ATLANTA — An Atlanta-based attorney is suing a city in southern Alabama, claiming police set him up for a drug arrest by planting drugs in his rental car.

Terry Bailey says he traveled to Prichard, Alabama, to help a client buy a strip club. His lawsuit alleges a passenger planted drugs in his rental car before police searched the vehicle and arrested Bailey and his driver on drug charges.

“It seems pretty clear to us that this was targeted,” attorney Mark Begnaud said.

Begnaud says Bailey believed he was traveling to a legitimate business meeting before he was arrested.

“We’ve got a lawyer who goes to a meeting who thinks it’s on the up and up, and ends up going to jail for trafficking serious drugs that carry a sentence of potential life in prison,” Begnaud said.

The charges against Bailey and his driver were later dropped. Begnaud says they provided information about the alleged setup to federal authorities.

“This was a plant and a set up, and we’re able to present that information to federal authorities who it turns out were already investigating the city of Prichard police department,” Begnaud said.

Bailey and his driver are now suing the city and several police officials.

Former Prichard police officer Emanuel Dotch, who is accused of organizing the alleged setup, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to the alleged scheme.

WSB has reached out to the city attorney for comment but has not heard back.

WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Rob Archer contributed to this story.