A former Baltimore detective sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for lying to the FBI about cocaine he stole from a drug bust

• A former Baltimore detective was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for lying to the FBI about his role in a drug scheme.
• Ivo Louvado, 47, stole 3 kilograms of cocaine from a drug bust and sold it with two colleagues, according to the DOJ.
• Prosecutors allege that Louvado made $10,000 from selling his cut of the cocaine.

A former Baltimore police detective was sentenced to federal prison for his role in stealing and selling 3 kilograms of cocaine from a drug bust and later lying to the FBI, according to the Department of Justice.

Ivo Louvado, 47, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service for making false statements to federal agents.

According to court filings, Louvado and his squad participated in a search warrant against a local drug dealer when the group found a "significant quantity" of cocaine inside of a pickup truck in 2009. By the end of the bust, Louvado's group turned over 41 kilograms of cocaine to the Baltimore Police Department's Evidence Control Unit via a surveillance van.

After turning the massive quantity of cocaine over to the department, Louvado and two other officers discovered three additional kilograms of cocaine inside of the surveillance van. Rather than turn the cocaine back to the department, prosecutors allege Louvado and the officers decided to sell it and split the proceeds. According to the DOJ, Louvado received $10,000 for his cut of the cocaine sales.

Cocaine abuse was a major problem in Baltimore around the time of the drug heist. A study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse from 2013 said more adult arrestees tested positive for cocaine in Baltimore than any other drug.

Former Baltimore police officer Victor Rivera, 48, was one of the officers involved in the plot to sell the cocaine and was also sentenced to 14 months in federal prison. According to court filings, Rivera was in charge of selling the drugs to a confidential informant who was also a drug trafficker.

Nearly a decade later in 2017, the Baltimore Police Department charged seven members of its Gun Trace Task Force on federal racketeering charges, including one member of Louvado's team that sold the cocaine. Following the filing, the FBI continued to investigate misconduct in the department and Louvado agreed to participate in voluntary questioning.

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FBI agents inquired about Louvado's role in the drug bust during their questioning. Court records allege that Louvado "falsified, concealed, and covered up material facts" about the distribution of the cocaine and his involvement in the sale, ultimately leading to his arrest.

As of February 9, Louvado and his attorney have not appealed the court's decision.