JUDGE RELEASES DRUG STING SUSPECTS

KISSIMMEE - Suggesting they may have been entrapped, a judge has
released more than half of the 53 people who were arrested by
Kissimmee police last week during a high-profile drug bust witnessed
by Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan.

Circuit Court Judge James Henson released 33 of the defendants who
were charged with buying drugs from undercover Kissimmee officers on
the grounds the sting may have been a form of entrapment.

Police originally asked for $1,000 bail on most of the
defendants.

The sting took place Friday night in an area known for drug
trafficking in Kissimmee. Mayor Frank Attkisson said he invited
Brogan, a fellow Republican, to see if he would like to recommend the
Kissimmee model throughout the state.

In court papers, Henson, citing case law on "reverse" stings, said
that probable cause wasn't found in the arrest of the 33 suspects. In
reverse stings, undercover police officers offer to sell drugs and
then arrest potential buyers.

One defendant believed he was entrapped. Rick Barone, 38, of
Kissimmee, admitted he went looking to buy a bag of marijuana Friday
night when he encountered an undercover officer.

"I said I just wanted one bag of weed but when he showed it to me, I
knew it was oregano, so I said no," Barone said. "He ripped the money
out of my hand and 20 guys with guns came running out."

The judge said the releases were not intended as a slight on the
arresting officers.

"I'm doing my job and the officers do their job," Henson said. "I
can't comment on the specific cases or what I did, but I am not
against drug stings per se."