FORMER MANATEE DEPUTY ADMITS PLANTING EVIDENCE

A former Manatee County sheriff's deputy admitted on Wednesday that he
planted evidence on a known drug dealer in retaliation for an internal
affairs complaint.

Lance D. Carpenter, 37, a one-time member of the sheriff's anti-drug unit,
told federal investigators that he planted crack cocaine on Larren "Perry"
Wade of Bradenton on April 2, 1998.

About two months earlier, Wade had filed a complaint against Carpenter and
other members of the Delta Division, accusing them of stealing $9,000
during an illegal search of his hotel room.

The admission came as part of a plea agreement Wednesday between Carpenter
and the U.S. attorney's office in Tampa, which is investigating the Delta
Division.

According to the plea, Carpenter also falsified reports about the November
1997 arrest of Sarah Smith, then a Bradenton resident.

Three other former members of Delta have pleaded guilty to civil rights and
drug violations. And a former Manatee sheriff's patrol officer has admitted
robbing motorists and stealing from crime scenes.

Carpenter, who left the Sheriff's Office in 1998 after four years, pleaded
guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to violate civil rights, violating civil
rights, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and
cocaine base and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.

The Sun City resident faces a maximum of 51 years in federal prison, $2.3
million in fines and forfeiture of his assets.

Two other former Manatee sheriff's officers, Paul D. Maass and Thomas C.
Wooten, have admitted planting evidence on Smith, then arresting her for
possession of cocaine.