DETROIT, July 20 (UPI) -- The FBI is investigating a veteran Detroit narcotics detective who allegedly replaced 13 pounds of cocaine in an evidence room with an imitation.
Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said the officer, who has been with the department for 17 years, signed out the cocaine, which had a street value estimated at $2.4 million. She said the detective, whose name she did not release, would not necessarily have aroused suspicion by doing so.
The cocaine was no longer needed for trial when it was allegedly stolen last week, but the department usually keeps evidence until appeals are concluded.
"I want to emphasize that this individual turned his back on the police department and the public he swore to protect," Bully-Cummings said. "His actions do not reflect the spirit of the other officers who do their duty every day."
