Florida deputy Zachary Wester busted and arrested on drug-planting charges
On the morning of July 10, agents
with The Florida
Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested 26-year-old
Zachary Wester on felony charges of racketeering, official misconduct,
fabricating evidence, possession of a controlled substance and false
imprisonment. Wester, a former deputy with Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, was
arrested in Crawfordville, Florida. He is also charged with misdemeanor
perjury, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug
paraphernalia.
FDLE began its investigation last August at the request of
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation shows Wester routinely
pulled over citizens for alleged minor traffic infractions, planted drugs
inside their vehicles and arrested them on fabricated drug charges. Wester
circumvented JCSO’s body camera policy and tailored his recordings to conceal
his criminal activity.
“There is no question that Wester’s crimes were deliberate and that his actions put innocent people in jail,” said FDLE Pensacola Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams. “I am proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our agents and analysts on this case to ensure justice is served.”
ABC News reported that when Wester pulled someone over, he’d search the vehicle and plant methamphetamines. And with his body camera not powered up, citizens had little to no evidence that they were being framed.
FDLE reported that throughout this investigation, their agents analyzed over 1,300 minutes of recorded video and logged over 1,400 working hours on the case. At least 119 cases that involved Wester’s traffic stops from 2016 – 2018 had to be dropped by prosecutors.
“A Jackson County judge ordered sentences vacated for at least eight people locked up in prisons and other state correctional facilities across North Florida,” one news site reported in September.
“He [the judge] demanded at least five be returned to Jackson County and released immediately.” ~ The Miami Herald
Benjamin Bowling, a passenger in one of the cars Wester pulled over, lost custody of his daughter after being framed with possession of methamphetamine, even though the victim tested negative for drugs in his system.
Following his arrest, Wester was booked into the Wakulla County Jail and is being held without bond. The Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit, will prosecute the case.
And this case remains active. If you have additional information about Zachary Wester regarding this case, please contact FDLE Pensacola at (800) 226-8574.
Check out the video accompanying this article to see Wester in action framing innocents.
(Source: FDLE)
~ Written by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
Also see:
- Erica Cole road rage shooting: Alabama woman shoots husband instead of her intended target
- Missing since June 17, body of college student Mackenzie Lueck recovered in Logan Canyon
- Police need help identifying dead man found on Florida beach
