Louisville police betrayed by their own criminal informant

A convicted Louisville man selected as a Louisville Metro Police informant to help catch drug traffickers, stole guns from police and embarked on a bizarre crime spree while posing as a detective or federal agent.

John E. Lohden, Jr., a felon barred from owning a single gun, stole three guns − including a short-barreled rifle − from Louisville Metro Police Department in a brazen series of crimes that will soon send him to federal prison, where parole is not an option.

Police had gotten to know Lohden, who taught martial arts at a gym on Dixie Highway. He was driving from Jefferson County to Bullitt County when he got pulled over in a traffic stop. Officers told him his traffic charges could disappear if he agreed to become a criminal informant.

The 34-year-old got lots of work, first teaming with Bullitt County drug investigators. Initially, he made narcotics investigators look good, helping make several cases against drug traffickers and getting police information that enabled them to confiscate more than $600,000 in drug money. He also worked for LMPD.

But, he got overconfident and greedy.

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Through a series of car break-ins targeting police officers, Lohden obtained police weapons and a stun-ball grenade, a diversionary device that police toss in suspect's homes to disorient them during a raid.

Then Lohden teamed with others to pose as investigators from various local and federal departments to rip off area drug dealers. It took real investigators from local, state and federal departments to untangle the string of crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation and received help from LMPD, and sheriff's officials from Jefferson and Bullitt counties along with other federal agencies and Kentucky State Police.

Lohden teamed with two men July 20, 2021, to kidnap a victim for ransom in Jefferson County while posing as deputy U.S. Marshals, wearing the government agency's insignia, according to prosecutors' pretrial memo. A day later, an investigator spotted a stolen white Ford Explorer at a Baymont Inn in Bullitt County and conducted a felony traffic stop, finding Joshua Lohden − John's brother − along with marijuana, a gun and a large amount of cash.

Louisville police didn't yet realize what the Lohden brothers and their friends were up to.

So, when police grew concerned about a series of car break-ins targeting officers' weapons, in January 2022, they decided to use John Lohden to conduct a series of gun purchases to try and catch the culprits. They didn't know that Lohden was one of the leaders responsible for the gun thefts.

Prosecutors wrote in court documents that Lohden "had actually possessed the firearms prior to the buy and was acting as an informant for law enforcement under false pretenses."

Criminal informants can face less jail time for cooperating with police − except when they commit new crimes.

On Aug. 16, 2022, Lohden teamed with Dayton Peterson, 23, and others to enter a home while pretending to be an LMPD officer, a U.S. Marshal and an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The victim shouted for them to leave him alone because he was an informant with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. They didn't care.

They stole several Rolex watches, money, several guns and drugs and kidnapped the victim, taking him from the home to hold him for ransom.

Lohden and his robbery crew headed to a jewelry store near Churchill Downs to pawn the Rolexes, but the owner recognized the watches, including some custom pieces he had worked on, adding extra diamonds on the faces. The owner called police.

Two days after the incident, investigators spotted John Lohden in downtown Louisville. He tried to dodge them by speeding off, but he rammed other cars. He jumped out, carrying his little boy, and tried to run from police. Officers caught up to him. Police searched Lohden and his car, finding the stun-ball grenade, stolen jewelry, guns, more than a kilogram of heroin and more than 12 kilograms of cocaine.

A day after Lohden's arrest, Peterson and his girlfriend used profits from the robbery to buy a mobile home, earning both a conviction for money laundering.

Investigators arrested Peterson in October 2022, finding two guns, more than 700 grams of cocaine and more than 500 grams of heroin, netting him a conviction on drug trafficking and gun charges.

In July, a judge sentenced Joshua Lohden to 22 years in prison for kidnapping, impersonating an officer during a search or arrest, robbery and having a gun during a drug trafficking crime. He is appealing his sentence.

A sentence hearing is set for Sept. 12 in U.S. District Court in Louisville. John Lohden faces between 20 years to life. Peterson, whose sentencing hearing has been moved to Oct. 22, faces between 15 years to life.

Reach Beth Warren at bwarren@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville police betrayed by their own criminal informant