Former Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy charged, accused of stealing cash from a tenant during an eviction
A former Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy has been criminally charged, accused of stealing cash from a tenant while serving an eviction.
Last month, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office filed a misdemeanor charge of misconduct while in public office against former deputy Christopher Boyd, who has been terminated from the department.
According to the criminal complaint:
In April, Boyd and another deputy were at a residence in the 3100 block of North 40th Street during an eviction. It is normal routine for the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office to be on hand during evictions to ensure they are handled in a peaceful manner.
On July 6, Boyd admitted to investigators with the district attorney's office that he estimated he took at least $200 out of a drawer in the residence, while the tenant's boyfriend inquired about a missing $400.
When money is found during an eviction, it is the responsibility of the moving company to document it and remove it. Sheriff's deputies should never handle money during an eviction.
A few minutes after taking the money out of the drawer and placing it in his ballistic vest, Boyd said he believed the tenant's boyfriend caught him, so he decided to reach his hand back into the drawer and act as if he just found the money. He then handed the money to the tenant's boyfriend. Boyd told investigators it was his intent to keep the money.
"The other hundred that you had in your pocket, by your phone, crinkled up, I saw that," said the tenant's boyfriend. A later review of bodycam footage shows Boyd holding eviction paperwork and a $100 bill.
But, Boyd told investigators he gave all the money back to the tenant's boyfriend except for $20 to $50 he gave to a worker with the moving company. The moving company on site that day was Eagle Moving and Storage Company.
In a statement, the sheriff's office said Boyd was terminated on Aug. 31.
If convicted, Boyd could be imprisoned up to nine months, or fined up to $10,000, or both.
In October, a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy was charged with two felonies, accused of threatening behavior of an ex-girlfriend.
On Friday, Denita Ball was sworn in as the 66th Milwaukee County Sheriff.
Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee sheriff's deputy charged with misconduct, accused of theft
