Two south suburban police officers have been charged with extortion and theft during traffic stops.

Two police officers in south suburban Phoenix are facing extortion, theft, and bribery charges after allegedly shaking down motorists during traffic stops there and in neighboring Harvey.

A federal grand jury indicted Phoenix Police Sergeant Jarret Snowden, 34, and patrol Officer Antoine Larry, 46, on four counts. According to the 10-page indictment, the two conspired between 2020 and 2022 to “to corruptly solicit and obtain cash payments and other things of value, including controlled substances, from occupants of vehicles that LARRY and SNOWDEN encountered during traffic stops, in exchange for reducing, dropping or declining to press charges against the occupants…”

The indictment details seven robberies or bribes committed between October 2020 and December 2021, though federal officials believe both officers may have conspired to rob drivers as early as April 2020.

According to the indictment, the two would take illegal guns, drugs, or other contraband and then demand cash bribes in exchange for “reducing, dropping or declining to press charges” and allowing the drivers to keep their cars instead of having them impounded.

In one case, the couple is accused of selling drugs obtained illegally to a dealer and agreeing to split the proceeds.

According to the indictment, Larry and Snowden sometimes arranged for victims to meet them at a nearby gas station to pay a cash bribe. In some cases, officers enlisted the help of a “bagman” to collect payments.

According to the indictment, the officers extorted $8,000 from one victim. Other victims reported being forced to pay around $1,000.

The Phoenix police chief issued a statement on Tuesday, which read in part, “Both officers have been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the federal trial. We will not make any further comments to protect the integrity of the federal government’s investigation.”

Neither Larry nor Snowden are being held. According to an attorney for one of the officers, neither of them will be arraigned in court for several weeks.