RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A former police officer of Wilmington, North Carolina was sentenced to 121 months (over 10 years) in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, prosecutors announced on Friday.

Michael Carl Stevenson, 46, became involved with Robert Ed Beatty Jr., a known drug dealer who has a prior drug conviction. Stevenson, a police officer of the Burgaw Police Department, traveled to Richmond County with Beatty and two Beatty’s relatives in order to buy half a kilogram of cocaine.

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office received a tip about the drug dealing operation that was about to happen. A controlled purchase was set for the next day. They met up in a parking lot and after checking the money and the drugs, the exchange location was moved. Both parties left the place and began to move. They were arrested shortly after.

Stevenson was the person who rented the car in Wilmington. There were three narco kits seized from the car, allegedly for testing drugs. Stevenson was in the travel envoy to provide cover in case of being stopped by a trooper.

During trial it was revealed that Stevenson had previously stored Beatty’s narcotics at his residence and had profited from it.