Officer Accused Of Helping Grow House Family Back In Court
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A Miami-Dade Police Officer faced a judge Friday on charges of aiding and abetting a group of people who were growing marijuana.
Roderick Silva, 45, entered a not guilty plea and asked for a trial by jury at his arraignment.
Silva also appeared in court on August 1st. He was mostly silent during his five-minute federal court bond hearing.
READ: MDPD Officer Accused Of Aiding & Abetting Faces Judge
He was allowed to post a $50,000 corporate surety bond using his South Miami home as collateral. He was also ordered to surrender his passport and refrain from possessing a firearm.
As he left the courthouse with his wife under his arm Silva said, "I'm innocent."
He used to serve as a detective in the Miami-Dade Police Department's Narcotics Bureau.
He was indicted last month.
According to his indictment, Silva would allegedly provide the Santiesteban family, along with their friends and associates, confidential information indicating when detectives were investigating them, when they might have their marijuana grow houses searched, and their plants seized. He also allegedly told them about suspected grow houses operated by other growers so they could rob those grow houses of their marijuana plants.
READ: MDPD Officer Accused Of Aiding & Abetting Grow House Group
Silva is also accused of advising them on how to avoid deflect, frustrate, and obstruct investigations.
He is also charged with extortion. He allegedly received $1,500 cash from the family on January 5, 2011 for "maintaining his silence and not disclosing to any law enforcement authorities all that he knew about the illegal, criminal activities of the Santiesteban family members."
Silva had been on paid leave since 2009 but since his indictment, a police department spokesperson said they were moving forward to terminate him.
If convicted, he faces between 10 years to life in prison on the conspiracy charge, and up to 20 years locked up if found guilty of extortion.
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