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Alabama Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Extortion
Jim Kouri | Conservative Voice | 11/26/2005

Chief Michael Putnam, 51, of the Hammondville, Alabama police department pled guilty on Tuesday to one count of extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act. The plea was announced by Alice H. Martin, United States Attorney Northern District of Alabama and Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to U.S. Attorney Martin, Putnam, as Chief of Police in Hammondville, made a traffic stop of a citizen in July, 2005. During the stop, Putnam discovered marijuana in the citizen’s possession. After taking the citizen into custody, the police chief told the citizen the drug charges would be dropped if firearms were purchased and then donated to the Hammondville Police Department. To cover his criminal conduct, Chief Putnam instructed the citizen to give the firearms to a third party who would donate them to the Police Department. The chief then warned the citizen not to disclose the deal to others.

“Law enforcement is a special duty and a special trust,” stated U. S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. “Police officers are charged with enforcing the law and protecting the public. When they choose, instead, to victimize members of the public, they should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Putnam could receive a maximum of twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be set at a later date before United States District Judge Sharon L. Blackburn. This case was investigated by special agents of the Gadsden Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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