Akron Federal Court

An East Cleveland police officer was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for stealing from drug dealers.

(File photo)

AKRON, Ohio -- A former East Cleveland police detective will spend nearly four years in prison for faking evidence and stealing $13,000 from two drug dealers.

Eric Jones, 38, a former detective in the department's Street Crimes Unit, said he wanted to be a role model when he decided to become a police officer while attending Cleveland State University.

"I am remorseful for my role in this," Jones said. "It was a lapse in judgment."

U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi handed down the most lenient sentence she could within the federal sentencing guidelines and plea agreement -- three years and 10 months. She could have sentenced him to a maximum of four years and nine months.

"You've contributed to the negative view of law enforcement in this country, which is unfair because, for much of your life, you were, as you said, a role model," Lioi said. "It's hard to understand why you set aside your morals and integrity."

Several family members and friends of Jones' attended the hearing. Jones wife, Latonya Jones, said her husband was a kind person and a dedicated and passionate police officer.

"He took his own clothes to work and gave them to the homeless people he saw sitting on the street," she said on the verge of crying.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Feran said Jones appeared to be a model citizen and family man. He has been married for 14 years and has three children. He also takes care of his parents and ailing grandparents. He has no prior criminal history and is a deacon at his church.

He also pointed out that he used his power as a police officer to steal.

"He had his hand out and he took money," Feran said. "He stole from the people he was supposed to protect."

Feran said Jones was the least culpable in a conspiracy in which three members of the police department stole thousands of dollars from drug dealers.

Jones took part in two instances. He lied in a Sept. 10, 2012 search warrant application saying that he was given a tip about a marijuana dealer in the area. He also lied in the document about working with a confidential informant to buy marijuana from the dealer.

East Cleveland Judge William Dawson signed off on the warrant, believing what Jones wrote was true.

Jones seized $20,000 in cash and reported that he found less. He met his supervisor, Torris Moore, and another street crimes detective, Antonio Malone, at an East Cleveland park. They divided up the cash. Jones took $3,000.

On June 20, 2013, Malone convinced a relative of a drug dealer to allow him to search The drug dealer's room. He broke into the dealer's padlocked room and seized about $100,000 in cash. Malone reported finding $74,000.

The trio again met up at the park. Jones took $10,000 in that case.

Jones, who wore a black suit, white shirt, a black and silver tie and black-rimmed glasses at the hearing, ignored a reporter's request for further comment after the hearing.

Lioi allowed him to self-report to whatever prison he's assigned to by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. He will remain free until the prison system assigns him a date to report to prison.

Moore was sentenced last week to nine years in prison. She stole about $69,000 from drug dealers and supervised Jones and Malone.

Malone was set to be sentenced Monday until the U.S. Marshals found that he had outstanding warrants from Maricopa County, Arizona.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys both said they were surprised by the information and were unsure of what the warrants were for.

Lioi said she would hold off on sentencing Malone until they could figure out the best way to proceed with Malone's cases.

Lioi revoked Malone's bond. He will be in the custody of the U.S. Marshals until his sentencing hearing, which has not been scheduled.

The officers' actions caused judges in Cuyahoga County to vacate the drug convictions of Kenneth Blackshaw, Hosea Lock and John Wallace. All three were convicted, and Blackshaw was in the midst of a five-year prison sentence when he was released in February.

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