CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A prosecutor says he will dismiss any case where two Charlotte police officers facing drug charges played a crucial role.

District Attorney Peter Gilchrist said he doesn't know how many cases might have to be dismissed.

Officers Gerald Holas and Jason Ross have been charged with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and have resigned.

Authorities say the men helped a suspected drug dealer with information about an impending drug bust. They have told the FBI they were protecting the dealer for information they could use to arrest his suppliers and customers.

Charlotte defense lawyer James Gronquist says the charges against the officers brings their credibility into question.

Both men appeared in federal court Thursday morning, but their attorneys waived their scheduled detention hearings. Such hearings will determine whether they will be allowed out of jail before a trial begins.

Attorneys for Holas and Ross said they will ask for new detention hearings after they've had more time to review all the evidence in the case.

"We need to know more in order to present more facts to the judge so we can prove he's worthy of being let out of jail while the case is going on. (Holas) is not a threat to the community. He's not a flight risk either," said Tony Scheer, Holas' attorney.

Holas and Ross will likely remain in jail until at least the end of July, when they’re expected to be indicted.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office officials said the two former officers are in protective custody at the jail. They're not mixed with the general population for their own safety, but they're also not allowed to talk to each other.

David Lockhart, the suspected drug dealer in the case, was also in court Thursday. His attorney also waived his detention hearing.