THE DALLES — A local officer with The Dalles Police Department (TDPD), indicted on four counts of theft, is set to enter his plea in June.
A grand jury indicted Jeremy Dutton, who was hired in 2014, on four counts of theft in the first degree, a Class C felony, along with false swearing and official misconduct in the first degree, both Class A misdemeanors, on March 31.
A theft of $1,000 or more is required for a count of theft in the first degree. This means Dutton is accused of stealing $4,000 or more.
Dutton allegedly falsified time cards from May 2023 through August 2024, according to the charging document. He also falsified grant reporting, it said.
The money belonged to the City of The Dalles and the State of Oregon, the plaintiff.
Dutton will enter a plea on June 2. He has retained an attorney. “I am hopeful that we will resolve everything on that date,” Wasco County District Attorney Kara Davis said.
Dutton’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment before press time.
Davis added, “It’s relatively unusual for any police agency. Have I seen it in other areas? Yeah, I remember when I was working in Pendleton, there was an officer who was using the Pacific Pride card that they had to fill up their vehicles for work. ... Just like any other profession, there will occasionally be people that break the law.
“I think the rates are probably lower for police officers than other types of professions, and that’s probably because of the amount of scrutiny that police officers are under.”
If he is convicted of a felony, Dutton’s sentence must follow state guidelines.
A theft conviction, for someone with no prior criminal history, is generally a probation sentence, Davis said. However, if the convicted person has previous criminal history, prison is possible.
And for crimes committed over a long time period, criminal history can be “reconstituted,” meaning Dutton could be considered a repeat offender. This might complicate his case.
If arrested or cited, officers must report that to Department of Public Safety Standards and Training within five days, according to the department’s webpage.
After the criminal case is disposed of, the department opens a case to determine if there was a moral fitness violation. Felony convictions can mean the officer automatically loses their public safety certifications.
In Oregon, “property crime sentences for repeat offenders are controlled by ORS 137.717,” Davis said.
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