Veteran crime reporter Ralph Cipriano (seen in the below photo) is covering the federal trial of six Philadelphia narcotics cops for bigtrial.net.
On the witness stand, Lt. Robert Otto was asked to give his professional assessment of former Officer Thomas Liciardello.
"He is one of the finest, most dedicated police officers," said the white-haired veteran of 26 years. Of the thousands of officers he has known during his career, Lt. Otto said, Liciardello ranks in the top 5.
"He is the best police investigator I ever met," Otto told the jury.
In court today, Otto also praised the work of the other five defendants in the rogue cops case.
"They were very effective, very efficient, very honest," the lieutenant told the jury about the former members of the Narcotics Field Unit. "They were the best at what they did; there's no doubt about that."
"They were taking millions of dollars of poison off the streets," Otto told the jury. He said he used to tell the defendants they would never know how many lives they had saved until they went to heaven and met their maker.
He looked around the courtroom where the six former officers were sitting at several defense tables, accused by the federal government of conspiring to beat and rob drug dealers.
"And this here makes no sense to me," the lieutenant said.
He looked around the courtroom where the six former officers were sitting at several defense tables, accused by the federal government of conspiring to beat and rob drug dealers.
"And this here makes no sense to me," the lieutenant said.
You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:
http://www.bigtrial.net/2015/04/they-were-taking-millions-of-dollars-of.html#more
Note: I interviewed Lt Otto when I went out with the Philadelphia Police Narcotics Field Unit South for Counterterrorism magazine. You can read my piece via the below link:
http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2012/05/chasing-drugs-guns-and-violence-night.html
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