@MarcACaputo 
 
 U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, the tea party freshman Republican from Fort Myers, was arrested Oct. 29 for cocaine possession in Washington D.C, Politico reported. 
 
 Radel, who faces a maximum of 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, was charged Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court with misdemeanor cocaine possession and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. 
 
 “I'm profoundly sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the people of Southwest Florida," the 37-year-old Republican, whose legal name is Henry Jude Radel III, said in a statement. "I struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely irresponsible choice. As the father of a young son and a husband to a loving wife, I need to get help so I can be a better man for both of them.” 
 
 Radel was arrested in a Drug Enforcement Agency bust when his alleged dealer, arrested in a separate case, led authorities to the congressman, officials said. 
 
 Radel then allegedly bought cocaine from an undercover agent in Washington's Dupont Circle neighborhood. Afterward, authorities visited the congressman's apartment and informed him he would be charged with misdemeanor cocaine possession. 
 
 More here ||||| (CNN) -- U.S. Rep. Trey Radel said Wednesday night he will take a leave of absence for an unspecified time and donate his salary. 
 
 "I have no excuse for what I have done. I have let down our country," he said at a news conference. 
 
 Radel spoke to reporters after returning home to southwest Florida, hours after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cocaine possession. 
 
 The 37-year-old first-term Republican from Florida said he will enter an inpatient drug treatment program. 
 
 The cocaine possession charge came after authorities said he bought a small amount of cocaine in a sting in the nation's capital last month. 
 
 During the brief news conference, Radel said he "grew up with a mom who struggled with alcoholism." 
 
 "I don't want my son to struggle with that," he said. 
 
 The plea and sentence were part of a deal that Radel's attorney struck with federal prosecutors. He could have received a maximum sentence of 180 days imprisonment or a $1,000 fine, or both. Instead, he was placed on one year probation, and if it is "successfully completed," his guilty plea will be cleared from his record. 
 
 "Your honor, I apologize for what I've done," Radel told Judge Robert Tignor in court Wednesday. "I think in life I've hit a bottom where I realize I need help." 
 
 Radel said he is aggressively pursuing that help, with the support of friends and loved ones. 
 
 He was charged after he bought 3.5 grams of cocaine from an undercover police officer in Washington's Dupont Circle area on October 29, court documents say. 
 
 Who is Trey Radel? 
 
 It was a sting that stemmed from a broader FBI/Drug Enforcement Administration investigation of a drug trafficking organization in the nation's capital, law enforcement officials told CNN on condition of anonymity. 
 
 The targets of the investigation are dealers and high-level people in the organization, not buyers and users. But a dealer who was arrested last month told federal agents that one of his customers was a congressman, one of the law enforcement officials said. 
 
 So, deciding they couldn't turn away from that, agents set up the sting, the law enforcement officials said. 
 
 Court documents say Radel gave the undercover officer $260 for the cocaine outside a restaurant, and the two got into the officer's vehicle, where the officer gave Radel the cocaine. 
 
 Federal agents approached Radel after he left the vehicle, and Radel dropped the cocaine to the street, according to court documents. 
 
 Radel then agreed to talk to the agents in his apartment, where he admitted he bought cocaine, according to the documents. "The defendant also retrieved and provided to the agents a vial of cocaine that he had in his apartment," the court documents say. 
 
 A tea party favorite, Radel was elected last year to represent southwest Florida's 19th Congressional District. 
 
 He is a former journalist and TV news anchor, having worked for WINK in Fort Myers, Florida. He also owned and eventually sold the Naples Journal newspaper, according to a biography on his congressional website. 
 
 Radel is married with a young son. He is active on Twitter, where he posts about touring the Capitol, listening to hip-hop, playing guitar and opposing Obamacare. 
 
 In a statement released by his office this week, Radel said he is "profoundly sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the people of Southwest Florida." 
 
 "I struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely irresponsible choice," he said. "As the father of a young son and a husband to a loving wife, I need to get help so I can be a better man for both of them. 
 
 "However, this unfortunate event does have a positive side. It offers me an opportunity to seek treatment and counseling. I know I have a problem and will do whatever is necessary to overcome it, hopefully setting an example for others struggling with this disease." 
 
 A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said in a prepared statement this week that members of Congress "should be held to the highest standards, and the alleged crime will be handled by the courts." 
 
 "Beyond that, this is between Rep. Radel, his family, and his constituents," Boehner's spokesman said. 
 
 CNN's Jason Hanna, Deirdre Walsh, Alison Harding and Greg Seaby contributed to this report. ||||| Florida Rep. Henry "Trey" Radel is apologizing to his constituents after being busted on a cocaine possession charge, acknowledging he also struggles with alcoholism and intends to seek treatment and counseling. 
 
 FILE - This Sept. 3, 2013, file photo, shows Rep. Henry "Trey" Radel, R-Fla., on Capitol Hill in Washington. Radel has been charged with misdemeanor cocaine possession in Washington. District of Columbia... (Associated Press) 
 
 The 37-year-old freshman Republican was charged with cocaine possession Tuesday after what a federal law enforcement official described as a "buy and bust" operation. Radel was scheduled to appear Wednesday in District of Columbia Superior Court. 
 
 In a statement expressing regret, Radel made no mention of his political future but said he had made an "extremely irresponsible choice" and had let down his family and his constituents. 
 
 Authorities allege that Radel knowingly possessed cocaine on Oct. 29. A one-sentence charging document did not add any details about the allegations. 
 
 A Drug Enforcement Administration official said Radel allegedly bought cocaine from an undercover agent in Washington's Dupont Circle neighborhood on Oct. 29. Later that night, federal authorities went to Radel's apartment and informed him that he would be facing criminal charges related to the purchase. 
 
 The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release details of the case in his own name, said Radel was identified to authorities as a cocaine buyer by his suspected dealer. The dealer had been arrested previously as part of a separate drug investigation led by a federal task force. 
 
 "In facing this charge, I realize the disappointment my family, friends and constituents must feel. Believe me, I am disappointed in myself, and I stand ready to face the consequences of my actions," Radel said in a statement. 
 
 "However, this unfortunate event does have a positive side. It offers me an opportunity to seek treatment and counseling," he added. "I know I have a problem and will do whatever is necessary to overcome it, hopefully setting an example for others struggling with this disease." 
 
 The cocaine possession charge, a misdemeanor, carries a statutory maximum of six months in prison and a fine of $1,000. Radel appears to be the first sitting member of Congress charged with a drug offense since former Rep. Frederick Richmond, D-N.Y., was convicted in 1982 on charges of tax evasion and drug possession. 
 
 A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the allegations are a matter for the courts. 
 
 "Beyond that, this is between Rep. Radel, his family and his constituents," Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said. 
 
 Radel was elected in 2012 to represent Florida's 19th Congressional District, which includes the Gulf Coast communities of Fort Myers and Naples. He was a radio host before becoming a congressman. He identifies himself on his Twitter profile as a "Hip Hop conservative" and "lover of (hash)liberty," and his Twitter account has remained active in the past few weeks, including on the day of the bust. 
 
 Florida Republican Party Chairman Lenny Curry said he was disappointed in Radel but glad that he was seeking help. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Alicia A. Caldwell and Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.
– A freshman Republican in the House now has much bigger worries than a re-election campaign. Rep. Trey Radel, who represents Florida's Fort Myers area, has been charged with misdemeanor cocaine possession in DC, reports Politico. The Miami Herald describes Radel as a "libertarian-leaning" Republican in line with the Tea Party and says the 37-year-old might have caught a break by getting busted in Washington: He would have faced felony charges in Florida. His maximum penalty in DC would be 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. “I'm profoundly sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the people of Southwest Florida," Radel says in a statement picked up by the Naples Daily News. "I struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely irresponsible choice. As the father of a young son and a husband to a loving wife, I need to get help so I can be a better man for both of them." Radel, a self-described rap fan and "hip hop conservative," once co-sponsored a bill to ease up on mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, notes the Herald.