EASTPOINTE – A former Eastpointe Police detective is accused of stealing seized items from the evidence locker and distributing them for cash and drugs.
The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office on Friday charged onetime Detective Timothy Stopczynski with one count of misconduct in office, a five-year felony, and one count of embezzlement by an agent or trustee less than $20,000, a five-year felony.
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Stopczynski, 41, is alleged to have taken tires, rims, slot machines, watches, and other items from the Eastpointe Police forfeiture shed and given them to a former confidential informant to fence for drugs and money.
"When we noticed missing forfeiture items, we immediately initiated an internal investigation," said acting Eastpointe Police Chief Scott Bourgeois. "Acts of this nature will never be tolerated by the Eastpointe police."
Stopczynski served with the Eastpointe Police Department for 14 years. He resigned from the force in the wake of this investigation.
"No one is above the law," said Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith. "Those who are charged with our protection must be held to the same standard as the rest of us."
An arraignment date for Stopczynski wasn't immediately given.
