IAPE Evidence Blog

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BYLINE: Tracey Read, TRead@News-Herald.com
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Lyn­d­hurst, OH

A for­mer Lyn­d­hurst police offi­cer who resigned after over­dos­ing on drugs has admit­ted steal­ing heroin from the evi­dence room.

Robert Colombo, 40, of North­field Cen­ter Town­ship, pleaded guilty Mon­day to drug pos­ses­sion and theft in office in Cuya­hoga County Com­mon Pleas Court.

He now faces up to one year in prison on each count when he is sen­tenced Jan. 20 by Judge Michael J. Russo.

He also could be sen­tenced to an addi­tional year in prison if con­victed of a pend­ing felony drug pos­ses­sion case in Sum­mit County.

“I’m sad­dened and pained by the whole thing,” Lyn­d­hurst Police Chief Rick Por­rello said. “It’s a very dif­fi­cult bal­anc­ing act for me. On one hand, I’m deal­ing with an offi­cer who has been a friend for 15 years. On the other hand, he was a police offi­cer and we hold our­selves to a higher stan­dard by virtue of our authority.”

Accord­ing to Assis­tant Cuya­hoga County Pros­e­cu­tor Brad Meyer:

On May 19, Lyn­d­hurst offi­cers responded to a car crash at Rich­mond and Ander­son roads in that city. The offi­cers found heroin, arrested two peo­ple and returned to the sta­tion to book the suspects.

At the sta­tion, Colombo took the heroin to log it into the evi­dence room, but instead replaced it with rock salt.

On May 20, the mar­ried father of two was found at his Sum­mit County home with heroin. Deputies there then called Por­rello to report that Colombo had overdosed.

“In the begin­ning, we were con­cerned he wouldn’t make it with the over­dose,” Por­rello said. “We’re thank­ful it didn’t turn out worse.”

In exchange for the plea, pros­e­cu­tors agreed to drop a third charge of tam­per­ing with evidence.

The chief noted that he called the Ohio Attor­ney General’s Office to inves­ti­gate the inci­dent to avoid any appear­ance of impropriety.

“This is a fan­tas­tic group of men and women who make up this police depart­ment,” the chief added. “We hope the com­mu­nity real­izes we’ve done our job in polic­ing our­selves by call­ing in an out­side agency to inves­ti­gate this. He was a good police offi­cer who made a very bad choice that has caused quite a bit of pain to his fam­ily and the police department.”

Colombo remains free on a per­sonal recog­ni­zance bond pend­ing his sen­tenc­ing. He has an unlisted phone num­ber and could not be reached for comment.

Defense attor­ney Dominic Vitan­to­nio did not imme­di­ately return a phone call.

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Inter­na­tional Asso­ci­a­tion for Prop­erty and Evi­dence
“Law Enforce­ment Serv­ing the Needs of Law Enforce­ment”
www.IAPE.org