A police officer, formerly assigned to the Miami-Dade Police Department Narcotics Bureau, pled guilty on April 16, 2015, to aiding and abetting a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Filed Office, and J.D. Patterson, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.

Roderick Silva, 45, of Miami, pled guilty to aiding and abetting a conspiracy with the intent to distribute marijuana.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Officer Silva aided and abetted a group of persons who were illegally growing hydroponic marijuana in numerous homes that they owned, rented, or otherwise controlled, in the south west area of Miami-Dade County. This group of persons included members of the Santiesteban family, and their friends and associates. The Santiesteban family members, and a number of their friends and associates, were convicted in 2013 for their participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 1000 marijuana plants. The co-conspirators were sentenced to significant prison sentences for their participation in the narcotics conspiracy.

Officer Silva aided and abetted the Santiesteban family members, and their friends and associates, in their marijuana growing activities by providing them with confidential information about when they were being investigated by MDPD narcotics detectives, and when they might have their marijuana grow houses searched and their marijuana plants seized; and by providing advice to the Santiestebans and their friends and associates about how to avoid, deflect, frustrate, and obstruct those MDPD investigations.

Silva is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2015 by U.S. District judge Robert N. Scola Jr. At sentencing, Silva faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison up to 40 years in prison on the aiding and abetting a conspiracy charge.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and MDPD. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Sullivan and Andy Camacho.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.