Fmr. MPD Officer Ty Raymond Jindra Faces Federal Charges Of Illegally Acquiring Drugs, Extortion

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday announced an 11-count federal indictment charging a former Minneapolis police officer with illegally acquiring controlled substances, extortion and other crimes.

According to the attorney's office, 28-year-old Ty Raymond Jindra of Elk River was taken into custody Friday and made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota. He faces charges of acquiring controlled substances by deception, extortion under color of official right, and deprivation of rights under color of law.

Jinda is accused of abusing his position as a Minneapolis police officer to obtain, or attempt to obtain, drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and others. The indictment alleges he would divert drugs "by not reporting, logging, placing into evidence, or informing his partner or other officers on scene about the controlled substances that he had confiscated."

Jinda would also allegedly find ways to interact with or search an individual, vehicle or residence in order to find drugs without his partner's knowledge. He would, at times, allegedly conduct searches "beyond the scope warranted under the circumstances" to recover drugs. He would also allegedly turn off his body camera at times.

"United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald thanks the FBI for its skilled investigative work on this case and the Minneapolis Police Department for its immediate notification to the FBI and substantial assistance in bringing this indictment," the attorney's office said.

Jinda faces six counts of acquiring controlled substances by deception, two counts of extortion under color of official right, and three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. He served with the Minneapolis Police Department from Feb. 4, 2013 through Oct. 23, 2020.