Former Alabama police officer, Michael Kilgore, has agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge connected to a scheme involving planting drugs on motorists, according to federal prosecutors. Kilgore, a former officer with the Centre Police Department, has signed a plea agreement acknowledging his involvement in planting methamphetamines, oxycodone, and marijuana in a woman’s car with the help of a co-conspirator.
The court records detail how the scheme started in early 2023 when Kilgore discovered drugs in a vehicle and offered the driver a way to avoid charges by cooperating as a confidential informant. The driver then became a participant in Kilgore’s drug-planting plan, as stated in the plea agreement released by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona’s office.
A week later, Kilgore informed the co-conspirator about wanting to build a narcotics case, leading to a setup where a package of drugs was placed under a vehicle. On January 31, 2023, Kilgore pulled over the vehicle for an alleged traffic violation, conducted a search, and presented the drugs found, according to prosecutors.
Plans for a second drug-planting operation were in motion, but the co-conspirator disposed of the drugs and reported the scheme to law enforcement. The federal charge Kilgore faces carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Prosecutors mentioned that his forthcoming sentencing recommendation will commend Kilgore for admitting to and taking accountability for his actions.