Wauwatosa police Detective Robin Schumacher was charged today with misdemeanor theft, felony drug possession and felony misconduct following her July 16 arrest.
According to the criminal complaint:
She was arrested after an evidence clerk noticed pills were missing, prompting an internal investigation.
The investigation revealed confiscated prescription medications had been going missing from the evidence room since June 11. Investigators reviewed video surveillance footage, which showed Schumacher taking pills on six occasions between June 11 and July 11.
The video shows her taking the pills — and on one occasion, the bin the pills are kept in — to her vehicle while she was working. On the day of her arrest, she allegedly filled grocery bags with pills, brought them to her desk, and stuffed the pills in her pocket and under her desk.
Schumacher had more than 40 pills on her at the time of her arrest. She reportedly admitted taking the drugs — which were slated to be destroyed and had been involved in cases that had closed — from the evidence locker. She is accused of taking a variety of prescription pain killers, anti-depressants and other medications.
She has been put on administrative leave and Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber has requested for her termination.
In a statement, Weber wrote: "The members of the Wauwatosa Police Department do not accept inappropriate behavior or illegal conduct by its members. When the discrepancy was brought to our attention by our own employees, it was immediately investigated, and a person was arrested and has subsequently been charged."
Wauwatosa police are conducting a total inventory of the property room to make sure no active cases are affected by the detective's thefts.
The two felony counts carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison each, and the theft could result in nine months of prison time.