Former Miami police officers sentenced in drug trafficking conspiracy

Kelvin Harris, James Archibald, Schonton Harris were charged for involvement

Former Miami police officers James Archibald, Schonton Harris and Kelvin Harris have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

MIAMI – Former Miami police officers were sentenced Friday for their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.

Former Officer Kelvin Harris, who was also sentenced for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to 27 1/2 years in prison. Prosecutors said former Officer James Archibald was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the drug trafficking conspiracy.

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Harris, Archibald and Schonton Harris, who was a former Miami police officer, as well, were charged for their involvement in the drug trafficking conspiracy, prosecutors said.

Kelvin Harris and Schonton Harris provided police protection on numerous occasions for what they believed were multiple-kilogram shipments of cocaine by escorting the transportation of such cocaine, according to the court record, including trial testimony.

Archibald facilitated the drug trafficking conspiracy on at least one occasion by assisting his co-defendants in transporting 30 kilograms of what the defendants believed to be cocaine from a local marina to two local hotels, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Prosecutors said Kelvin Harris, Archibald and Schonton Harris received cash payments of $10,000, $6,500 and $17,000, respectively, for their involvement in the criminal enterprise.

Kelvin Harris, who had been on the police force for 26 years, and Archibald, who had been an officer for two years, were each convicted June 28 by a federal jury of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine in 2018, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Prosecutors said Kelvin Harris was also convicted of three counts of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and three counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime.

Archibald was also convicted of one count of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, prosecutors said.

Schonton Harris pleaded guilty Jan. 24 to conspiring with other officers to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine from August through October 2018. Prosecutors said Schonton Harris was sentenced April 17 to 15 1/2 years in prison.


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Troy Blevins is a Digital Content Editor who has been with Graham Media Group since 2012.