POLICE OFFICER CONVICTED IN DRUG RING GETS SENTENCE
REDUCED

A former Tiverton, R.I., police officer convicted of acting as a
lookout for a drug ring had almost six years shaved off his 24-year
sentence Tuesday following an appeals court ruling that found errors
in calculating his original sentence.

William Sedoma, an 18-year police veteran, was convicted in February
2001 for his role in a cocaine and marijuana distribution ring that
operated in Fall River and Tiverton, alerting drug dealers when their
packages were intercepted by police.

Prosecutors also said Sedoma warned members of the ring when an
undercover Massachusetts police officer was trying to infiltrate the
organization.

For every pound of marijuana that was brought into Tiverton, Sedoma
allegedly received $25.

Sedoma was convicted of 13 charges, including mail fraud, wire fraud
and conspiracy. He was acquitted of six other counts of mail fraud,
wire fraud, extortion and bribery.

In 2003, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Sedoma
should have at least 58 months taken off his original sentence of 24
years and five months.

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ordered Sedoma to serve the maximum
amount of time allowed Tuesday, calling his behavior "disgusting,
despicable, and disgraceful."

The court found that the lower court judge who sentenced Sedoma made
errors in applying federal sentencing guidelines.