Atlanta cop pleads guilty to conspiracy

A former Atlanta police officer pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges for his role in a botched drug raid that ended in the shooting death of a 92-year-old woman.

The former officer, Arthur Tesler, faces more than 10 years in prison on a charge of conspiracy to violate civil rights resulting in death. The police originally said officers had gone to the home of the woman, Kathryn Johnston, in northwest Atlanta, in 2006 after an informant said he had bought drugs there. But after finding none, officers tried to cover up the mistake by planting bags of marijuana, prosecutors said.

In May, Mr. Tesler, 42, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for lying to investigators, but federal prosecutors decided to pursue more charges after reviewing the case.

(AP)

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FBI: Columbus murder suspect on top 10 list

Registe (FBI)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Saturday placed Columbus resident Michael Jason Registe, 25, on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

Registe is a suspect in the murders of two Columbus high school grads in an apartment parking lot last July.

The FBI will announce details of the step at a press conference Monday morning, according to a statement released Saturday.

The Bureau also upped the reward on information leading to Registe’s arrest from $20,000 to $100,000.

More details are available at the FBI website: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/registe_mj.htm:

"MICHAEL JASON REGISTE IS WANTED FOR HIS ALLEGED PARTICIPATION IN A DOUBLE HOMICIDE IN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. ON JULY 20, 2007, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS RESPONDED TO A SHOOTING INCIDENT IN WHICH TWO MALES SITTING INSIDE A TRUCK HAD SUFFERED EXECUTION-STYLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THE BACK OF THEIR HEADS. ONE OF THE VICTIMS DIED AT THE SCENE AND THE OTHER DIED SHORTLY AFTERWARD.

"CONSIDERED ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

"IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST U.S. EMBASSY OR CONSULATE."