It’s proof that no-one escapes the long arm of the law when an ex-police officer is accused of theft and property crimes. While the woman hasn’t officially been employed with Gwinnett county since 2014, she is facing charges related to alleged thefts that occurred while she was employed with the police department. Theft crimes can manifest with physical property and it can also happen electronically. The latter are the focus of the accusations against the former police officer.
The accusations stem from a complaint from a citizen who went to the police department to retrieve funds that had been in forfeiture and that were to be released. After some investigation, the criminal complaint alleges that the accused had altered the books and taken the money. The process of forfeiture is commonplace in that money seized from arrests goes into forfeiture until the cases are disposed. However, it is not commonplace for money to go missing.
This isn’t the first time that the ex-police officer has been accused of a crime as she was charged with drug possession and violation of her oath during her job as an officer. This was after confiscated drugs were found missing from the evidence room. According to records, she had once supervised the evidence room as part of her job and was later sentenced to three years probation under the state First Offender Act in a negotiated plea deal. Since the woman has negotiated a plea deal previous for theft-related crimes, it doesn’t bode well for her in this case.
However, the charges were taken off the woman’s record after 1.5 years of probation was served. How this might impact the proceedings is important to note as prior convictions do not typically help a person accused of later crimes. Since the previous has been taken off her record, case precedent may determine how this woman’s case is perceived in criminal court. She will likely have a criminal defense strategy tailored to her and her situation in order to put the best foot forward.
