EX-OFFICER SENTENCED IN COCAINE CASE

A drug task force investigator convicted of peddling cocaine was sentenced
Thursday to almost three years in prison even as the former law officer
insisted that an informant set him up.

Xavier Villarreal, 52, was affiliated with the Live Oak County Sheriff's
Department and assigned to the Central South Texas Narcotics Task Force in
George West when an informant accused him of selling cocaine in 2001.

The FBI outfitted the informant, Pearsall bondsman Lupe Morales, with a
hidden microphone and taped him twice arranging to purchase cocaine from
Villarreal, who griped about being so strapped for cash that he pawned his
pistol.

Morales was a key witness at the trial.

A jury convicted Villarreal in October despite the former law officer's
claim that he had been working undercover to catch the bondsman dealing
narcotics.

Standing before U.S. District Judge Edward C. Prado on Thursday, Villarreal
remained adamant that he was convicted for simply doing his job.

"No one seemed to have time, so I took it upon myself to go after this
guy," Villarreal told the judge.

Villarreal cast the case as the FBI's effort to protect its informant. He
also insisted that the powder he delivered to Morales contained relatively
tiny amounts of cocaine - enough only to satisfy a field test. Most of it
consisted of crushed caffeine pills and aspirin, according to lab reports
presented by the defense.

Prado said he was bound by the jury verdict and sentenced Villarreal to two
years, nine months behind bars. Under sentencing guidelines, that was the
minimum he could receive. He could have been sentenced to as much as three
years and five months.

Outside the courtroom, Villarreal blamed his lawyer for an inadequate defense.

At trial, the defense offered scant proof that the drug sale fit into a
legitimate investigation, while federal agents countered with taped
discussions and receipts for the money they gave Morales to buy the cocaine.