A state trooper was in custody late Thursday on charges of collecting up to $10,000 in cash from drivers to whom he issued tickets, according to the State Law Enforcement Division.

William K. Pierce, 33, of 28 N. Chateau Road, was in the Richland County jail on a charge of misconduct in office. Bond was set at $10,000, authorities said.

In a one-year period beginning in late 2003, the suspect allegedly issued about 50 traffic tickets from which he collected between $6,000 and $10,000 cash for his personal use, according to an affidavit.

Pierce, who has been a state trooper since 1993, has been suspended pending the outcome of the case, said Sid Gaulden, Highway Patrol spokesman.

The suspect is the brother of former state trooper George M. Pierce II, of Columbia, Gaulden said.

George Pierce was charged in 1991 with using his position for financial gain following a SLED investigation. Pierce was fined $700 in 1992 after he did not contest the charge.

That case stemmed from a 1991 traffic stop in which George Pierce agreed to charge a driver with first offense driving under the influence instead of third offense DUI. The trooper agreed to the lesser charge in exchange for the driver’s 1965 pickup.

Reach Gonzales at (803) 771-8405 or jgonzales@thestate.com.