By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
U.S. Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.) pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of possession of cocaine in D.C. Superior Court, the DEA announced.
D.C. Superior Senior Judge Robert S. Tignor placed Radel on one year of probation. The DEA press release said if the probation is successfully completed, the Court could dismiss the case without an adjudication of guilt.
The press release stated:
According to a statement of offense submitted as part of the plea, Radel came to the attention of the FBI and DEA in the fall of 2013, during an investigation into cocaine trafficking in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Agents learned that Radel would purchase cocaine for his personal use and sometimes share it with others.
The statement of offense says that, on Oct. 29, 2013, Radel met with an undercover police officer at a restaurant in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C. At this time, Radel agreed to buy about 3.5 grams of cocaine from the undercover officer. He and the undercover officer went outside, and Radel handed over $260. The undercover officer provided Radel with a package of cocaine. Federal agents then approached Radel and the cocaine was recovered.
Radel agreed to speak with the agents about what had taken place and invited them to his apartment. There, he voluntarily admitted that he had purchased the cocaine. He also retrieved and provided to the agents a vial of cocaine that he had in his apartment.
