IAPE Evidence Blog

The Asso­ci­ated Press State & Local Wire, STATE AND REGIONAL

Hous­ton, TX

A for­mer Houston-area police offi­cer has been charged with fed­eral firearms vio­la­tions after he allegedly kept weapons ille­gally that had been con­fis­cated as evidence.

Pros­e­cu­tors accused Harry Leroy Kel­ley of steal­ing more than 100 guns while in charge of the police evi­dence room in Cleve­land, 45 miles north­east of Hous­ton. They say Kel­ley, now a 55-year-old Lib­erty County sheriff’s cap­tain, falsely reported that he had destroyed the guns dur­ing a 17-year period with Cleve­land police end­ing in 2009.

Kel­ley is charged with 103 stolen firearm counts and other charges.

Defense attor­ney Jack Zim­mer­man said Kel­ley pleaded not guilty Thurs­day and was released on his own recognizance.

Zim­mer­man said Kel­ley “didn’t com­mit any crime.”

A Lib­erty County sheriff’s spokesman says Kel­ley has been placed on unpaid admin­is­tra­tive leave.

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Inter­na­tional Asso­ci­a­tion for Prop­erty and Evi­dence
“Law Enforce­ment Serv­ing the Needs of Law Enforce­ment”
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