Florida Officer of the Year Allegedly Distributed Meth

The Boynton Beach (Fla.) Police Department's 2010 Officer of the Year has been indicted in a federal drug probe alleging he distributed more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine.

Officer David Britto, who joined the force in 2007, is believed to have distributed the drug between June 2009 and March 4. Britto, who faces a potential life sentence, taught in the department's Teen Police Academy.

The charges against Officer Britto, 28, were announced by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"The decision to deal drugs while carrying a badge is not only a breach of the law enforcement oath, but a community tragedy as well," said Mark Trouville, special agent in charge of the DEA's Miami office, in a statement. "The Drug Enforcement Administration pursues drug traffickers no matter what their profession."

The Broward County Sheriff's Office, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, and the Boynton Beach PD's Internal Affairs assisted in the investigation.

On Tuesday, Boynton Beach Police Chief Matthew Immler said the case is an example of law enforcement policing itself.

"The alleged corruption of a police officer, especially one that by all accounts performed his duties admirably and with dedication, affects all of us in the Boynton Beach Police Department," Chief Immler said in a statement. "We realize that when an officer stands accused of a violation of the public trust, all of law enforcement pays the price in eroded citizen confidence and the perception of diminished integrity."

By Paul Clinton