Remember When They Said New Orleans Police Department Corruption Was All in the Past?

Errr....

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- A former New Orleans police officer who resigned after being accused of abandoning his post during the Hurricane Katrina crisis was arrested while driving a stolen truck, authorities said.

Willie Earl Bickham, 39, was expected to face felony charges including unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and impersonating a police officer, said Houston police Sgt. Nate McDuell.
Bickham told Houston police he was still a New Orleans police officer. But police officials in Louisiana said Bickham resigned in early September to avoid being fired for abandoning his duties.

Bickham was driving a 2005 Chevrolet truck when he was pulled over for speeding Saturday. The officer who made the stop noticed the black truck had no license plates.

The car dealer's name marked on the truck was a New Orleans dealership that had reported several vehicles stolen during the hurricane crisis, McDuell said.

Bickham, who has family in Houston, could also face weapons charges: He had a pistol issued by the New Orleans department, McDuell said.