West Palm Beach Police Officer Charged with Selling Controlled Substances While in Uniform and on Duty

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 Field Office; David W. Bourne, Special Agent in Charge, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office; and Vincent Demsi, Chief, West Palm Beach Police Department, announce the filing of charges against Dewitt McDonald, 45, of Wellington. Initial appearance for McDonald is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia O. Valle.

According to the information filed with the court, the defendant was a police officer with the West Palm Beach Police Department. Dewitt McDonald was charged with one count of knowingly carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum statutory sentence of up to life in prison.

The information against McDonald charges that, while employed as a police officer, the defendant operated two businesses: Prime Performance Wellness Centers Inc., located in Lake Worth, and Prime Health and Rejuvenation Clinic, located in Wellington, through which he unlawfully distributed anabolic steroids and other prescription drugs. The information further alleges that on March 5, 2013, while on duty and carrying his Smith & Wesson MP40 pistol, the defendant made a delivery of these drugs to someone in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the West Palm Beach Police Department for their cooperation and assistance in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio, Paul F. Schwartz, and Jeffrey N. Kaplan.

An information is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.