Feds: Alleged rogue cops were plotting 2d robbery

As three Philadelphia Police officers are set to appear in court on charges of stealing heroin from a dealer, federal prosecutors today revealed the trio were planning a second robbery before they were arrested.

Officers Mark Williams, Robert Snyder, and James Venziale hoped to take cash from a man they believed was involved with illegal gambling. As with the earlier robbery, in which the officers unknowingly colluded with an undercover DEA agent to arrest a drug dealer and rob him, the officers apparently believed that their potential victim would not report the stolen money.

According to court documents filed today by the U.S. Attorney's Office, there was another similarity to the earlier heist: the officers' alleged target was an undercover agent posing as a member of the Mafia.

Williams, Snyder and Venziale were arrested this week on conspiracy charges for allegedly planning to steal heroin and profit from the sale of it. All three were fired and are being held in federal detention. They are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon and prosecutors are asking that they remain jailed.

The documents shed light on the role of Christal Snyder, Robert Snyder's wife, who has also been charged with conspiracy for allegedly helping to plan the drug robbery by passing messages between drug dealer Angel Ortiz and the officers. Christal Snyder's sister has children with Ortiz, according to the documents.

Venziale has already confessed to helping plan the drug robbery, according to the motions filed. Williams has also admitted his involvement in planning to steal the cash from the man he believed was a mobster.

According to the motions filed, when Ortiz began planning the robbery he told another drug dealer that they would have help from police.

Ortiz told the dealer that his "brother-in-law" was an officer who, along with other officers he knew, would aid the in robbing drug suppliers. The "brother-in-law," the documents state, turned out to be Robert Snyder.