By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – A former St. Louis police officer has been sentenced to two years probation, and must pay about $1,500 in restitution, for stealing and selling electronic merchandise seized in a traffic stop.
25-year-old Christian Brezill and his partner Ronald Jackson were on duty in July 2009 when they received information that a woman, who is not identified in court documents, had stolen electronic equipment from a Best Buy on Florissant Ave and could be found at a nearby gas station. The two officers responded to the call, and arrested the woman on traffic warrants. Brezill and Jackson then loaded the stolen electronics into Brezill's police car, including a Wii gaming system, a docking station for an iPod, a laptop and a flat-screen TV. The officers made plans to sell some of the equipment, and keep other items.
The woman was never charged with the theft of electronic equipment. She was also cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation - the equipment was the property of the federal government.
Both officers pleaded guilty last December to a felony count of theft of United States property. Jackson will be sentenced in April. The maximum punishment for the crime is 10 years in prison and/or fines of $250,000.