JAILED COPS MISS CHANCE TO GO HOME

It was federal bureaucracy as much as cell bars that kept at least one
police officer in jail Wednesday, a day after a judge ordered him and a
second officer released on bond.

San Antonio Police Sgt. Conrad Fragozo Jr. and his family had the money
ready -- a $10,000 deposit on a $100,000 bond.

But the Marshals Service, which is responsible for detaining federal
defendants while they await trial, said it had no one available to take
Fragozo from his holding cell at Wilson County Jail to a courtroom in San
Antonio.

The second accused officer, Patrick Bowron, faced an additional obstacle.
His family still needed to raise some of the bond money, said Bowron's
attorney, "Rusty" Ronald Guyer.

Both men remained in custody while their court appearances were postponed
until 11 a.m. today.

Authorities allege the pair played key roles in a conspiracy to protect
individuals who claimed to be cocaine smugglers. Fragozo and Bowron were
among 12 people arrested in the FBI's lengthy investigation into alleged
corruption.

The smugglers were undercover FBI agents participating in a roughly
three-year corruption investigation that snared 10 local law-enforcement
officers and two civilians, according to federal indictments.

While their co-defendants were released on bond days after their March 22
arrests, Fragozo and Bowron were held without bail.

U.S. District Judge Edward C. Prado reversed that order a half-hour before
the courthouse closed Tuesday. It pleased the officers' families and
attorneys but came as a surprise to the Marshals Service the next morning.

Fragozo's lawyers said they did not fault the marshals.