A Kentucky State Trooper has been indicted for conspiracy as well as “engaging in misleading conduct with the intent to prevent communication to a federal official or commission of a federal offense,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
A federal grand jury in London returned the indictment charging 32-year-old Michael L. Howell with conspiracy to obstruct a criminal investigation and for engaging in misleading conduct with the intent to prevent communication of information to federal law enforcement relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense.
The indictment alleges that Howell, along with another, as of yet unidentified trooper, “conspired with others to conceal the true nature of force used by troopers, and the circumstances under which they used that force, to detain an arrestee.”
The indictment further alleges that Howell and others failed to disclose the use of force upon the victim, and instead developed a “fictitious story” about what happened, which matched “the closest thing to what the video would show” in order to conceal the true events and mislead his investigating supervisor, said Carlton S. Shier IV, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI.
Howell faces up to 20 years in prison on each charge.
This indictment is part of an ongoing investigation, prosecutors said.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
