Kaplan police officer arrested for accepting $500 bribe from drug dealer

KAPLAN, La (KLFY) -- A Kaplan police officer was arrested and fired Thursday for accepting a bribe from a drug dealer.

Former officer Mitchell Guidroz is now behind bars, facing charges of public bribery and malfeasance in office.

Kaplan Police Chief Joshua Hardy said not only did they arrest Guidroz for public bribery, but through their investigation, they were also able to take 492 grams of cocaine and 68 grams of marijuana off of the street.

Chief Hardy says the man selling the drugs, Kylen Meche, bribed Guidroz with $500.

"The drug dealer told us that he had paid the officer to let him know information," Chief Hardy said.

He said it was information about drug busts in Kaplan.

"He would let him know if we were out working narcotics or if we were going after him or someone he knew or someone he was involved with," he told News Ten.

When an informant tipped off police about the bribe, they raided the drug dealer's home, where they found nearly a pound of cocaine, marijuana, pills, and evidence of Guidroz's malfeasance. He was promptly arrested.

"We have zero tolerance for narcotics," Chief Hardy added.

He says Guidroz is the fourth employee he's had to fire in the last year.

Two officers were recently fired for making racist comments. Another was arrested for child pornography.

"The thing is, when we find out about it, we investigate it, and we take action so we don't have that type of environment or person working for this department," Chief Hardy said.

The drug dealer who bribed the officer was charged with three counts of public bribery.

Kaplan Police say he also tried to bribe two other officers, who did not accept the bribes.