Alabama Police Officer Admits to Stealing Chevy Silverado
An Alabama state trooper pulled over a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that had been reported stolen, but was in for a shock when he found another police officer behind the wheel. Now, there are allegations that the thief used a police database to nab vehicles, and multiple officers have been fired.
The traffic stop started in an unassuming way: Around 6:30 p.m. on January 24th, a state trooper ran the plates on a white 2003 Chevrolet Silverado driving south on Alabama’s Interstate 65. The vehicle came back as reported stolen on January 20th. The driver, 25-year-old Johny Fowler IV of Union Springs, admitted to taking the car and was booked into Montgomery County Jail. His charge in that county is Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. In Jefferson County, he’s facing charges of First-Degree Theft of Property. He’s currently out on bail.
The only cop who got in more trouble recently, may be the Kentucky officer charged for driving 122 mph while “stumbling drunk.”
Fowler listed the University of Alabama at Birmingham as his employer. His position: police officer. UAB Police are not state troopers, but a distinct police force tasked with campus safety.
The investigation into Alabama officers using police tools to steal cars
ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation dispatched Special Agents. They launched an additional investigation and are looking into a series of connected vehicle thefts. ALEA expects to make additional arrests. Channel 6 News out of Birmingham received reports that UAB officers may have misused law enforcement databases to steal vehicles, which they then tore down to resell individual, untraceable parts.
UAB has fired Fowler and another officer—Solomon Moss. Though Moss has not been charged with any crime. A spokesperson told Channel 6, “The individuals you named are no longer employed by the institution, and UAB Police and Public Safety will continue to assist with the investigation. Personnel matters are confidential, and no additional comment will be provided.”
