by TChris

Another Milwaukee police officer has been charged with a crime.

A Milwaukee police officer was charged Tuesday with a criminal civil rights violation for trying to shake down a parolee for money and guns, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Milwaukee. The officer, Ala W. Awadallah, 26, also threatened to plant drugs on the man and to have him sent back to prison, according to an FBI agent's affidavit filed in support of the complaint.

The complaint alleges that Awadallah searched a parolee's van without permission, discovering a controlled substance. The parolee, Earl Cosey, says that Awadallah planted the drugs, then threatened to arrest Cosey unless he "came up with two pistols and a 'chopper,' that is, an assault rifle, for Awadallah." Cosey was released (after, he says, parting with $200 that Awadallah confiscated) when he promised to provide the guns. That night, Cosey called Awadallah and said he wouldn't be able to get the guns until the next day. Cosey recorded that call and provided the tape to the FBI.

Cosey says Awadallah called him the next evening when Cosey failed to produce the promised weapons. Cosey provided the FBI with the voicemail that Awadallah left.

According to the affidavit, the voicemail from Awadallah said: "Yo, dude, you (expletive) up, player. You don't call me with an address in about four minutes, just want to tell you I'll find your ass and put a case on you. The case you should have had. Then you go back to prison. Alright. . . . Five minutes, man. Peace."