Ex Miami Officer Gets Two Years in Prison for Gambling, Bribes

MIAMI (Associated Press) -- A former Miami police officer has been sentenced to two years in prison for accepting thousands of dollars in bribes from an illegal gambling operation.

A federal judge last week also sentenced 24-year-old Jerry Sutherland to perform 150 hours of community service and pay a $2,000 fine. Sutherland must forfeit $3,400 he was paid in bribes. He pleaded guilty to extortion.

Court documents show that while working for the Miami Police Department, Sutherland accepting 10 bribe payments from the gambling operation. Sutherland admitted providing protection for the operation, arranging for charges to be dropped against one of its employees and increasing police presence at a rival gambling house to discourage customers.

Sutherland also admitted requiring a vendor to paint the helmets of a football team he managed free of charge.