The Orlando Sentinel reports that a Florida cop is going to jail for 12 years and 6 months for planting drugs at 3 traffic stops. Zachary Wester, 28, was convicted in May of the crimes while working for the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. Though only three cases came before the court, prosecutors were forced to drop charges in 112.
During [one victim's] arrest, Wester was seen on bodycam footage carrying a baggie to her truck.
"You've got to wonder, when the defendant was making these stops," lead state attorney Tom Williams said at trial, "is it going through his head: 'Is anybody going to believe this person over me?'"
A total of 19 convictions ranging from racketeering to possession of drug paraphernalia. He was nailed by his own bodycam footage; The Tallahassee Democrat has detailed coverage of the trial.
