Associated Press - December 1, 2009 5:14 PM ET

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida federal judge has dismissed some charges in the document shredding case against indicted financier Allen Stanford's former security chief.

The judge tossed a charge Tuesday that Thomas Raffanello and a co-defendant interfered with a Securities and Exchange Commission probe. Also dismissed was part of a conspiracy count linked to the SEC charge.

The judge left intact charges that Raffanello illegally ordered the shredding of thousands of Stanford Financial Group documents ordered preserved for a federal investigation.

Allen Stanford is awaiting trial in Houston on charges operating $7 billion Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors.

Raffanello was a longtime chief of Miami's Drug Enforcement Administration office.

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