A former Philadelphia Police officer has been convicted of obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI when he tipped off his half brother about a heroin-trafficking investigation.
Rafael Cordero, 52, worked for the city's Criminal Intelligence Unit before losing his job after he was charged last year with telling his half brother, David Garcia, about a surveillance camera aimed at a garage on the 500 block of Indiana Street used by drug gangs. Garcia is scheduled for sentencing next month for heroin trafficking.
The investigation into Cordero also showed he went to that garage, without any official reason to be there, and began looking through the windows. When officers arrived on the scene he misrepresented his reason for being there and did not give his name to law enforcement.
Then after leaving the garage, he's accused of calling Garcia and tipping him off about the search. He also allegedly instructed him -- "when you get home take my picture down."
Cordero, a 23-year veteran of the force, was acquitted of one obstruction charge relating to $20,000 in drug money he allegedly helped his brother hide.
Defense attorney Jack McMahon argued that money was savings from Social Security and the proceeds of the sale of a gold chain that Cordero planned to buy a house.
Prosecutors say Cordero faces about 10 years in prison he could have faced decades more.
