A judge has dismissed the case against a former NYPD detective accused of lying about witnessing drug transactions after finding prosecutors violated rules related to evidence disclosure. 

The Manhattan district attorney’s case against former Narcotics Borough Manhattan South detective Joseph Franco was “dismissed and sealed” on Tuesday, Doug Cohen, a spokesperson for the DA’s office, said in a statement. 

The New York Times reported that prosecutors in the DA’s office “failed on three occasions to hand over evidence” to Franco’s attorneys. 

“After disclosing evidence that violated our discovery requirements, the People today consented to the Defense motion to dismiss the case against Joseph Franco,” Cohen said. “New Yorkers must know that law enforcement, including prosecutors, are acting with the utmost integrity. We hold ourselves accountable to that standard.”

Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Minogue, who was leading the case, “has been removed from her post as Deputy Unit Chief,” according to Cohen.

Franco was indicted on charges including perjury and official misconduct in April 2019 after he allegedly lied during court proceedings and on court documents related to three drug cases, the DA’s office said at the time. 

Two of the people Franco was accused of falsely testifying against served time in state prison, prosecutors said.  

In a statement released the day Franco was indicted, then-Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. alleged Franco “lied to judges, prosecutors and his own colleagues in the NYPD about crimes that never happened,” adding that “three New Yorkers wrongfully lost their liberty as a result.” 

Since Franco’s indictment, the DA’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit has vacated more than 100 convictions stemming from cases in which he played a role, Cohen said Tuesday. 

The unit’s investigation is ongoing, he added.