EAST CHICAGO | A veteran city police officer accused of brokering a cocaine deal last week will not be receiving a salary while he awaits trial in Illinois.

The Board of Public Works and Safety on Wednesday placed Xavier Herrera, 47, an 18-year member of the East Chicago force, on administrative leave without pay, effective July 3.

Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Herrera on that date in the Chicago suburb of Summit, Ill., for allegedly setting up a deal in which another man would pay $60,000 for 3 kilograms of cocaine.

The seller turned out to be a government informant, and Herrera and two other men were charged in U.S. District Court with conspiracy to possess a significant amount of cocaine.

The safety board on Wednesday also postponed a reinstatement hearing for Officer Lester Chandler Jr., 39, who has been on unpaid administrative leave since August 2006.

Chandler was acquitted by a jury in January of vote fraud charges related to the 2003 East Chicago mayoral election, but attorneys for the Police Department sought a disciplinary hearing regarding allegations that he violated regulations while on suspension last summer.

Merrillville lawyer Lemuel Stigler, representing the police administration in Chandler's case, couldn't attend Wednesday's scheduled hearing, so safety board attorney Alexander Lopez recommended rescheduling for sometime in August.

The disciplinary petition filed against Chandler in February alleges he applied for unemployment compensation, identified himself as a police officer and was involved in an August 2007 domestic dispute.