Man Accused of Making False Claim Against Police

Ruben Snipes was trying to protect his job. Instead, he made a real job of it.

On April 20, Snipes, 32, of 13 Burgundy Hill La., Middletown, got pulled over for a motor-vehicle violation. The officer found some marijuana on Snipe and arrested him.

Snipes made a civilian complaint, stating the marijuana wasn't his; worse, he accused the arresting officer of "planting" the pot. Snipes gave police a sworn statement outlining his allegation and confirming he understood that a false statement could lead to his arrest.

Snipes' complaint went to the department's professional standards division for further investigation. During a recorded interview, he repeated his claim. Eventually, though, he recanted, admitting he'd cooked up the story for fear of losing his job.

Snipes was served with an arrest warrant Thursday. Charged with making a false statement in the second degree, he's scheduled to appear in court March 3.

Police did not explain why it took 10 months to get an arrest warrant.