Pubdate: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 Source: The Southeast Missourian (MO) Copyright: 2001, Southeast Missourian Contact: http://www.semissourian.com/opinion/speakout/submit/ Website: http://www.semissourian.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1322 Author: Benjamin McElhaney. PROSECUTOR - ARBYRD MARSHAL ARRESTED AFTER PLANTING 'DRUGS' Daily Dunklin Democrat ARBYRD, Mo. -- A Missouri Bootheel city marshal was accused Friday of hiring someone to obtain methamphetamine and plant it in a man's car. Arbyrd city marshal Lawrence Underwood, 36, was charged with attempted delivery of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and making a false report. The false report charge is a misdemeanor, the others felonies. Dunklin County prosecutor Stephen P. Sokoloff said the incident happened Thursday night and Friday morning. The chief was accused of asking someone to get the illegal drug and hide it under the driver's seat of a car owned by Benjamin McElhaney. The prosecutor said Underwood solicited an individual to obtain methamphetamine and hide it under the driver's seat of an automobile owned by Benjamin McElhaney. When that was done, Underwood then made a traffic stop, searched the car, found the substance and arrested McElhaney for possession of a controlled substance. The man allegedly solicited by the chief then contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol, prompting a sting operation, Sokoloff said. Imitation meth The chief stopped and searched the car and arrested McElhaney for possession of a controlled substance. The purported controlled substance was actually an imitation provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A patrol officer was with McElhaney when he was stopped by Underwood. McElhaney "is just a guy he had something against," Sokoloff said. "It is a sad occasion to have to criminally prosecute a law enforcement officer, but this should remind us that no one, including police officers, is above the law." Underwood is a native of Marquand, Mo. He received his law enforcement training at the academy at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. He became a certified police officer in 1993 and has worked for several law enforcement agencies as both a reserve and an active police officer, including Naylor and Portageville, Sokoloff said. Before being hired April 21 by Arbyrd, Underwood had been a member of the Hayti Heights Police Department. He was the third person to hold the job of city marshal at Arbyrd in less than a year. Marshal Gary Jones had resigned the job last summer. Leland Stark was elected in April to fill the one year unexpired term of Jones' term and within days of winning the election, resigned not only the office but from the police department as well. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens