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Last updated on Friday, April 1, 2016
(COLUMBUS) - On Wednesday afternoon, Indiana State police arrested a former Columbus police officer on numerous charges related to alleged misconduct that occurred while he was employed by the Columbus Police Department.
The investigation led to the arrest of 38-year-old Jeremy R. Coomes of Columbus. According to police their investigation began in October 2015 when the Indiana State Police was contacted by the Columbus Police Department to conduct an investigation into missing evidence from the Columbus Police Department Evidence Room.
At that time, the Columbus Police Department discovered discrepancies when conducting an annual audit of the evidence held in their evidence storage room.
Detective Joe Loyd, Indiana State Police, Versailles Post, was assigned to conduct the investigation.
According to police, Coomes became a Columbus Police Officer in 2005 and held the position of Supervisor of the Columbus Police Department's Narcotics Unit from December 2011 until October 2015. During the time that he was the narcotics supervisor, Coomes allegedly removed various kinds of drugs from the Columbus Police Department's evidence room.
Coomes allegedly never returned some of those items of evidence and in some cases, returned items different from the evidence he originally signed out. Coomes allegedly possessed the illegal drugs outside of the scope of his official job responsibilities.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Det. Loyd submitted the investigation to a special prosecutor assigned to the case.
On Wednesday, a Bartholomew County Circuit Court warrant was issued for Coomes on charges of possession of meth, level 3 felony; possession of meth, level 6 felony; possession of cocaine, level 6 felony; possession of a narcotic drug, level 6 felony; theft, level 5 felony; and two counts of theft, class A misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, class B misdemeanor and official misconduct, level 6 felony
He was arrested at his Columbus home Wednesday afternoon and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail.
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