Former Watertown Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges

A former Watertown Police officer faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to obstruction of a federal investigation into a drug.

Roberto Velasquez-Johnson, 45, plead guilty to one count of obstruction in a drug case which centered on Watertown, but has links as far as Canada and California, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

Velasquez-Johnson worked for for the Watertown Police for 13 years, but was dismissed in 2010 on unrelated charges.

The federal investigation charged 20 people, and alleges that Watertown resident Safwan "Sammy Madarati was the ring leader. He is accused of distributing 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, cocaine and oxycodone, according to the report.

The bust was made in May 2011. During the bust authorities seized more than $3.3 million, several gold bars, and 80 pounds of marijuana, the Globe reported.

All but three of the defendants have plead guilty in the case, but two are on trial now and one more will face trial in October. Madarati will be in court this week, the Globe reported.

Five of the 20 suspects are still fugitives, according to the Globe.

Read the entire Boston Globe report by clicking here.