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LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) — The Texas Rangers are investigating whether a current officer and former employee of the La Porte Police Department were bribed and abused their position of authority, according to a search warrant obtained.
The search warrant alleges Officer Ivan Morales and former LPPD employee Fernando Garcia were communicating with and may have been bribed by Polie Phan, who is accused of a gruesome double murder.
Phan and his alleged accomplice, Jaidan Nguyen, were both charged with the brutal killing of Dana Rysdall and James Martin. Both men were shot to death this past January.
The documents reveal that Phan paid Morales to check license plates for him prior to the murders. Investigators found in text messages that Phan paid $100 in exchange for information.
In another instance that was detailed in the search warrant, Phan asked Garcia to run a license plate for him at about the time of the murders. However, Garcia was unable to do so. Investigators state the plate Phan asked Garcia to run came back as the car that was owned by Martin.
Martin was eventually found inside of the trunk of his vehicle, brutally bound by duct tape and shot to death.
Garcia resigned from his position prior to Texas Rangers notifying the police department of the investigation. Morales was placed on administrative leave.