A former DeKalb County police officer pleaded guilty Friday to helping others possess and hide a stolen car, using his police computer for criminal means and lying to federal agents.

Donald Bristol, 41, of Lilburn, is to be sentenced Oct. 18 in federal court in Atlanta.

"This defendant was a criminal in a police officer's uniform," U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said in a statement. "The evidence showed that during his tenure as a police officer, he violated the very laws that he had sworn to enforce – and then lied about it to federal agents.”

Beginning in April 2010, Bristol helped two criminal defendants hide the fact that the car they were using had been stolen. He also misused his access to a law enforcement database to provide the defendants with information. He later lied about some of his activities to federal agents, prosecutors said.

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Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff