BY M. Martin
NW writer,
A local Oregon police officer pleaded guilty to stealing evidence form the police locker room. It is a reminder for all of us on the wide scope of the opioid crisis hitting Oregon and the nation. It is also a reminder to pray for our law enforcement as they deal with the worst of society and can become infected by it as this officer had. We live in tough times and our prayers need to reflect it.
Below is the press release of the guilty announcement of Officer Phillip Allan Beach:
US Attorney Oregon District Release,
Phillip Allan Beach, 49, of Cottage Grove, Oregon, pleaded guilty to one count of acquiring or obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception of subterfuge.
According to court documents, in May 2015, an evidence coordinator at the Cottage Grove Police Department (CGPD) reported to their supervisor that Beach accessed the department’s evidence locker more frequently than other officers and seemed to do so for no apparent purpose. The coordinator said that Beach would repeatedly access the same evidence bag. A CGPD commander later examined the bag and observed that it was open and two plastic bags inside containing several ounces of methamphetamine crystals had been sliced open.
In June 2015, CGPD began an investigation of Beach’s conduct and placed two hidden cameras inside the evidence locker. On June 11, 2015, Beach was recorded on video entering the locker without signing the evidence log and accessing the evidence bag previously examined by the commander. The video shows Beach taking a small plastic baggie from his pants pocket and using it to take a small portion of meth from the evidence bag. Investigators later weighed the evidence bag and found a 7.3 gram reduction in weight.
Beach faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced on November 26, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Oregon State Police and CGPD. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Oregon.
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