A former police officer in northwest Georgia is facing possible prison time after pleading guilty to bribery and drug trafficking charges.

Earnie Edward Cox, 40, was the last of three men arrested in a marijuana trafficking investigation, the Rome News-Tribune reported.

Cox assisted one of the other men during a raid in March 2017 by providing “law enforcement-sensitive information,” according to arrest warrants.

During the raid, officers seized two firearms, 14 pounds of marijuana and more than $120,000.

Last year, Rome police Chief Denise Downer-McKinney contacted the GBI about corruption allegations involving Cox, according to the report. He was fired after a 15-year career.

In other news:

The county admits the road is in poor condition but it's not on the re-surfacing list for fiscal year 2018.

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Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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