Louisiana police chief convicted of stealing seized money, COVID-19 stimulus funds

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A small-town police chief in Louisiana was convicted after taking money seized in narcotics investigations and stealing a family’s COVID-19 stimulus money, leaving them homeless, officials said Monday.

A jury last week found Mitch Bratton guilty of malfeasance in office, felony theft and possession of controlled dangerous substances, the state Attorney General’s office said in a news release. Bratton was recently reelected as chief of police in Grayson, a village of just more than 500 people in Caldwell Parish, south of Monroe.

It is unclear if Bratton is currently serving as chief of police. Officials for Grayson or the village's police department could not immediately be reached for comment.

While serving as chief of police, Bratton was personally responsible for more than $10,000 in narcotics funds that went missing between 2016 and 2019, the release said.

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The police chief of a Louisiana town has been convicted of taking drug money and a family's COVID stimulus funds, which left them homeless. 

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Additionally, Bratton was convicted on one count of felony theft related to monies taken from a mother and son during the course of an arrest. 

"That money was their COVID stimulus and had been set aside for home expenses. As a result of this theft, that family was unable to pay their bills, lost their home, and are still homeless to this day," the press release stated.

During a search of his vehicle, State Police found Xanax and Suboxone loose inside — evidence from other drug cases that had not been documented, the Attorney General's office said.

Bratton is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 19. He faces up to five years in prison for each count.