Deputy Standric Choice & Two Others Charged with Stealing Cocaine

DALLAS

Standric Choice, a Dallas Sheriff's Deputy, Terry Kemone Anderson and Charlie Lee Hill were arrested Friday afternoon on federal drug charges outlined in a criminal complaint that was filed late Friday evening, announced James T. Jacks, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. The three defendants will make their initial appearance this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney in U.S. District Court in Dallas. The government plans to ask the Court to detain all three defendants.

The complaint charges Anderson, 29, Hill, 31, and Choice, 36, with knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, and knowingly and intentionally conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute in excess of five hundred grams of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section(s) 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)B). The maximum statutory penalty for this offense is 80 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to the complaint, on January 7, 2009, agents of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA) group received information from a reliable Confidential Informant (CI) that a Dallas County Sheriff's Officer, DSO Standric Choice, was involved with an individual, Charles Lee Hill, believed to be his brother-in-law, in distributing narcotics. A meeting was held with the CI in which the CI described a narcotics transaction he referred to as "trading licks" (stealing narcotics from the drug supplier). After meeting with the CI, agents advised the CI to arrange a meeting with Hill and the DSO to finalize plans for a drug deal.

The CI and Hill finalized details of the proposed drug deal at a meeting the following day. At that meeting, the CI told Hill that he was a narcotics distributor. The CI and his cocaine source planned to meet at the TA Truck Stop/Burger King on I-20 and Bonnie View Road in Dallas to complete a four kilogram cocaine transaction. Hill agreed that after he saw the CI and his supplier (an undercover agent) meet, he would call DSO Choice. They planned that Choice would drive into the parking lot to investigate the car, and that upon finding the four kilograms of cocaine, DSO Choice would arrest the CI and release the undercover agent. Choice would then take the four kilograms and the CI to a second predetermined location where Hill would be waiting and release the CI. The CI would meet with Hill and the two (the CI and Hill) would split the drugs stolen from the drug supplier (the undercover agent).

On January 9, 2009, surveillance revealed that a single DSO squad car, identification number SE 419, pulled into TA Truck Stop/Burger King at 7751 Bonnie View Road at I-20 and Bonnie View Road and pulled in behind the undercover agent's and CI's vehicle and turned on the overhead emergency lights. Deputy Choice exited the squad car and approached the CI and undercover agent. Deputy Choice asked the undercover agent a few questions and told him to leave and then placed the CI into custody. After securing the CI in the backseat, Deputy Choice retrieved a duffle bag containing four kilograms of cocaine from the vehicle and placed it in the trunk of his squad car.

Deputy Choice then left the truck stop and drove southbound on Bonnie View Road. Through surveillance, a gray Nissan Pathfinder, occupied by Charlie Lee Hill and Terry Kemone Anderson, and the DSO squad car were seen together in a deserted area on Cleveland Road just west of Bonnie View Road. The vehicles were then observed traveling northbound on Bonnie View Road. The DSO vehicle was then followed until it arrived at the Dallas Sheriff's Department, 133 North Industrial, in Dallas. Choice was then taken into custody.

The Nissan Pathfinder was observed re-entering the TA Truck stop where the vehicle stopped briefly, and the CI exited the vehicle. Two kilograms of cocaine were then retrieved from the CI. The Nissan Pathfinder left the TA Truck Stop and traveled northbound on Bonnie View Road where Desoto Police Department tactical operators conducted a felony car stop, and Hill and Anderson were arrested. Two kilograms of cocaine were retrieved by the Irving Police Department from the front passenger seat floor board.

While stating that the investigation is ongoing, acting U.S. Attorney Jacks praised the cooperative investigative efforts of the North Texas HIDTA, FBI, IRS-CI, the Irving Police Department and the Desoto Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting the case.

More information: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6207395.html