Police Chief in Louisiana Found Guilty of Malfeasance in Office, Felony Theft, and Possession of Drugs
Louisiana – A Police Chief in Louisiana has been found guilty of malfeasance in office, felony theft, and possession of drugs.
Mitch Bratton, the Grayson, Louisiana Chief of Police, was found guilty of wrongdoing after a trial by a jury lasting two weeks in Caldwell Parish.
The office of Attorney General Jeff Landry announced that they successfully secured a conviction for Malfeasance in Office, Theft (Felony), and Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances against a Chief of Police who was recently re-elected.
Mitch Bratton, who served as the Chief of Police in Grayson Village, bore personal accountability for over $10,000 in narcotics funds which went missing during the period spanning from 2016 to 2019. Consequently, he now faces four charges of malfeasance while in his official post.
Additionally, he was found guilty of committing a felony theft offense in which he unlawfully took funds from a mother and her son while they were being apprehended. The funds in question were their COVID stimulus money, originally intended for covering household costs. Due to this act of theft, the family faced severe financial hardship, resulting in the inability to meet their financial obligations, eviction from their residence, and they remain without a permanent place to live up until today.
Upon being approached by State Police, Bratton, in the presence of his family, agreed to allow a search of his vehicle. Throughout the search, State Police came across Xanax (alprazolam) and Suboxone (buprenorphine) scattered in his vehicle – substances that were taken from previous drug cases but were not appropriately packaged or recorded. Consequently, Bratton faced two charges for possessing illicit drugs.
“Late last week, Mitch Bratton was held accountable by a six-person jury in Caldwell Parish,” AG Landry stated. “The jury’s verdict is the culmination of a great prosecution by my Assistant Attorneys General Darwin Miller and Michelle Thompson. I thank Darwin and Michelle for their efforts to get justice, as well as the State Police, which did an incredible job with their investigation.
My office will continue to support crime victims and bring offenders to justice — no matter their position of authority. It is our hope that this conviction will provide some closure to his victims.”
The sentencing for Bratton is set to take place on September 19, 2023. If found guilty, he may face a maximum of five years in prison for every charge, along with a fine that does not exceed $5,000.