Former CMPD Officers Appear In Federal Court On Drug Charges

Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers resigned after they were arrested on federal drug charges late Thursday.

Authorities said the arrests of Gerald Henry Holas and Jason Adam Ross, both 35, were the result of a joint investigation between the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The two walked handcuffed, with their heads down, into federal court Friday afternoon to appear on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine over 50 grams.

PDF: Arrest Warrants/Criminal Complaint

A third man appeared in court alongside the former officers. David Lockhart, 25, is charged with conspiracy and actual possession of crack cocaine in the ongoing investigation headed by the FBI.

A CMPD spokesman said the U.S. Attorney’s Office has asked the department not to speak on the arrests at this time. Federal documents with details on the investigation and charges are still sealed. A filing by the U.S. Attorney’s Office states that revealing the contents of the documents could cause co-conspirators not yet apprehended to flee and would impair the investigation.

Holas worked on the street crimes unit for almost 10 years and Ross worked in the Freedom Division for six years. District Attorney Peter Gilchrist said their arrests could affect the prosecution of cases they investigated.

“We will review all cases where either of these officers are listed as witnesses and determine whether or not to proceed with prosecution based upon the necessity for their testimony," he said.

The attorney for a client arrested on cocaine trafficking charges based on information an informant gave Ross said she’s considering reviewing her client's case based on the charges Ross faces.

Holas and Ross face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the charges against them. They are being held in the Mecklenburg County jail.

The officers and Lockhart will have detention hearings in district court on Thursday.