NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A man accused of shooting a North Miami Beach police officer in February is facing new allegations that have surfaced from a jailhouse informant.
Elton Bandoo, who is currently on house arrest, has been in and out of court since his arrest following a raid at his home during an identity theft sting.
Bandoo and his attorneys have long maintained that the 26-year old was startled in the middle of the night and thought he was shooting at an intruder.
Officer Lino Diaz spent several days in the hospital but is otherwise OK.
Police said Diaz was assisting federal authorities in the early morning of Feb. 6 when he was shot by Bandoo.
An informant claims that after Bandoo was arrested, he confessed that he wasn't sleeping and looked out the window before the shooting and knew it was police at his door.
Prosecutors have been aware of this information since at least mid-April but are just now bringing it up in a motion to have his bond revoked.
A judge denied the motion on Wednesday.
Defense attorneys believe the allegations are simply an attempt by a convicted felon to reduce his own 25-year prison sentence and said the informant is also helping prosecutors on a number of other cases.
Bandoo, who has no previous criminal history in South Florida, owns a music business that is registered with the state.
Under terms of his pretrial release, Bandoo cannot be in possession of guns, go on the Internet and must surrender his passport.
While Bandoo has not been charged with a federal crime in connection with the warrant originally served at his home, investigators believe that may be coming soon.
If so, Bandoo will likely get another visit by federal agents. However, under law, he wouldn't be entitled to a bond.
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