COP CHARGED IN UNDERCOVER STING

A Miami Police officer and a friend have been charged with stealing $22,000
from an undercover agent and planning another robbery in which they hoped
to collect $60,000 and three kilograms of cocaine, also from undercover agents.

Both cases were stings meant to catch Officer Webert Celestin, 33, who had
been under investigation since March, Miami Police spokesman Jorge Pino
said: ``The agents were law enforcement officers, and they were expecting
to be ripped off.''

Celestin and Evan Lee Colin, 32, of 17700 NW 67th Ave., were arrested 10
days ago, but that wasn't announced until Monday, when reporters questioned
police after hearing an officer had been locked up.

He and his friend both were charged with grand theft and conspiracy to
commit armed robbery and drug trafficking. Celestin also was charged with
official misconduct.

Celestin worked on the midnight patrol shift, 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., in Little
Haiti, and committed the crimes using his patrol car and uniform while off
duty, the spokesman said. Arrest reports say Colin is a mortgage broker.

The stings were prepared by city police detectives, federal drug agents,
state investigators and agents of a multiagency narcotics task force.

The first one took place on a Friday, Oct. 6, at 7050 NE Third Ave.

The arrest report says Celestin stopped an undercover agent's car there,
robbed him of $22,000 and gave Colin a $7,000 share.

Typically, hidden agents pounce at once. In this case, there was
surveillance but no immediate arrest, the police spokesman said. He said he
was not given an explanation.

Six weeks later, agents sent word to Celestin that a cocaine transaction
would take place Nov. 17 at 1132 NE 84th St. Three kilograms of cocaine and
$60,000 were supposed to change hands, but the crooks were fakes --
undercover agents again, the spokesman said.

According to the arrest report, Celestin and Colin "planned to take the
agents down at gunpoint and steal the three kilograms of cocaine and the
$60,000 of cash."

Agents grabbed Celestin at the 84th Street address at 5:30 p.m. and caught
Colin 15 minutes later at Northeast 85th Street and 10th Avenue, the report
said.