A former Hempstead officer is on trial for a second time.

Federal prosecutors say Brian Jones was still on the payroll back in 2008 when he allegedly robbed two people in Queens, thinking they were drug dealers. He is facing life in prison because he has a felony drug conviction on his record.

Under federal law, robbing a drug dealer is considered interfering with goods traveling across state lines.

When asked why Jones is being tried now for something that allegedly happened five years ago, prosecutors say they just learned of the alleged incident from an informant. They say that informant was threatened by Jones if she spoke about the crime.

Hempstead police say that Jones was fired from the force back in 2011. He was also released from prison in February after serving a five-month sentence for selling oxycodone. The case resumes tomorrow.