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Former sheriff's sergeant charged with grand theft, embezzlement
Stock image shows officers of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.
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Christopher Okula/KPCC file photo
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A former sergeant for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has pleaded not guilty to allegedly stealing money during a sting operation.
Bonnie Theodore Bryan III, 57, was charged with one felony count each of grand theft of personal property and embezzlement by a public or private officer, along with a misdemeanor count of petty theft, deputy district attorney Justin Lustig said in a statement Monday.
Bryant was accused of taking $4,000 while armed with a handgun on July 25 during a sting operation staged by the LASD Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau.
He was also accused of stealing money seized during a narcotics sting on May 15.
A security guard observing by security camera allegedly saw Bryant place a large amount of money into a canvas bag in the trunk of his vehicle. The incident allegedly occurred at the parking lot of a hardware store.
Bryant faces a maximum sentence of four years, six months in state prison if convicted. Bail was set at $70,000.
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