LOS ANGELES, CA -- A Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who allegedly agreed on two occasions to oversee the delivery of narcotics and other contraband in exchange for cash payments was arrested Tuesday, along with three other men, on federal narcotics charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Deputy Kenneth Collins and the others were taken into custody by FBI agents after arriving in Pasadena, allegedly to provide "security" for the transport of nearly 45 pounds of cocaine and more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine. During the FBI's undercover investigation, Collins allegedly agreed that he and his team would accompany the narcotics and take calculated steps to prevent legitimate law enforcement from intercepting the drugs -- in exchange for cash payments as high as $250,000, according to federal prosecutors. Collins, 50, of Chino; David Easter, 51, of the Hyde Park district of Los Angeles; and Grant Valencia, 34, of Pomona were charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court last week. The three allegedly provided security in November for the transport of what they thought was 13 pounds of methamphetamine, as well as marijuana and counterfeit cigarettes, according to the document.

In justifying the high fees for his services, Collins told an undercover FBI agent "we're cops" and "all of our transports make it through," court papers allege. A fourth man -- Maurice Desi Font, 56, of South Los Angeles -- is expected to be charged in a second criminal complaint to be filed this afternoon in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, where all four defendants -- who are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances -- are expected to make their initial court appearances.

"Deputy Collins sold his badge to assist an individual he thought was a drug trafficker," said U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna . "The deputy allegedly used his status as a law enforcement officer as a guarantee when he promised safe travels for large quantities of illegal narcotics." Hanna said the case "is part of our long-standing and ongoing commitment to root out corruption, particularly when it involves sworn law enforcement officers."

Over the past several years, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has won convictions of 21 now-former sheriff's department members -- including ex-Sheriff Lee Baca and former-Undersheriff Paul Tanaka -- in connection with various crimes uncovered during a wide-ranging FBI investigation of the jails.

Paul Delacourt, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, alleged that Collins "used his position of trust and appropriated his authority to conduct lucrative criminal activity with others at the expense of Los Angeles County residents."

"While our investigation continues to determine whether others may have been involved, this should not be viewed as an indictment of the many dedicated servants at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, some of whom brought this unlawful activity to our attention," Delacourt said. The affidavit in support of the complaint outlines an alleged scheme in which Collins agreed to accept tens of thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for providing security during the transportation of large quantities of drugs from the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas, Nevada.