Elliott Jones
SEBASTIAN — Police arrested one
of its veteran sergeants on charges of trafficking in oxycodone and tampering
with evidence, a police spokesman said in a prepared statement Sunday.
Sgt. William Grimmich, 45, a
25-year veteran of the department, was jailed early Sunday on the two felony
charges and is being held in the Indian River County Jail in lieu of a $150,000
bail.
He is on administrative leave
with pay pending the outcome of the case.
The case “is shocking
information to us (a police agency of 37 officers)” in Indian River County’s
largest city, said police spokesman Officer Steve Marcinik. “We had no hint. It
caught us off guard.”
Sebastian Police Chief Michelle
Morris said routine accounting and auditing procedures earlier this year
revealed discrepancies in the amount of controlled substances placed in the
police evidence room. The chief, in consultation with the State Attorney’s
Office, immediately requested an independent investigation by an outside agency
so the inquiry wouldn’t appear biased.
That led to Grimmich’s arrest.
“Our ultimate goal is to
determine exactly what occurred, who was responsible and whether this was the
result of an incompetent work performance or malicious criminal behavior,”
Morris said. “I will not tolerate any misconduct of this nature.”
She declined further comment
about details, such as when and how the discrepancies occurred, because the
investigation is ongoing and has been turned over to the State Attorney’s
Office.
In criminal cases the State
Attorney’s Office reviews the evidence police find and then decides what
charges, if any, it will prosecute a defendant for.
“ We (the police department)
will wait their decisions before completing our internal investigation” that
could lead to further action, including firing, the release said.
Before this incident Grimmich
had received accommodations and awards.
Grimmich has served on patrol,
investigations, narcotics and as a police supervisor. He has been a road patrol
sergeant for the past three years. In the past he was supervisor of the
agency’s investigation’s division, the statement said.
The Sebastian Police Department
has been accredited for 12 years by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement.