Tyson Baker, Police Corruption, Pennsylvania 2017

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania - Tyson Baker, a 17-year veteran of the Fairview Township Police Department, has been convicted of corruption charges in a federal court in Harrisburg.

Baker, 43, of Etters, York, Pennsylvania, was found guilty of two counts of theft of drug money that was subject to seizure and forfeiture, one count of falsifying or altering records to impede, obstruct or influence a federal drug investigation, one count of theft of federal property, and one count of presenting a false police report to the FBI.

The conviction follows a four-day trial in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where a jury delivered a guilty verdict after approximately three hours of deliberation.

The evidence presented during the trial showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Harrisburg received information that Baker might be stealing money from drug traffickers who were arrested, the subject of traffic stops, or both.

On November 21, 2015, Baker orchestrated the theft of $2,000 in drug proceeds seized by the Fairview Township Police Department during a search of a residence that resulted in the seizure of several pounds of marijuana and approximately $15,000.

On December 16, 2015, the FBI arranged for an undercover vehicle operated by an undercover FBI agent to be stopped by Fairview Township. Baker had the vehicle towed from the scene and, without a warrant and in spite of directions from an FBI agent not to search the vehicle, Baker searched the vehicle and stole $3,000 out of $15,000 concealed in a gym bag in the back of the vehicle.

On December 18, 2015, Baker was arrested by the FBI and confessed to both incidents.

The Fairview Township Police Department cooperated fully with the FBI and state law enforcement in the investigation.

The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the Fairview Township Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys William A. Behe and Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case.

Baker faces a combined maximum penalty of 45 years under federal law, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and $1,250,000 in fines.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/former-police-officer-convicted-corruption-charges