CHICAGO (AP) – A judge has sentenced a former Chicago police officer to five years in prison for tipping off the target of an undercover drug probe who was a friend from high school.

Ronald Coleman was a member of task force in 2014 that included federal drug agents. The 47-year-old was convicted in August on one count of obstruction of justice.

The 18-year department veteran resigned two months later and was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday.

Coleman denied wrongdoing and told the judge he wouldn’t betray the trust of the city or community.

But U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle said Coleman “continued with the lie he told at trial.”

Coleman has also been named in several federal lawsuits, claiming he participated in illegal strip searches of suspects.