Cop stole cocaine from crime scenes, evidence — then made $130K from sales, feds say
A former Ohio police officer has pleaded guilty to stealing cocaine from police evidence and crime scenes, federal officials said.
Joel M. Mefford, 35, of London, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and money laundering, according to an Aug. 27 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Mefford was arrested Feb. 1, according to records from the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.
McClatchy News reached out to Mefford’s attorney Aug. 30 for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Mefford, while working as a Columbus Division of Police officer investigating drug crimes, stole and trafficked cocaine with the help of another officer, according to officials.
On multiple occasions, Mefford and the other officer only submitted a portion of the drugs they found during their investigations as evidence, stealing the rest to be sold, officials said.
In April 2020, Mefford and the other officer stole approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine from the police department’s evidence room, which was later sold, and replaced it with fake cocaine, according to indictment records filed in December.
Officials said Mefford received about $130,000 from cocaine sales and deposited more than $72,000 in cash into his personal bank account.
Mefford will be sentenced at a later date, according to the release.
Possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine carries a penalty of five to 40 years in prison, officials said. Money laundering carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Mefford’s Time on the Force
Mefford joined the force in 2011 and was added to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force in 2021, The Columbus Dispatch reported, citing his personnel file.
The officer’s file shows he was commended for having the “highest standards of honesty and integrity” in his 2022 performance review, the outlet reported.
“We expect every officer wearing this badge to hold themselves to the highest degree of honesty and transparency both on and off the job,” Division of Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said in a February 2024 statement on X following Mefford’s arrest.
“The blatant abuse of authority and trust these officers are accused of violates everything this division stands for,” she said.
This story was originally published August 30, 2024 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Cop stole cocaine from crime scenes, evidence — then made $130K from sales, feds say."
