Docs: Indiana officer stole drugs from DEA take back box; traded drugs with eventual tipster
SPENCER, Ind. (WISH) — A Spencer Police Department officer was trading drugs from the Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Take Back Box in his department with an Owen County man. The same Owen County man then tipped police off, according to court docs.
James Deckard, 39, was arrested and charged Friday for official misconduct and theft.
According to court papers, on Dec. 13, a complaint was filed against Deckard saying he had traded prescription drugs and cocaine to an Owen County man. The man that had filed the complaint was the same man that Deckard had traded the drugs with.
The man said that “he had previously given Sgt. Deckard Adderall throughout the years from his legally prescribed monthly amount…approximately 6 weeks ago, Sgt. Deckard had brought him 20 to 30 Lortab and asked to exchange them for Adderall,” court papers say.
The man gave Deckard four Adderall in exchange for the Lortab, which is prescription pain medication.
Deckard told the man he had gotten the Lortab from the DEA Drug Take Back Box at the Spencer Police Department and that he “bragged that there was no paperwork or policies or anything put into the container,” court papers say.
In November, Deckard had traded cocaine for Adderall with the same Owen County man.
On Thursday, a state police detective interviewed Deckard at the Spencer Police Department.
Deckard had been working at the Spencer Police Department for 10 months and had recently become Evidence Clerk.
Deckard told the detective he had a prescription pill addiction that dated back to 2005.
“He admitted to taking illegal prescription pills from the DEA Drug Take Back Box Container from within the Spencer Police Department Evidence Room on several occasions which he stated was a dozen or more times. He said he would consume the type he was addicted too,” court papers say.
He then admitted to trading and buying drugs from the Owen County man.
Deckard is at the Owen County Jail.
The judge set to hear Deckard’s case was recused. No court date is set for this case, according to online court records.
