and microphones inside Hinojosa's office.
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