Federal prosecutors left two corrupt St. Louis police officers on the street for 14 months after one was seen stealing money – on video in an FBI sting – two prominent criminal defense lawyers have complained, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. During that period, the officers Bobby Lee Garrett and Vince Carr stole more money, dealt drugs, arrested an innocent man, and lied on court documents and lab forms. Both officers have been sentenced to prison,but lawyers say the discredited officers unfairly helped make criminal cases in the interim.
Mary Fox, head of the St. Louis office of Missouri’s public defender system, agreed, asking, “Why would you leave police officers who were committing crimes on the street?” Federal prosecutors have declined to discuss details but suggested that decisions on when to file charges in public corruption cases can be complex.