Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers doles out cash for tipsters who turn in criminals.

But one of their own -- a Miami officer taking tips -- used the inside information to rip off thousands of dollars in reward money, authorities said.

Officer Wayne Fortella, an 11-year Miami police veteran, was charged Wednesday with wire fraud and conspiracy in Miami federal court. Two of his friends, who allegedly collected the Crime Stoppers payments at Wachovia banks, were also charged. One is at large.

Cellphone calls and text messages between Fortella and each of the two other men -- with details for picking up the rewards -- helped authorities track the trio.

The tips generally came in from the northern part of the county, and the rewards were picked up in the southern half. Some involved a county gun bounty program.

On a single day in June 2008, one of the men picked up four different rewards from four different bank branches.

Fortella, 44, and his friend Kurt Burgess were released on bail Wednesday. Another man charged, Ainsworth Stanley, is being sought, the U.S. attorney's office said.

The men allegedly stole almost $15,000 in reward money from Crime Stoppers. Last year, the program handed out about $100,000 to tipsters.

``I was undoubtedly disappointed and disheartened to hear that Officer Wayne Fortella has been arrested today by the FBI,'' Miami Police Chief John Timoney said in a statement.

``It is important for me to convey that anonymous tips called in by citizens are crucial to the success of our investigations. Police officers simply cannot do it alone.''

Fortella has been relieved of duty with pay.

`SICKENING'

Richard Masten, Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers executive director, called the charges ``sickening.''

``Crime Stoppers is the victim in the case,'' he said. ``It was our funding that was misdirected.'' Fortella worked in the Crime Stoppers tips office on the first floor of the Miami-Dade police department, along with a handful of officers who handle tips.

Callers are given a number and told to check back to find out whether the tip leads to an arrest. When it does, the Crime Stoppers board meets to decide whether to approve the reward and the amount.

The tipster then gets a unique code name and number, information ``available to all the officers assigned to the unit,'' according to the criminal complaint in the case.

The person then visits any Wachovia branch and is told by bank officials to contact Crime Stoppers. In verifying the reward claim, the police officer at Crime Stoppers might ask information about the crime.

If confirmed, an authorization form is faxed over by a Crime Stoppers unit officer.

Burgess, a friend of Fortella's who owned a Jamaican restaurant in southwest Miami-Dade, collected almost $9,400 in reward payments approved by Fortella, according to an FBI affidavit.

Fortella's text messages to Burgess revealed how investigators say they scammed Crime Stoppers.

On Feb. 19, Fortella sent a text message to Burgess that said: ``6329 gb itai.'' He followed up with another message: ``Fester at 853 nw 15 has 2 gunthem.''

CODE NAME

According to the FBI affidavit, ``6329'' and ``Itai'' were the Crime Stopper's code number and code name assigned to a gun bounty tip that had been approved for payment.

The information originally given to Crime Stoppers by the actual tipster was that the suspect, who used the alias ``Fester,'' had two guns in his house at 853 NW 15th St.

That same day, when Burgess went to collect the reward, there were 24 phone calls between Fortella and Burgess -- including three calls made at the bank.

The FBI affidavit said ``there is no legitimate reason'' for a Crime Stoppers officer to talk on a personal cellphone with a tipster.

Stanley, another friend of Fortella's who works in the import-export industry, played a similar role to that of Burgess. Stanley is accused of collecting about $5,300 in rewards.

A turning point in the FBI investigation came on May 20, when U.S. District Judge Alan Gold authorized a wiretap on Fortella's cellphone.

The next month, FBI officials intercepted a conversation in which Fortella told Burgess that ``Christmas is coming.''

The Miami cop told his friend that the following week would be ``Christmas'' because a ``certain co-worker was retiring'' and that ``would make it better for them,'' according to the FBI affidavit.

`CHRISTMAS PLAN'

During this same time, Fortella called Stanley to tell him about the ``Christmas plan'' -- a reference to collecting more Crime Stoppers rewards.

What they didn't realize was that the retiring police officer had shared his suspicions about Fortella being involved in ``some form of illegal activity.''

That tip -- which was not called in to Crime Stoppers -- appeared to be Fortella's undoing.