Authorities have quietly released at least a dozen convicted prisoners serving sentences for drug crimes committed in the District of Columbia area amidst a major investigation in to misconduct by an FBI agent. In addition, several other defendants awaiting trial on drug charges were also released, as well as a man convicted but not yet sentenced. Officials said many more cases involving the FBI agent are also under scrutiny, including one case involving 21 defendants.

While some reports state that the type and scope of the alleged misconduct by the FBI agent have not been revealed, other accounts said that recently-unsealed court documents show that the agent is accused of tampering with evidence, including narcotics and guns.

The agent, who has not been charged criminally and has yet to be named, had been assigned to a detail with the D.C. police. The agent has been suspended while the investigation continues.

The investigation and the court documents which ordered the release of the prisoners had been cloaked in secrecy, with nearly all documents filed under seal. The documents were only recently unsealed after a report by the Washington Post prompted U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to make an about face.

Information about the investigation and the FBI agent leaked following the court order that released the men from prison. Prosecutors, however, have not dropped any of the charges against the defendants, although they indicate that many cases will be dismissed. For now, though, they remain in limbo.

It is not known at this time how the agent's alleged misconduct may have compromised so many cases.

The U.S. attorney's office for D.C. said it was "conducting a case-by-case review of matters in which the FBI agent at issue played some role. We have already begun taking steps to address this issue and are committed to doing everything that is necessary to preserve the integrity of the criminal justice process."

"I've never seen anything like this before," said attorney Robert Jenkins, who represents one of the released defendants. "It suggests to me that whatever is going on is very significant."

Another defense lawyer, Gregory English, whose client was released before trial, simply said, "This is stunning."

The Justice Department's inspector general's office is leading the investigation in to the FBI agent. A spokesman said they were looking in to virtually every case in which the agent was involved.

Meanwhile, prosecutors could still move forward with some or all of the pending cases, but would have to show that any misconduct on the part of the agent had no impact on each case.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com.

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