January 24, 2012 PORTSMOUTH VA police officer guilty in theft of seized TV www.privateofficer.com
PORTSMOUTH VA Jan 24 2012
A police officer accused of taking a TV that had been seized during the execution of a search warrant was found guilty of misdemeanor embezzlement Monday.
Robert Anthony Murray, 39, had been indicted on a felony charge, but the judge found there was no evidence that the value of the 42-inch flat-screen TV exceeded $200.
The TV was seized along with computers and other items during a raid on a suspected illegal gambling operation in July 2009, according to police Capt. Garrett Shelton.
More than a year later, the commonwealth’s attorney decided to drop charges against Robert Judd, who at the time owned Lucky Dog Sweepstakes. Judd made arrangements to pick up the seized items, Shelton said.
When the TV could not be found, calls and texts to police officers went out.
Don Butler, who was a lieutenant in special investigations, said that when he came back to work from vacation, the TV was on a desk.
Butler said he asked Murray who brought it in and where it had been and Murray told him that another officer who was no longer with the department had it.
The incident led to an investigation and ultimately to the indictment of Murray.
Judge Marc Jacobson said Monday that it was clear that Murray took the TV and appropriated it for his own use.
Murray is on unpaid suspension from the department. He will be sentenced June 4.
Source:pilotonline.com
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