HEADLINE: COURTS; Special agent gets life term

BYLINE: Stuart Pfeifer, The Orange County Register

Richard Wayne Parker, 45, was convicted in October of conspiracy to distribute narcotics and three counts of possession with the intent to distribute.

Federal prosecutors believe Parker helped orchestrate the July 4, 1997, theft from the Riverside offices of the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, where he worked as a special agent.  It was the largest theft of narcotics from a California police agency.

Parker's half-brother, former California Highway Patrol officer George Ruelas, is scheduled to stand trial Feb. 29 in connection with the theft.  According to court documents, Parker provided his brother with keys and security-alarm codes used to break into the evidence vault.

A third former law-enforcement officer, Michael Wilcox, is also accused of participating in the scheme.

Federal agents arrested Parker in 1998 after they watched the special agent accept a large amount of cash from his ex-girlfriend, who allegedly helped him sell the stolen cocaine.