A grand jury in DeKalb County, Ga., just outside of Atlanta, has indicted a former police officer who is accused of working with area drug dealers to rip off their competitors.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that 33-year-old Lori Monique Johnson was charged with racketeering and violating her oath of office in the indictment which was announced last week and goes back to incidents that occurred between April 2014 and March 2015.
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Johnson is accused of using traffic stops to confiscate money from dealers and then turning the money over to her co-conspirators instead of the DeKalb County Police Department. The indictment alleges Johnson, who resigned last October while under investigation, staged two traffic stops involving other unsuspecting drug dealers and seized their cash.
“Legitimately forfeited funds should have been turned over to the DeKalb Police Department,” the county district attorney’s office said in a news release. “Instead, Johnson is accused of diverting those funds to her drug dealer partners, who in turn, paid her for performing the fake traffic stops and making the fake seizures.”
In another instance, Johnson allegedly responded to another officer’s stop and stole money, according to the DA’s office, which worked with the FBI on the case.
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“The reprehensible actions of Ms. Johnson are unacceptable and do not reflect the high standards of the DeKalb County Police Department,” chief James Conroy said. “Her actions tarnish the reputations and service which is demonstrated by our honorable law enforcement officers each and every day.”
Johnson was released on bond last Friday.