Former Hammond, Louisiana Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Retaliating Against a Witness, Victim, or Informant

Gulfport, MS - An Amite City, Louisiana man plead guilty today to one count of retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant.

According to court documents, Denver Keith Golmon, age 37, was found to be a participant in an illegal animal fighting venture in Mississippi. Golmon's uncle, Bert Lester, was charged during the execution of a search warrant and indicted for a violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Search warrants into Lester's phone and Golmon's iCloud account revealed that Bert Lester had provided portions of the Government's discovery to Golmon who then used the information to reveal the identity of a confidential informant in the case. Golmon sent or attempted to send videos of the Government's discovery to multiple individuals, encouraging broad distribution of the footage. In April of 2026, he encouraged two other Hammond Police officers to detain the confidential source at his work place, interfering with the confidential source's employment.

Golmon pleaded guilty to a violation of 18 United States Code 1513(e). He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Matthew Wright, made the announcement.

The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, investigated the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).