HSI agent: La. officer used his badge to target informant in MS cockfighting case

A federal judge on Monday denied bond for Hammond Police Officer Denver Keith Golmon pending indictment and trial on federal allegations that he retaliated against a witness in a cockfighting investigation in Bay St. Louis and Gulfport.

The judge made the decision after Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose argued that Golmon was a danger to the public, to the confidential informant he exposed, and others if he was released from custody pending trial.

When U.S. Magistrate Judge Bradley Rath denied bond, Golmon, 37, scowled while several of his relatives attending the hearing broke down in tears.

During the hearing, a Homeland Security Investigations agent testified that Golmon retaliated against a confidential informant by soliciting Hammond officers assigned to immigration enforcement task forces to arrest the informant for an immigration violation.

Golmon’s connection to the cockfighting investigation stemmed from his alleged participation in matches with his uncle, Bert Lester, who was arrested in February 2025 and later convicted for his role in cockfighting derbies held in Harrison County.

Learning to train gamecocks for fighting

The agent testified that several of Golmon’s gamecocks participated in the matches, although Golmon did not attend the derby where his uncle and others were arrested.

He also received training on how to rile up the gamecocks to get them to fight before matches.

The HSI agent also testified that Golmon used his law enforcement position to access information through the National Crime Information Center database for individuals who were not involved in law enforcement matters.

In some cases, the agent said, Golmon ran people’s names and Social Security numbers through the NCIC system to determine what information was available, allegedly for the purpose of creating fraudulent immigration documents for undocumented immigrants.

Golmon has remained in custody since his arrest last week. He is being held on a criminal complaint charging him with retaliating against a confidential informant in a cockfighting investigation.

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 plus additional time in prison if he’s given an enhanced penalty because he committed the crimes as a law enforcement officer.

49 arrested in South MS cockfighting investigations

The cockfighting investigations on the Mississippi Coast began in early 2025 after HSI agents received a tip about a derby in Bay St. Louis that Golmon and Lester were expected to attend.

Federal authorities said Golmon backed out at the last minute, although some of his gamecocks participated in the event.

The HSI agent testified that authorities have arrested at least 49 people in connection with cockfighting derbies in Gulfport and Bay St. Louis.

The agent also testified that investigators obtained a video circulating on Facebook that appeared to show a recording of evidence collected during the cockfighting investigation.

According to testimony, the video showed a man matching Golmon’s description using a cellphone to record evidence displayed on a laptop computer. The laptop bore a sticker that read, “Property of the City of Hammond LA 7873.”

The agent testified Monday that the laptop used to record the evidence was assigned to Golmon for use in his law enforcement duties in Hammond.

Investigators also recovered cellphone records that included text messages, photographs and videos of conversations between Golmon and Lester about cockfighting, including discussions about preparing gamecocks to fight.

‘A snake,’ a ‘rat’ and an officer’s arrest

In some messages, Golmon referred to the confidential informant as “always a snake” and a “rat,” according to testimony.

The HSI agent said investigators also obtained recordings in which Golmon discussed distributing video evidence that identified the informant.

According to investigators, Golmon encouraged others to share the video so that people involved in cockfighting would know who the “rat” was.

“I want everybody to see that it was this (expletive), and I just recorded bits and pieces,” Golmon said in one exchange, according to testimony.

The officer also attempted to conceal his role in sharing the evidence.

“Please, whatever you do, don’t tell anybody where you got it from,” Golmon said in another exchange. “I don’t want anyone to know it came from me.”

In other messages, Golmon wrote in Spanish that “the situation with the federal police is bad at this time.”

At other times, he wrote that the informant “got caught up with drugs, and he’s not legal, so he’s been singing.”

During Monday’s testimony, the agent confirmed the informant in the cockfighting probe is also involved in a drug trafficking case.

In other testimony, the agent recalled how one person suggested calling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the informant to have him deported.

Golmon said it wouldn’t happen because “he’s their rat,” and “they are not going to deport him.”

According to prosecutors, Golmon contacted a fellow Hammond police officer on April 29, 2026, and provided a photograph and information about the confidential informant in an effort to have him detained on immigration violations.

In conversations with the officer, Golmon allegedly said, “You wanna pick up a few illegals,” and described the informant as someone who had worked for his uncle and stolen money from him.

Two Hammond officers went to the informant’s workplace on April 29 and took him into custody. The man was later released.

According to authorities, one of the arresting officers from Hammond later told Golmon that the informant’s arrest had “scared him real good...”

One of the officers later called Golmon to tell him the informant had been released.