Cop, Judge, and Jury

Immediately after Salvo and Wolfkill left, Arnone added, Ferro went out and bought more pills.

This wasn't the first time that Salvo used his influence as a Hollywood police officer in an attempt to protect members of the Ferro family. On July 21, 2003, Salvo and other Hollywood officers, in a joint operation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, raided the largest marijuana operation in Hollywood history. Investigators found 700 mature cannabis plants and $2.4 million in cash. Two of the four principals in the operation were Mark and Robert Bettencourt, Ferro's nephews. Mark received 33 months in prison and Robert one year and a day, thanks in part to Salvo's intercession.

Salvo claimed both were cooperative informants, though court transcripts indicate that Mark Bettencourt admitted to being stoned during a meeting at the U.S. Attorney's Office, and he later tested positive for cocaine.

As for Robert Bettencourt, Salvo urged the judge to give the proverbial slap on the wrist. He told U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra: "I think any part of jail at all for this young man would be terrible, because I think he's learned his lesson."

In the most recent IA investigation, Addvensky alleged that Ferro's family got blanket protection from Salvo, citing the Bettencourts' light sentences. Salvo's partner, Wolfkill, reacted scornfully to the charge.

"That's one of the most outrageous things I've ever heard," Wolfkill told IA. "Detective Salvo suffered personally over that investigation because he knew some of the family members, and I think he handled the case very honorably and professionally, and he's dealing with that today."

On April 14, IA cleared Salvo and Wolfkill, agreeing with the officers that Addvensky had not provided credible information. However, IA officers never investigated Arnone's claim that Salvo took Ferro's OxyContin and money. Despite having Arnone's sworn statement, IA investigators -- including Lt. Jeffries and Lt. Danzell Brooks, who has since returned to regular patrol duty -- failed to follow normal police procedure and launch a separate investigation.

After repeated inquiries by New Times, IA officers questioned Salvo. According to Capt. Tony Rode, a spokesman, Salvo told police brass that he gave the illegal prescription drugs and money to Ferro's brother, Salvatore, a felon who served five years' probation for 1982 burglary and grand theft charges.

Rode said the department will not discipline Salvo or investigate further. "Certainly a narcotics detective has some leeway in what he does," Rode said.

But affording a narcotics detective such freedom with contraband is unprecedented, according to Richard Mangan, a criminology professor at Florida Atlantic University. "If you're going to take something away from somebody, you better be able to cover your tracks with some kind of arrest and documented procedure for what you did with whatever you seized," said Mangan, a former DEA agent. "If you don't, you've left yourself open to all kinds of issues. I'm surprised the State Attorney's Office isn't looking into this."