Johnson announces Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper indictment in towing scheme
Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced Monday morning that a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper, Charles “Nate” Bradley, was charged with several felonies in connection with a towing corruption scheme. Prosecutors said Bradley used his position to help towing companies profit from towing and storing stolen vehicles without proper law enforcement involvement.
Bradley’s alleged role
Johnson said Bradley’s actions prevented proper evidence collection and investigation. The indictment said he accepted gifts in exchange for violating his duty as a trooper, intentionally delayed recovery of stolen vehicles, and allowed someone to recover stolen vehicles on behalf of law enforcement.
Prosecutors also charged Bradley with retaining a stolen necklace valued at $25,000 or more and concealing it to impair a burglary investigation. Court documents accused him of damaging a 2017 Alfa Romeo by removing valve stems or puncturing tires.
Missouri State Highway Patrol assignment
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Bradley had been assigned to the Division of Drug and Crime Control as a criminal investigator for MSHP Troop A. The agency said he had been with the patrol since 1997 and was placed on unpaid leave on May 5.
Bradley surrendered to law enforcement on Friday, May 15, and bonded out shortly after. The case now moves through the court process with the felony charges and the allegations in the indictment at the center of the proceedings.
