Officer Foster has been relieved of duty with pay pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation. The 43-year-old police officer is accused of taking cash from a driver he had pulled over. But the motorist was really a police officer working undercover for the department's proactive internal affairs unit.
An HPD spokesman told us Friday afternoon the investigation was launched after a complainant came forward with allegations that Officer Foster was taking money from people during traffic stops.
Foster, who is now charged with theft by a police servant, was unavailable for comment Friday. Sidney Stewart, who lives a couple of doors down from Foster, isn't convinced the allegations are true.
"He's always friendly," she said. "He's a nice person. He has his family there."
"What do you think about allegations like that?" we asked.
"I don't know," she said. "It's hard to believe because they are really great people."
Officer Foster is scheduled for his first court appearance on Monday. If he's eventually found guilty, it could mean a two-year prison sentence and a permanent loss of his Texas peace officer's license.
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