Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy charged with retail theft while on duty

A Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy has been accused of retail theft while on duty and is now facing charges through the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.

According to a press release from the Sheriff’s department, On Thursday, February 27, 2025, the department was notified of the accusations, and the deputy was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.

The officer is accused of stealing food items on multiple occasions from a gas station in Richfield. The department says, although the monetary loss to the business may not be significant, these actions represent a profound betrayal of trust. Such alleged behavior undermines public confidence in our agency and will not be tolerated.

Due to a conflict of interest, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office investigated the thefts and has forwarded the criminal investigation findings to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.

The internal investigation substantiated that reasonable grounds exist to believe the criminal charges have merit and include numerous alleged policy violations that support disciplinary action.

The 9 year veteran of the department resigned before that disciplinary action could be administered, however, the department says that resignation does not impact the potential criminal proceedings.