Cops charged with stealing, dealing heroin

IT STARTED OUT as an everyday drug sting.

An undercover DEA agent had infiltrated a network of heroin dealers on the hardscrabble streets of North Philadelphia.

His investigation soon took a stunning turn.

Suddenly, he wasn't just taking down drug peddlers. He was negotiating with three men in blue.

The three baby-faced Philly cops thought that the undercover agent was a drug dealer and money launderer. The greedy cops allegedly helped steal 300 grams of heroin, with a street value of more than $100,000, and gave it to an undercover agent to sell.Yesterday, the three cops - Mark Williams, 26, and James Venziale, 31, of the 39th District, and Robert Snyder, 29, of the 25th District - were arrested in connection with a joint federal-local probe that unfolded like an episode of the FX police-corruption series, The Shield.

"I'm personally pissed off about this kind of behavior," Mayor Nutter said. "[These cops] are nothing more than the criminals that they've been associated with. We employ high-integrity, high-minded, hardworking individuals to be members of the Police Department. We do not employ criminals. That's what they are. That's how they'll be treated."

Last night, the three cops remained locked up at the Federal Detention Center at 7th and Arch streets, and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that the officers will be fired.

"But that's going to be the least of their worries, because they're gonna do some serious time as a result of this," Ramsey said. "All three officers did more than just disgrace their badge and betray the trust. They committed very, very serious crimes, and for that they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

The DEA alerted the FBI and Police Internal Affairs to the alleged crimes of the officers, and the agencies worked together to make the arrests.

"Corruption of any type obviously erodes the public trust," said Rafael J. Garcia, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia office. "Police corruption is, of course, even more corrosive."

The case against the officers began three months ago when two reputed heroin dealers, Zachary Young, 51, and Angel "Fat Boy" Ortiz, 24, hatched a plan with the undercover DEA agent to steal 300 grams of heroin from a drug supplier named Miguel Santiago, 39. The scheme called for the three cops to use their badge and uniform to help them.