A Fayetteville man who used his badge as a Clayton County police officer to protect drug dealers has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison.
Jonathan S. Callahan, 28, took a bribe to protect drug dealers, and he also stole personal property from a motorist during a traffic stop, federal prosecutors said.
According to court officials, on Aug. 6, 2010 in exchange for $1,000, Callahan provided protection for an undercover transaction which he believed was a drug deal involving at least a kilogram of cocaine. During the deal, Callahan was on duty, in uniform and in his marked police vehicle.
The feds were tipped off to Callahan’s escapades after he stole two firearms from a motorist he had stopped for a traffic violation on July 15, 2010. According to prosecutors, the theft of the firearms “violated the driver’s constitutional right to be free from an unreasonable seizure by a police officer and this conduct formed the basis for Callahan’s civil rights conviction.”
Callahan was sentenced to five years and two months in prison by U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey Jr. Once released from prison, Callahan will serve three years of supervised release.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Lamkin encouraged anyone with information regarding public corruption, including law enforcement officials, to contact their nearest FBI office.
Clayton County Police Chief Gregory Porter noted that Callahan’s conduct was that “of a selfish individual and not reflective of this department.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gary and Phyllis Clerk.
