Pitt to produce con police story
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Paramount Studios has picked up the life rights of Missouri journalist Linda Trest, who helped expose a fake police officer performing drug busts.
Brad Pitt and his studio-based production company Plan B has teamed up with the writer of Troy, David Benioff, to develop the project.
Screenwriters Anthony Walton and Andrew Dresher have been brought on board to script a film inspired by her story.
Trest, 51, was a reporter for the Gasconade County Republican in Gerald, Missouri, when she began hearing stories about a federal agent nicknamed Sergeant Bill.
Sergeant Bill appeared to be kicking down Gerald's drug problem, one door at a time.
Gerald had been ravaged by methamphetamine abuse, so local law enforcers were happy to assist the Sergeant Bill's efforts to clean up the town with arrests, home searches and investigations.
The only problem was that Bill turned out to be an ex-cop with no law enforcement credentials.
Bill A Jakob was an unemployed former trucking company owner and did not even live in Gerald.
Trest eventually exposed Jakob's bizarre con.
- Reuters
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