BYLINE: Jennifer Thomas, azfamily.com
Phoenix, AZ
William McCartney
PHOENIX -- A former Phoenix police officer who pleaded guilty in the theft of drugs from the Police Department's evidence-storage room was sentenced Friday to 3 3/4 years in prison.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge also sentenced William McCartney, 40, to three years of supervised probation.
McCartney pleaded guilty in June to one count each of fraudulent schemes and theft. He originally was charged with 40 counts, including tampering with evidence, theft and possession of narcotics.
The charges stemmed from a January 2011 audit of drug items slated for destruction in the department's property room. Auditors discovered that over-the-counter medications had been substituted for narcotic drugs, including oxycodone.
Investigators were able to establish a pattern of discrepancies that pointed to McCartney.
McCartney was arrested for his alleged role in the missing drugs on March 7, 2011. He resigned shortly after his arrest.
McCartney had been with the Phoenix Police Department since 1999.
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