TWO OFFICERS PLEAD GUILTY TO LYING ABOUT DRUG SEIZURE

Two veteran Philadelphia police narcotics officers pleaded guilty
yesterday to lying to a federal prosecutor about seizing a large
quantity of cocaine without a warrant.

In a move that occurred just before jury selection was to have begun
for their trial, Salvatore Merlino, 47, and Kevin Beckett, 48, each
pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to a federal
agency. U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe allowed both men to remain
free on unsecured $10,000 bonds pending sentencing in about 90 days.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Rice said that under the plea
agreement, her office would dismiss two other counts. She said the two
officers faced no more than six months in prison - and likely probation.

Merlino, a 22-year veteran officer, and Beckett, on the force 17
years, were indicted in March in connection with their Oct. 4, 2002,
seizure of 23 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine was in two packages
being delivered by a UPS truck to an address in the 4300 block of
North Ninth Street in the city's Hunting Park section.

Merlino and Beckett allegedly seized the packages without a search
warrant, then made a false police report that did not disclose the
true circumstances. Later, after the case was taken over for
prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the two officers repeated
their tale about the drug seizure. Rice said the pair's false reports
compromised the drug probe and forced the dismissal of charges against
an alleged drug dealer and of parts of another drug indictment.