Ex-Cop Sentenced for Civil Rights Conspiracy Charge

A former Atlanta police sergeant has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to violate civil rights by breaking into a private residence without a warrant to search for drugs.

Wilbert Stallings of Conyers was the sergeant over the narcotics team involved in the shooting of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston during a 2006 raid at her home.

U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said the 45-year-old Stallings should feel fortunate that the resident in this case was not home, or this civil-rights conspiracy could have had the same end as the one that took Johnston's life.

Stallings was sentenced to 18 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service. He pleaded guilty to the civil-rights
conspiracy charge on March 24th, 2008.

(Associated Press)