Post by KC on Jan 7, 2007 17:40:00 GMT -5
Officer Michael Galvan
Authorities arrested a Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy Friday morning at department headquarters on suspicion of felony embezzlement.
Michael Galvan, 29, of Turlock was taken into custody about 10 a.m. by Modesto police detectives, FBI agents and Stanislaus County district attorney's office investigators, Sheriff Adam Christianson said.
The case involves money that never was properly submitted to a property and evidence room, officials said.
Galvan was booked into Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of embezzlement by a public officer, misappropriation of lost property and grand theft, all felonies, said deputy Royjindar Singh, a sheriff's spokesman.
Singh said bail was set at $1,015,000 because Galvan has family in Mexico and is considered a flight risk.
Galvan has worked with the department for the past five years. He was placed on administrative leave pending an ongoing criminal investigation.
Christianson said he requested the involvement ofthe other law enforcement agencies as a standard practice in an investigation that focuses on one of his department's own officers.
"It reaffirms the integrity of the investigation," Christianson said.
Aside from the criminal probe, Christianson said, the department is conducting an internal affairs investigation.
Christianson would not discuss details, including how much money is involved, whether the money is missing or what Galvan may have done in violation of department policy and procedures.
Sheriff's officials did confirm the money was found by a citizen and turned over to Galvan. It is common for a deputy to respond when a citizen reports they found money or property, Singh said. In such a situation, Singh said, the deputy collects the property or cash and submits it to the department's property and evidence room, along with a detailed property report.
"Whenever the integrity of law enforcement is compromised, it erodes the public's trust and confidence in us," Christianson said. "Those guidelines are in place not only to protect our department, but also to protect our community."
Galvan has worked with the department since August 2001, as a K-9 officer and most recently assigned as a high school resource officer. Christianson would not say which school or area he worked in.
In May 2004, Galvan and his dog Kero represented the Sheriff's Department at the 22nd annual Best of the West K-9 Trials in Modesto. They finished first in the search competition, according to a Bee article.
The district attorney's office had not received a case file, and Galvan's arraignment hearing had not been scheduled as of Friday afternoon, Chief Deputy District Attorney John Goold said.
He said an embezzlement charge usually is considered a felony when it involves more than $400, but Goold said he did not know how much is involved in Galvan's case.
Since Galvan is suspected of embezzlement and theft, his role in other investigations likely will fall under scrutiny, Public Defender Tim Bazar said.
He said the extent of Galvan's involvement in past and future criminal cases could result in reopened or dismissed cases.
"It's certainly going to be used to suggest he is a bad witness," Bazar said.
Singh said Galvan was being held at the jail Friday afternoon in protective custody and segregated from the general jail population, which is standard procedure with high-profile inmates or those who work in law enforcement.
www.modbee.com/local/story/13074289p-13726737c.html