http://www.whas11.com/topstories/sto....542d4353.html
04:56 PM EDT on Thursday, August 31, 2006

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Metro Police department is investigating one of its own officers -- a veteran.

This comes after a Hispanic man claims the officer may have pocketed thousands of dollars in cash after a traffic stop.

Officer Dennis Leber had been with the Louisville police department for 13 years. He quit two weeks ago when a Hispanic migrant worker claimed he was missing money after Leber arrested him.

The traffic stop happened August 9, the corner of Brook and Jefferson in downtown Louisville. Louisville Metro Officer Dennis Leber pulls over a car for going straight in a turn lane, almost causing an accident.

According to the arrest citation, Officer Leber arrests the driver, migrant worker Jose Rodas of Honduras for DUI, no license and two other charges and takes him to jail. Somewhere in there, Rodas claims, Officer Leber confiscated thousands of dollars of his cash -- cash that's now missing and the subject of a criminal investigation.

“He claims he was missing some property, namely money. He claims the last person that was in possession was one of our officers. Our public integrity unit is aggressively investigating that claim,” says Officer Dwight Mitchell.

On August 16, one week after his encounter with Rodas, Officer Leber quit the police force. He was a 13-year veteran. Did his resignation have anything to do with this incident?

“What I can say about it is that the arresting officer that was involved in this has resigned,” Mitchell says.

So how much cash may be missing? According to a police report, Rodas claims $3,500 from his wallet and several hundred more from one of his pockets.

Rodas says the officer who arrested him, Leber, was the last one he saw with the money. It wasn't found in the property rooms of the police department or the jail.

But one Louisville attorney who represents police officers says just because the department is investigating former officer Leber doesn't mean there really is any missing money. Attorney mark miller says the department seems to investigate every claim against every officer.

Rodas told police he's originally from Honduras, but there were Louisiana plates on the car he was driving.

Three other migrant workers were with him, but disappeared after Rodas’s arrest.

As for Officer Leber, we couldn't find a phone number to reach him. He had 33 commendations and four minor disciplinary actions during his years on the police force.

Web story produced by Jay Ditzer.