Post by Critique on Dec 29, 2006 3:33:27 GMT -5
December 20, 2006
By Ravi Baichwal
A Maywood police officer is accused of stealing a credit card from a crime suspect. Antoine Mitchell was a part-time officer. He was fired from that job following his arrest. He appeared in court Wednesday.
Mitchell was a part-time police officer until he admitted to stealing someone's Visa check card while he was in charge of actually locking him up. Mitchell appeared in court Wednesday by video link-up. The judge noted the seriousness of the crime and set his bond at $55,000.
"When one is on duty in uniform responsible for the care and custody of prisoners and then use that position to steal from them, not only steals cash that is readily useable but to steal a Visa check card, and then use that to pay bills or any other purpose, it's quite serious," said Jim Knibbs, state's attorney's office.
The state says Mitchell has admitted to stealing the man's Visa card and cell phone from his bag of personal effects. Mitchell was in charge of him while he was in custody and transported between the Maywood police station and village courthouse on a traffic charge on November 21.
The man complained to police that someone was using his Visa card after it went missing when he was in jail. Investigators quickly concluded it was Mitchell when Mitchell used it as a fast food restaurant and to pay his own cell phone bill of $220.
"In this building you're not only surprised by the things you hear but the stupidity," said Knibbs.
The police chief declined an on camera interview, but said she had the things in place to catch crooked cops.
The Maywood Police department fired Mitchell on Tuesday.
abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=4865671
By Ravi Baichwal
A Maywood police officer is accused of stealing a credit card from a crime suspect. Antoine Mitchell was a part-time officer. He was fired from that job following his arrest. He appeared in court Wednesday.
Mitchell was a part-time police officer until he admitted to stealing someone's Visa check card while he was in charge of actually locking him up. Mitchell appeared in court Wednesday by video link-up. The judge noted the seriousness of the crime and set his bond at $55,000.
"When one is on duty in uniform responsible for the care and custody of prisoners and then use that position to steal from them, not only steals cash that is readily useable but to steal a Visa check card, and then use that to pay bills or any other purpose, it's quite serious," said Jim Knibbs, state's attorney's office.
The state says Mitchell has admitted to stealing the man's Visa card and cell phone from his bag of personal effects. Mitchell was in charge of him while he was in custody and transported between the Maywood police station and village courthouse on a traffic charge on November 21.
The man complained to police that someone was using his Visa card after it went missing when he was in jail. Investigators quickly concluded it was Mitchell when Mitchell used it as a fast food restaurant and to pay his own cell phone bill of $220.
"In this building you're not only surprised by the things you hear but the stupidity," said Knibbs.
The police chief declined an on camera interview, but said she had the things in place to catch crooked cops.
The Maywood Police department fired Mitchell on Tuesday.
abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=4865671