Ex-Alabama Officer to Plead Guilty for Planting Drugs in Fake Stop

A former police officer from Alabama has reached a plea agreement regarding his involvement in a scheme that aimed to plant drugs on innocent drivers to create the illusion of drug-related arrests, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday.

Michael Kilgore, aged 40 and hailing from Centre, Alabama, faced charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely methamphetamine. Details from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama revealed that Kilgore had signed a plea agreement admitting to conspiring with at least one known associate.

Kilgore’s tenure with the Centre Police Department began in 2022. The illicit activities reportedly commenced in early January 2023, when he stopped an unidentified vehicle during which he discovered various drugs. He then suggested to the driver a deal to evade criminal charges by becoming a partner in his scheme.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the driver accepted Kilgore’s proposition, thereby becoming a co-conspirator in the drug-planting operation.

In May 2023, Kilgore was apprehended and subsequently dismissed from his role with the police department. A date for his formal guilty plea is yet to be scheduled by the district court.

Facing a federal charge, Kilgore could incur up to 20 years in prison alongside financial penalties. However, prosecutors have indicated that his willingness to accept responsibility and enter a guilty plea will be factored into the sentencing decision.

Approximately a week after the arrangement with the unnamed driver, Kilgore reached out to him expressing a desire to create a methamphetamine case. The co-conspirator suggested a female target for their scheme and agreed to place the narcotics in her vehicle. This included marijuana, which they believed would provide probable cause for a search due to its detectable odor.

Later, Kilgore and the co-conspirator organized for a package containing methamphetamine, oxycodone, and marijuana to be concealed on the underside of a vehicle, as stated by prosecutors.

On January 31, 2023, Kilgore executed a fake traffic stop on the vehicle in question and “discovered” the planted drug package that he had prior knowledge of. He had pulled over the driver, who had a female companion, for a supposed traffic infraction before detaining them on drug possession allegations.

Plans to replicate this fraudulent operation involved another vehicle. However, after the acquisition of additional narcotics, the co-conspirator chose to discard the drugs and reported the entire scheme to a law enforcement acquaintance.

During the investigation into Kilgore’s actions, the Centre Police Department’s Investigator Randy Mayorga launched a probe triggered by the allegations. The investigation uncovered corroborating evidence that led to the issuance of arrest warrants for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Centre Police Chief Kirk Blankenship expressed disappointment in Kilgore’s conduct, noting that no officer should engage in illegal activities. “There is no excuse for any officer violating the law like this,” he stated.

Following the scandal, the driver targeted by Kilgore’s deceit filed a lawsuit against him for wrongful arrest. Reports emerged in October 2023, indicating that the driver alleged Kilgore had planted drugs in his vehicle and utilized a police dog from another department to “discover” the narcotics.

Source: USA TODAY