AKRON, Ohio -- A former East Cleveland police detective was sentenced Tuesday to nearly six years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to rip off suspected drug dealers and steal money by filing fake search warrants.

Antonio Malone, 34, apologized to U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi for his role in the scheme, which included filing false statements in front of judges and then entering homes and taking thousands of dollars. He said he took full responsibility for his actions.

Lioi, in a strongly-worded statement, made it clear that she felt that the 71-month prison stint she gave Malone was an appropriate sentence. The sentence was at the higher end of a plea agreement Malone entered into with federal prosecutors in November.

"You used your authority and the badge and the trust we put into law enforcement officers to violate your victims' rights," Lioi said. She added that Malone was "operating as if we live in a police state," though she said it was worse in some ways because he used the money for his own gain.

The judge also ordered Malone to pay $23,333.33 in restitution to the FBI and the victims of the case.

Malone was charged in October, along with two other members of the East Cleveland street-crimes unit, for a series of raids and thefts between 2012-14. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights and Hobbs act conspiracy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Feran on Tuesday said that Malone was an integral part of the scheme.

Feran said that Malone stole money outright on one occasion. In that instance, Malone stopped Mark Makupson, now in federal prison for drug trafficking, and agreed to not arrest him. Malone then arranged to tow Makupson's car, but had the drug dealer retrieve all but $3,000 that he had in his glove compartment.

"You wonder why the citizens of the United States are screaming in the streets about police misconduct," Feran said, adding that Malone engaged in the "prostituting of the Fourth Amendment" right against unlawful searches and seizures.

Michael Shaughnessy, Malone's attorney, said that Malone was serving the community every other day he was not committing these crimes.

Malone is the last of the three defendants sentenced in this case. Torris Moore, the supervisor of the street crimes unit, received a nine-year prison sentence earlier this month. Detective Eric Jones was sentenced last week to nearly four years in prison.

Malone was scheduled to be sentenced the same day as Jones, but it was postponed after Lioi was informed that Malone was wanted on a warrant in a theft case out of Maricopa County, Arizona. He has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since then and appeared shackled and in an orange prison jumpsuit at Tuesday's sentencing.

His family, including a twin brother who is also a police officer, watched from the viewing gallery.

The officers' actions caused judges in Cuyahoga County to vacate the drug convictions of three men. One defendant, Kenneth Blackshaw was in the midst of a five-year prison sentence when he was released in February.

"These three officers are a disgrace to the badge they wore and the community they swore to protect," Acting U.S. Attorney Carole Rendon said in a news release.

Updated with background and quotes from Tuesday's sentencing.

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