June 6, 2017
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It was a tragic ending to the life of a retired Springfield Police Officer, who had been accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the police department's evidence room.
Kevin Burnham allegedly stole nearly $400,000, between 2009 and 2014. He was expected to plead guilty in court Monday, but never showed up. It was later confirmed that he was dead.
The investigation into the missing money began when Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri requested an audit of all cash from the evidence room, after they discovered that about $385,000 was missing.
The case was eventually given to the state police and attorney general's office, who ultimately brought charges against Burnham.
The Attorney General's office determined that Burnham allegedly took money from about 170 different drug cases, between December 2009 and July 2014, while he was the department's narcotics evidence officer.
Burnham was charged with six counts of larceny over $250, and one count of larceny under $250.
His trial was postponed several times, before it came to a tragic end on Monday.
Burnham was a decorated police officer, and a 43-year-veteran of the force. He had been the longest-serving member of the department at the time of his retirement, in the summer of 2014.
Tip leads to the arrest of former DeSoto Police Department property and evidence clerk accused of stealing guns from evidence room April 19th, 2024 DESOTO, Texas — DeSoto police say they recovered 13 ...
FDLE criminal probe of Starke Police: Guns, money, drugs among 2,500 pieces of missing evidence April 3rd, 2024 STARKE, Fla. — Action News Jax's Ben Becker is getting answers about a Northeast Florida...
Former Nyssa chief convicted of misconduct, sentenced to jail, loses badge April 3rd, 2024 Ray Rau, Tillamook police chief and former chief in Nyssa, was convicted of official misconduct Wednesday for...