Crime & Safety

Former DeKalb Officer Indicted for Abusing Position, Lying to U.S. Agents

Lilburn man faces federal charges for allegedly helping others conceal stolen car.

A former DeKalb County police officer from Lilburn has been indicted on federal charges of aiding others to possess and conceal a stolen vehicle, failing to report a federal felony, unlawfully accessing government computer systems and making false statements, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta announced.

Donald Bristol, 41, was arraigned late Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge E. Clayton Scofield III. Bristol used his position as a DeKalb County police officer to help two separately charged defendants hide the fact that they possessed a stolen car, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement.

Yates said Bristol misused his access to a sensitive law enforcement database to provide his associates with information about criminal histories and outstanding arrest warrants. Prosecutors said Bristol also made numerous false statements to federal agents.       

Authorities said Bristol was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 25. The most serious of the charges, the announcement said, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

"Our citizens are entitled to police officers who will obey the laws that they have sworn to enforce.  Not only did this officer violate the law, but his criminal conduct betrayed the trust of the people of DeKalb County and its police department,”  Yates said in the statement.

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The announcement also quoted  DeKalb County Police Chief William O'Brien: “The alleged criminal actions of this former officer tarnishes the DeKalb County Police badge, it erodes the public’s trust in law enforcement and undermines the continued efforts of the men and women who honorably serve the residents of DeKalb County.”

This case is being investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the DeKalb County Police Department and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis is prosecuting the case, officials said.

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