Former police detective sentenced

BENTONVILLE — A former Bella Vista police detective was sentenced to 60 days in the Benton County Jail after pleading guilty Tuesday to stealing medications from the evidence room and the department’s drug take-back bin.

Clayton

Jon Roberts,

37, pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence.

Roberts was arrested

Jan. 9 after

Police Chief

James Graves requested the Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigate missing evidence. Police had received two reports from the Arkansas Crime Laboratory medications submitted as evidence on cases didn’t match the lab submission form, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Roberts accessed reports in cases where the pills had been switched, according to the affidavit. One case involved a felony arrest where four suspected pills of oxycodone were seized, and each pill had the number

30 stamped on it. However, the pills sent to the Crime Laboratory were different and stamped M18. The lab determined the pills to be metoprolol, according to court documents. Metoprolol is a beta-blocker used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, heart failure and chest pain.

Roberts admitted he was responsible for switching the pills out of the evidence packages, according to court documents. He said he started stealing the pills because he had an addiction, according to the affidavit.

Roberts also admitted to stealing pills in unattended death cases and from the department’s drug take-back bin, according to court documents.

Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren accepted the plea agreement and Roberts’ guilty plea.

The judge ordered Roberts be placed on six years of state supervised probation with Act 346, which means Roberts’ conviction may be expunged if he successfully completes his probation.

Prosecutor Nathan Smith said everyone must be equal under the law whether law enforcement

or civilian. Smith said the felony conviction and probation gives Roberts the same range of punishment as other first-time offenders who possess illegal drugs.

“I believe that jail time was appropriate in this case due to the unique harm the defendant’s actions caused to the Bella Vista Police Department and the breach of the public trust,” Smith said.

Shane Wilkinson, Roberts’ attorney, said his client was remorseful about his actions and sought treatment to get help for his addiction.

“I think it was a fair resolution,” Wilkinson said. “He [Roberts] will be able to get it off his record and he can continue with his life.”

Smith said his office had to dismiss three cases because of Roberts’ tampering and they notified defense counsel of suspected tampering in nine other cases.

“While I don’t believe that Roberts’ actions led to the conviction of any innocent person, I nevertheless have the obligation to disclose problems with the evidence to defendants and/or their attorneys when evidence in their cases was tampered with,” Smith said.

Roberts