Indianapolis Police Officer Sentenced on Drug and Firearms Charges

Department of Justice ^ | July 9, 2009 | United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Indiana

[Larry381]

NDIANAPOLIS, IN—James Davis, 34, Indianapolis, Indiana was sentenced to 120 months in prison today by U.S. District Judge Larry J. McKinney following his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms of marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Timothy M. Morrison, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD).

Robert B. Long, Jason P. Edwards, and James Davis were all members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. On June 11, 2008, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleged that between March and June, 2008, the three men used their official positions to divert marijuana and cash proceeds of marijuana trafficking to their own use, at times using fictitious search warrants to gain access to private property and at other times just breaking in.

Also sentenced today was Kabec Higgins, a civilian acquaintance and operator of a local business, Ear Candy Muzik. He distributed marijuana for the three officers. Higgins pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms of marijuana. U.S. District Judge Larry J. McKinney sentenced Higgins to 15 months in prison.

Long and Edwards were convicted of drug trafficking at a trial held earlier this summer and await sentencing. Davis and Higgins testified for the government in that trial.

According to Assistant U. S. Attorneys Josh Minkler and Joe H. Vaughn, who prosecuted these cases for the government, Judge McKinney also imposed 3 years supervised release following Davis’ release from imprisonment, and 3 years supervised release following Higgins’ release from imprisonment.