A city police officer who arrested a person on whom drugs had been
planted faces up to 11 years in prison if convicted, officials said.Mahmoud Rabboh, 43, of Passaic County, allegedly planned the arrest
with three other people and a confidential FBI source in early February,
said U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman in a statement.Rabboh also went by "Michael," according to a complaint filed in federal court in Newark on Monday.According to the complaint, on February 12 two of the other
conspirators confronted the confidential source in a lounge one of the
conspirators owned.The conspirators accused the source and the victim of working for the FBI.After the source denied he was working with the federal authorities,
the group allegedly hatched the plan to plant drugs on him and draft
Rabboh to then arrest him, the complaint said.Three days later Rabboh came to the lounge and agreed to falsely
arrest the man, the complaint alleges. He then suggested the group plant
cocaine and prescription pills because the victim could face more time
in jail, the complaint said.That night the source was given money and went to buy the drugs, a
small bag of marijuana, percocet and oxycodone, and then went to the
victim’s apartment where he planted the stash in a jacket pocket, said
the complaint.Shortly thereafter the pair went for a walk, at which point they were
pulled over by Rabboh in his patrol car, the complaint alleges.After failing to initially find the stash, the source, who had
already been searched, texted a conspirator to tell Rabboh where to
look, the complaint alleges.Rabboh then got a phone call from the conspirator, but he still
couldn’t find the drugs. Finally, the source gestured to where the
officer should look, the complaint alleges.The victim was then charged with possession of prescription drugs,
intent to distribute and possession within a certain distance of a
school and a library, the complaint said.In his police report cited in the complaint, Rabboh said he had been
flagged down by "a known male … from the South Paterson community (and)
advised … that two Middle Eastern males walking north on Main Street
were in possession of CDS."Records show Rabboh worked for the city for eight years.He was charged with conspiracy to violate civil rights and with deprivation of civil rights under color of law, said Fishman.The first charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence and a fine
of $250,000. Rabboh faces up to one year in prison and a fine of
$100,000 for the second charge, Fishman said.

In addition to crediting the Newark division of the FBI, Fishman thanked the Paterson police for their cooperation.Rabboh is being represented in court by Anthony Iacullo.A Paterson police spokesman was unable to be reached for comment.




http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/index.ssf/2012/09/paterson_police_officer_charged_with_planting_drugs_on_man.html