A former DeKalb County police officer was sentenced to a year and a day in a federal penitentiary Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
Donald Bristol, of Lilburn, also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $3,000 fine by U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. He could have been sentenced to up to 10 years and fined up to $250,000.
Bristol pleaded guilty in July to charges of helping others hide a stolen vehicle, unlawfully accessing a government database and lying to federal agents.
“The citizens of DeKalb County deserve better than this. During Bristol’s tenure as a police officer, he violated the laws that he had sworn to enforce. This sentence should serve as a stark reminder that no one is above the law," U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a news release.
Beginning in April 2010, Bristol, 41, used his position as a police officer to help two defendants conceal the fact that they possessed a stolen car, authorities said.
Bristol also illegally accessed a law enforcement database to provide his associates information about criminal histories and existing warrants, federal prosecutors said.
Bristol also made false statements to federal agents when asked about his involvement in the case, according to a 10-count federal indictment handed up May 25.
About the Author
