Crime & Safety
Former Carlsbad Police Detective Sentenced to Probation for Stealing Heroin From Impound Room
The 18-year veteran of the Carlsbad Police Department was sentenced Wednesday to three years probation and drug treatment.
Vista Superior Court Judge Kimberlee Lagotta suspended a 180-day jail sentence as long as the defendant Michael C. Koch successfully completes three years probabtion and a drug treatment program.
Koch, 44, pled guilty last month to a felony charge of second-degree burglary for stealing heroin from 's property impound room while he worked as a detective on the force.
Deputy District Attorney Paul Azevedo said there was never any suggestion that Koch – a one-time narcotics and vice detective – took the drugs for "sinister purposes" such as planting then on criminal suspects.
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Two police employees saw Koch take the drugs from the impound room, Carlsbad police said after the defendant's Jan. 19 arrest.
Koch was placed on administrative leave and continued to draw his $86,000 annual salary until he was terminated May 30 following an internal investigation.
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What do you think about Koch's sentence? Tell us in comments.
–City News Service contributed to this report
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