A deputy is accused of stealing a coin purse with cash during a traffic stop, California prosecutors say.
The 39-year-old Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputy is facing multiple charges, including “one felony count of filing a false police report, one felony count of altering, planting or concealing evidence as a peace officer and one misdemeanor count of petty theft not exceeding $950,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in an April 17 news release.
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with upholding the law and safeguarding our communities,” District Attorney George Gascón said in the release. “When an individual in such a position breaches this trust, it not only undermines the integrity of the entire justice system but also jeopardizes the safety and well-being of those they are sworn to protect.”
In an emailed statement to McClatchy News, a sheriff’s department spokesperson said the deputy was “relieved of duty pending the outcome of the case.”
“Our personnel are not above the law and must be held accountable when their actions violate the Department’s moral and ethical standards,” the spokesperson said.
The deputy pulled over a driver at a Whittier strip mall April 15, 2023, “for excessive window tint,” prosecutors said.
The motorist didn’t have a valid driver’s license, according to prosecutors.
After the deputy searched the car, prosecutors said she found a coin purse with cash inside.
The deputy is accused of stealing the cash from the coin purse and throwing the coin purse in a trashcan, according to prosecutors.
The deputy is also accused of filing a “false police report,” prosecutors said.
The sheriff’s department’s and district attorney’s office are still investigating the case, according to prosecutors.
The deputy, who could potentially face a maximum prison sentence of six years, two months, is expected to appear in court for arraignment on July 2, prosecutors said.
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