Missouri State Highway Trooper Charles “Nate” Bradley allegedly used his position as a trooper to help towing companies profit from towing and storing stolen vehicles, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced Monday.
Bradley was hit with thirteen charges on April 30 after a year-long investigation, including ten counts of tampering with physical evidence.
Bradley is also accused of preventing proper evidence collection and delaying people from retrieving their vehicles accepting gifts from a towing operator in exchange for giving the company access to stolen vehicles, stealing for keeping a stolen necklace in his personal possession and 1st degree property damage for directing a tow truck driver to intentionally damage a stolen vehicle.
Bradley investigated fraud and theft for the Missouri Highway Patrol, including an odometer fraud ring, catalytic converter thefts and thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars.
“Today’s indictment makes clear that nobody is above the law,” Johnson said at a press conference Monday.
Johnson said the investigation began in February 2025, after stolen auto victims raised concerns over predatory towing practices.
“I'd like to acknowledge those victims and recognize the huge cost that they have faced behind these alleged crimes,” Johnson said. “We know how much stolen vehicles can affect the average person’s life as they scramble to find transportation.”
Bradley surrendered himself to custody on May 15 and was released on a $30,000 bond.
Johnson said that while charging a law enforcement officer is rare, Jackson County plans to handle the case as they would any other.
“We cannot ask this community to trust law enforcement if we look the other way when injustice occurs,” Johnson said. “We will always hold individuals accountable regardless of who they are.”
