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Men Try to Buy Coke From Undercover Officers, Police Say

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By HOWARD ALTMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 19, 2008

Luis Manuel Buitrago Jr.

Jeffrey Alan Curry

Tampa - Friday afternoon, Jeffrey Alan Curry and Luis Manuel Buitrago Jr. met with a couple of men, police say, they thought would sell them a kilo of cocaine.

The meeting, according to an affidavit, took place at 1:15 p.m. at 1721 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.

This is what happened next, according to the affidavit:

Curry, 38 and Buitrago, 47, had agreed to purchase the kilo for $19,000.

Curry was doing the negotiating on behalf of Buitrago, who had the money.

Curry and the two men went into a car driven by one of the men. They haggled some more. Curry handed one of the men the $19,000, who in turn gave Curry the cocaine.

As Curry checked out his purchase, a Tampa Police arrest team moved in and arrested him and Buitrago.

One of the men in the car was an undercover police officer. The other was a confidential source.

Buitrago and Curry were arrested. Buitrago was charged with conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and trafficking in cocaine, both felonies.

Curry was charged the same felonies, plus one more.

As they were checking Curry after his arrest, police found he was carrying about a gram of cocaine. He was also charged with possession of cocaine.

Curry and Buitrago are both being held at the Orient Road Jail. Curry's bail was set at $352,000 and Buitrago's was set at $352,000.

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