DETROIT (WXYZ) — A former Detroit police officer was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison for assisting in a drug trafficking organization with known drug dealers, according to U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Christopher Stanton, 52, was convicted September 2019 after a four-day trial. It took the jury one day to convict Stanton.
“Although the vast majority of police officers in Michigan are fully dedicated to protecting the public, sometimes there is an infrequent example of an officer driven by corruption and greed,” Schneider said. “Here, instead of protecting and serving the public, Staton acted at the behest of the drug dealers peddling fentanyl. Nonetheless, former Officer Staton’s actions, while egregious, do not overshadow the outstanding work of so many other great police officers.”
The former DPD officer worked with known drug dealers Meltwaine Dukes and Sedrick Jackson distributing controlled substances such as cocaine and fentanyl.
Stanton used his position as a police officer to run license plates and provide sensitive law enforcement information to members of the drug trafficking organization. Stanton staged a traffic stop and fake arrest and was paid $20,000 cash in one instance, according to a release. Stanton also purchased drugs for resale.
“The conduct of former Detroit Police Officer Christopher Staton is reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono. “The City of Detroit has long been ravaged by the impact of the drug trade, and Staton served his own agenda by profiting off the very criminal activity his former department is working to eradicate. Unlike Staton, the men and women of the Detroit Police Department are dedicated servants to the community whose reputations should not be tarnished by the outrageous conduct of this one police officer.”
