북가주 콘트라코스타카운티 셰리프국에서 36년간 근속해온 한인 경관이 절도와 횡령 등 중범죄 혐의로 체포됐다. 
콘트라코스타카운티 셰리프국은 지난 16일 증거물 관리실에서 발생한 절도 사건을 수사하던 중, 해당 셰리프국 소속 경관으로 근무해온 케빈 이(62·사진)씨를 용의자로 특정했다고 밝혔다. 셰리프국은 이씨의 자택을 압수수색하고 이날 이씨를 전격 체포했다. 이씨는 절도 및 장물 취득, 횡령, 공격용 무기 소지 등의 혐의로 구치소에 수감됐다. 이씨의 보석금은 16만 달러로 책정됐다. 지난 1990년 셰리프국에 입사한 이씨는 지난 2012년부터 압수품과 증거물 관리 업무를 담당하는 부서에서 근무해온 것으로 파악됐다.

The Contra Costa County sheriff’s department announced Tuesday night that it has arrested a longtime sheriff’s deputy on felony charges related to thefts at its property and evidence offices in Concord.

The department said in a Facebook post that Martinez resident Kevin Lee, 62, of Martinez is being held on $160,000 bail and facing four felony charges: burglary, receiving stolen property, embezzlement, and possession of an assault weapon.

The property services department is the division that handles the intake, cataloging, storage and disposal of property and evidence.

Lee joined the sheriff’s office in May 1990 as a deputy sheriff and later became a temporary duty sheriff (paid on a per-diem basis) in 2012, when he was assigned to the property unit, the department said.

The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office will ask the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to conduct an independent audit of the property unit.

POST gets involved in such cases because evidence tampering can compromise active criminal cases and lead to overturned convictions.

“All Sheriff’s Office employees are held to the highest standards and any employee who is involved in criminal conduct will be held accountable,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston in the statement. “This matter was taken seriously, and a thorough investigation was immediately launched once we learned about it.”