May 24--New Bern cop allegedly stole Oxycodone pills from evidence locker
A New Bern police officer is in jail, accused of stealing drugs from the police department's evidence room.
New Bern Police Officer Frances Sutton, 49, is accused of taking Oxycodone pills. She was charged with four felony counts of obstruction of justice and three felony counts of altering, destroying or stealing evidence of criminal conduct.
Sutton surrendered voluntarily to SBI agents Wednesday night, according to a news release issued jointly by the New Bern Police Department and the District Attorney's Office. She was being held at the Craven County Jail in lieu of $35,000, and her first appearance in District Court is scheduled for Thursday morning.
She is on administrative leave in the meantime.
New Bern Police Chief Toussaint Summers conducted an internal review and discovered evidence missing in cases in which Officer Sutton was the charging officer. Summers reported his findings to District Attorney Scott Thomas, who requested an SBI investigation. The investigation was initiated May 16 and resulted in Sutton's arrest and charges Wednesday.
"We are saddened by this news," Summers said in a prepared statement released Wednesday night. "But just as we are committed to policing our community, we must also police ourselves. And we will not tolerate unlawful activity in our neighborhoods or in our department."
"Law enforcement officers are expected to uphold and enforce the law, not violate it," Thomas said in the prepared statement. "Ms. Sutton is charged based on the findings of the investigation at this point. We will continue to look for any other illegal activity."
Thomas said the investigation is ongoing and further details won't be released at this time.
Copyright 2012 - Sun Journal, New Bern, N.C.
