Federal police officer sentenced for illegal traffic stops

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A federal police officer will spend more than a year in prison for making illegal traffic stops when he had no authority to do so, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Stephen G. House, of Silver Creek, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Thursday after being convicted of making illegal traffic stops on eight occasions.

“This defendant abused his authority as a federal law enforcement officer by repeatedly using his official position to make illegal traffic stops and illegally detain motorists,” said U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.

House, 53, worked as a law enforcement and security officer for the Federal Protective Service of the Department of Homeland Security. As part of his job, House was allowed to drive to and from work in a service vehicle with emergency equipment, including blue lights and a siren, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

House had no authority to enforce Georgia’s traffic law, however, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he “repeatedly activated the emergency blue lights on his federal police vehicle and pulled over motorists.” He then would call other law enforcement officers to write traffic tickets, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

House was accused twice of telling other law enforcement officers that the motorists he pulled over were “driving aggressively,” causing those people to be jailed and their cars impounded, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Two other times, House was accused of falsely telling other law enforcement officers that the motorists he pulled over had violated traffic laws, resulting in those officers writing traffic tickets.

House also was accused four times of detaining motorists and then letting them go with a “warning,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

House was sentenced to one year, six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He also was fined $10,000 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

“House's illicit actions tainted the hard work of the many men and women who serve our country with pride and dedication daily. Actions such as these will not go unchecked or unpunished,” said David P. D'Amato, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility for the Southeast.