TWO EX-COPS ADMIT TO FRAME-UPS

(TAMPA) - Federal prosecutors charge two former Manatee County sheriff's
deputies with civil rights violations.

Two former Manatee County sheriff's officers have admitted that they
and other members of the department's elite narcotics unit planted
evidence and framed suspects, federal prosecutors said late Friday.

Paul Dean Maass, 26, has been charged with conspiracy to violate civil
rights, civil rights violations and drug charges. Prosecutors say
Maass admitted that he and other Delta Task Force agents, among other
things, planted crack cocaine on a Bradenton woman who later was
convicted of state felony charges for possession of those drugs.

The woman's status was not immediately available.

Wayne V. Wyckoff, 37, is charged with civil rights violations and
failing to report a crime. Wyckoff admitted planting money on a
suspect to bolster a case, prosecutors say.

Maass and Wyckoff, both of Bradenton, were charged Thursday. They
already have signed agreements to plead guilty to all counts, court
documents show. Maass faces up to 51 years in federal prison; Wyckoff
faces up to four years. Both men also face substantial fines.

Prosecutors say the plea agreements outline a long-standing pattern
of corruption in Delta's street-level division, including perjury,
filing false reports and cover-ups.

``I think it's fair to say that the investigation is ongoing,'' said
Monte Richardson, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Neither Maass nor Wyckoff was in custody Friday. Both agreed to assist
the federal investigation.

Delta, created in 1986 to combat Manatee's crack cocaine problem, came
under scrutiny amid allegations of brutality and misconduct. In July
1998, following a two-month internal investigation, one agent was
fired and two others were demoted.

Wyckoff, the unit's supervisor, was transferred but remained a
sergeant. He resigned two months later, citing personal reasons.

Maass, who joined Delta in 1997, resigned before the internal
investigation was complete, also citing personal reasons. He later
pleaded no contest to insurance fraud charges and was sentenced to two
years of probation.

The investigation into Delta stemmed largely from the April 1998
arrest of a Bradenton man on drug charges. The suspect said he was
pistol-whipped by an agent and subjected to racially derogatory comments.

The agent, Christopher Wilson, later resigned. He was acquitted
earlier this year of state charges of aggravated assault and
aggravated battery with a firearm related to the arrest.

Manatee Sheriff Charlie Wells said late Friday that the federal
charges are ``pretty devastating.''

``We diligently tried to investigate this at the state level and clean
it up,'' Wells said. ``And with the absence of witnesses and testimony
you can only go so far ... So, obviously they [federal prosecutors]
were able to get additional information.''
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[Information from The Bradenton Herald was used in this report. Gary
Sprott covers legal issues and can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or
gsprott@tampatrib.com]