A Broward County, Florida prosecutor is taking steps to vacate over 2,500 convictions linked to a controversial drug sting operation that operated from the late 1980s to early 90s. The move is an effort to address cases where individuals were charged for purchasing crack cocaine manufactured and sold by the Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO). 

Broward County State Attorney Harold F. Pryor announced the review on Friday (Dec 6), calling it an overdue act of justice. "It is never too late to do the right thing," Pryor said in a statement.  

The plan follows a 1993 Florida Supreme Court ruling that declared it unlawful for police to charge people for buying drugs created and distributed by law enforcement.

The operations, conducted between 1988 and 1990, disproportionately impacted vulnerable communities. “They were arresting people not for selling, but for purchasing,” defense lawyer Ed Hoeg, a public defender at the time, said in a statement to the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale. 

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Hoeg represented Leon Williams, whose appeal led to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling. "They had detention deputies posing as dealers... These poor people who were addicts were buying it."

Adding to the severity of the convictions, many buyers faced enhanced charges for purchasing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school, which carried mandatory prison sentences of at least three years under Florida law at the time.

The sheriff's office initially justified manufacturing the substance due to limited access to seized drugs, claiming that producing its own supply allowed for better control during stings. However, the state Supreme Court found the practice egregious, stating, "The law enforcement's conduct here was so outrageous as to violate Florida's due process clause."

Pryor confirmed that BSO Sheriff Gregory Tony supports the initiative to vacate the convictions. The review process is expected to be lengthy, but affected individuals may also have the opportunity to seal or expunge their records.