ATLANTA - Authorities say a former DeKalb County deputy police chief has pleaded guilty to charges of accepting bribes.

Prosecutors say 47-year-old Donald E. Frank of Monroe pleaded guilty Friday in federal district court to conspiring to take bribes while employed as a deputy police chief with DeKalb County.

U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said officers are sworn to uphold the law, but Frank acted as a private citizen's "personal enforcer" in exchange for cash.

Prosecutors say a local businessman paid Frank $10,000 to threaten and intimidate one of his business partners. Authorities say Frank also helped the businessman end an affair with his mistress by making a series of threatening calls and intimidated the woman into ending the relationship.

Frank could not immediately be reached late Friday.