6 Philly Cops Arrested for Corruption-Related Charges

The list includes Thomas Liciardello, 38; Brian Reynolds, 43; Michael Spicer, 46; Perry Betts, 46; Linwood Norman, 46; and John Speiser, 44 -- were arrested at their homes, authorities said. They were members of Philadelphia Police Department's narcotics field unit.

The arrests came after a nearly two-year joint investigation by the FBI, federal prosecutors and Philadelphia Police internal affairs unit.

A band of rogue Philadelphia police officers allegedly held a drug suspect over the balcony railing of his 18th-floor apartment as an interrogation technique, federal prosecutors say.

In another instance, according to prosecutors, the six officers allegedly kidnapped a drug suspect and kept him in a hotel room for days while threatening his family.

In what Philadelphia's police commissioner described as one of the worst cases of corruption, the six officers were arrested Wednesday on a range of charges, including conspiracy, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and drug dealing. The case centers on a six-year scheme in which they allegedly pocketed $500,000 in drugs, cash and personal property, including Rolex watches and designer suits, authorities said.

Memeger said the officers allegedly engaged in an array of criminal activities, including beatings, threats to shoot a suspect, entering homes without warrants for the purpose of stealing money and drugs, and the distribution of narcotics.

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