Nicholas P. Duty, Destroying Evidence, Ohio 2024

A Columbus police officer has been accused of destroying evidence related to encounters with women while on duty. Nicholas P. Duty, 35, of Commercial Point, Ohio, was arrested this morning and is scheduled to appear in federal court at 12:45pm today.

The indictment alleges that Duty destroyed, altered or falsified records by purposefully deactivating or removing his police body worn camera during interactions with two women. According to the indictment, this occurred on October 31, 2023, and March 22, 2024, while Duty was on duty, wearing a police uniform, in a marked police vehicle and assigned a body worn camera.

The Columbus Division of Police has policies requiring officers to wear the division-issued cameras. Duty is alleged to have knowingly altered records to obstruct a federal investigation, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola announced the charges.

The case is being investigated by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case.

Anyone with information about the alleged criminal activity or knowledge of additional possible crimes is encouraged to contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6336).

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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