A Montevallo minister who had a warrant mistakenly issued for his arrest on a drug charge and his picture posted on the sheriff's office most-wanted list has filed a federal lawsuit against the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Kenneth Earl Dukes, through his attorney, contends his constitutional rights were violated in 2010 when a member of the task force relied upon a confidential informant who picked Dukes' photo out of a lineup, which led to a warrant being issued for his arrest.

The suit contends that no investigation was conducted to confirm information given by the informant.

It says that on June 19, 2010, Dukes was made aware by at least two of his church members that his photo was on the most wanted site on a charge of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.

The suit says four days passed from the time Dukes called to tell task force agents a mistake had been made, and when his photo was removed from the website.

In March of this year, Dukes went before the County Commission, saying he wanted a public apology on the Internet and his family to be compensated. He told commissioners that the situation had hurt his reputation in the community and caused his children to be ridiculed.

The sheriff's office and task force officials have acknowledged that the warrant was mistakenly issued for Dukes and Dukes' photo was picked out in error.

Sheriff's officials have said they were acting in good faith and have publicly apologized to Dukes.

A letter Dukes presented to commissioners in March outlined how a warrant was issued for Dukes after a confidential drug informant picked Dukes' photo out of a photo lineup as part of a drug crackdown in the Almont community, which is near Montevallo.

The letter stated that the task force generates lineups from databases that include the Alabama Department of Public Safety, which issues driver licenses.

It was signed by Sheriff Chris Curry, Chief Deputy Sheriff John Samaniego and Capt. Chris George, who was commander of the drug task force at the time.

George apologized to Dukes in the letter and said the task force's policies regarding the use of confidential informants would undergo a review.

''Kenneth Earl Dukes was not involved, nor has ever been to our knowledge, in any drug related activity,'' George wrote. ''This was mistaken identity.''