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Ex-cop Richards surrenders
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Posted on Jan 26 2014
Former police officer Florencio Q. Richards surrendered to the U.S. Marshal Service on Friday afternoon after learning of an arrest warrant the federal court issued against him.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona issued the arrest warrant on Thursday after the U.S. Probation Office moved to revoke Richards’ supervised release for allegedly using methamphetamine or “ice” again and committing other violations of the terms and conditions of his probation.
At 4:15pm on Friday, attorney Michael Evangelista was seen at federal court waiting for the surrender of his client, Richards.
Richards shortly came and was served with the arrest warrant. He remains in jail until a hearing for today, Monday, in federal court.
Richards has been on three years of supervised probation since Feb. 20, 2013, after serving a 12-month prison term for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine or “ice,” distribution of “ice,” and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to U.S. Probation Officer Margarita Wonenberg, Richards used “ice” on Dec. 30, 2013, failed to report to a probation officer, failed to follow the instructions of the probation officer, and failed to participate in a substance abuse treatment program.
Wonenberg said Richards tested presumptive positive for “ice” during a random drug test on Dec. 31, 2013, and, when confronted about the results, admitted using the drug a day before.
The probation officer noted that this was Richards’ fourth positive drug test within a one-year period.
In August 2011, the federal court imposed a 24-month prison term on Richards for distributing “ice” when he was still an active officer.
