Boynton officer charged with drug trafficking fired; grand jury indicts mother

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Fugitive David Britto is no longer an employee of the Boynton Beach Police Department as of Thursday, a spokeswoman confirmed this afternoon.

Stephanie Slater, spokeswoman for the department, confirmed this morning that Britto's employment was "terminated" on Sept. 15.

Meanwhile, a federal grand jury has also indicted Britto's mother, Janiber Andrade Vieira, for contempt of court for allegedly helping her son skip bail back in August.

Vieira has been in federal custody since Sept. 2, when she was arrested at JFK International Airport in New York trying to board a plane for Brazil.

According to the affidavit filed in New York, Vieira was spotted at JFK checking in and heading to the gate for her flight for Brazil on the morning of Sept. 2. She responded to a gate attendant, after her name was called through speaker system and was arrested when she produced her passport.

Vieira was scheduled to be extradited back to Florida and to appear before a judge in Miami last Friday. Yet, for unknown reasons, she did not make it to court.

Meanwhile, Vieira was indicted last Thursday, along with Britto for contempt of court and conspiracy to fail to appear before a court as required by the conditions of release.

Separately, the 28-year-old Britto - the Boynton Beach Police Department's 2010 officer of the year - faces charges for failure to appear before a court as required by the conditions of release and Vieira faces charges for giving a false statement.

Vieira now faces up to life in prison for the contempt of court charges. Britto was already facing life in prison on his federal drug trafficking charges.

In the initial criminal complaint the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration filed on the day of her arrest, authorities said Vieira "knowingly and willfully" lied to federal agents about her son's whereabouts after he removed his ankle monitor, skipped bail and boarded a plane headed for Brazil on Aug. 24.

After Britto disappeared, DEA and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents learned that Vieira bought a one-way ticket to Brazil for him on Aug. 23, the complaint stated.

When Britto failed to appear in a Miami court on Sept. 13 for his trial on drug charges in Miami, a federal judge issued a bench warrant for him, which essentially orders law enforcement to arrest him immediately on sight.

Britto was arrested July 1 and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on July 18, and left jail on $100,000 bond.