By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – A former St. Louis police officer will spend 18 months in federal prison and pay part of about $1,500 in restitution for stealing government property.
Ronald Jackson, 58, was on patrol in north St. Louis in July when he learned that a female individual who had stolen electronic equipment from a Best Buy store was at a gas station parking lot. Jackson shared the information with another officer, Christan Brezill, and both responded to the report.
The woman was arrested on minor outstanding traffic charges, and Jackson and Brezill preceded to confiscate the electronics from her car. The woman was never charged with the traffic offenses, and Brezill and Jackson did not inform their supervisors about the seized electronics. The two officers met later to split up the electronics, with plans to sell some of the merchandise.
The officers did not know the woman, who was never identified, was cooperating with federal officials.
Brezill and Jackson pleaded guilty in December to a count of stealing federal property. Brezill was sentenced to two years probation in March.