LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICER INDICTED ON DRUG CHARGES

(Los Angeles)--A Long Beach police patrol officer who was arrested two
weeks ago on suspicion of stealing sixkilograms of cocaine from an
undercover agent he believed to be a drug dealer was indicted Friday
by a federal grand jury.

Besides the cocaine theft, the indictment charges Officer Julio A.
Alcaraz, 36, with stealing 200 pounds of marijuana from a drug dealer
last March, and with planning two other drug thefts--including one
that involved a home invasion robbery.

Alcaraz, who has been suspended from his job, is scheduled to be
arraigned Monday along with a co-defendant, Ismael Rodriguez, 35, of
Compton. The charges are conspiracy, possessing cocaine intended for
sale and carrying a gun during a drug trafficking crime.

If convicted on all charges, they face a minimum 40 years in prison.