Mike Donoghue

Free Press Staff Writer

Former Colchester Detective Cpl. Tyler Kinney had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf for three federal drug and gun charges in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

Kinney, 38, of Jericho, is charged with stealing a handgun and drugs, including heroin, from the Colchester Police Department evidence room this fall and giving them to a felon.

Defense lawyer John Pacht entered the pleas for Kinney, who waived his appearance before Magistrate Judge John Conroy. Kinney recently completed an approximately three-week residential rehab program at the Serenity House in Wallingford.

WPTZ-TV reported Pacht told the court his client will continue to undergo outpatient treatment for his opiate addiction for approximately five weeks.

Kinney has resigned from his job after 12 years with the Colchester Police.

EARLIER COVERAGE

Pacht said his client's main job now is to fight his substance abuse, WPTZ reported.

Kinney told investigators that he had an opiate problem for about a year, according to court papers. He had been in charge of the department's evidence room between February 2012 and November when arrested.

Conroy agreed to give both sides 90 days to file any possible motions in the case, which has been assigned to Senior Judge William K. Sessions in Burlington.

WPTZ also reported Pacht indicated his client had not discussed the half-dozen defendants that have had their cases dropped because drugs are missing from the evidence room.

The convicted felon who fingered Kinney as the source of heroin and a handgun also had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf.

Peter Burnett, 25, of Burlington, was due to be in court, but signed a waiver Wednesday giving up his right to appear for the hearing.

Defense lawyer Frank Twarog entered a not guilty plea to a single count indictment charging Burnett with possession of a .38-caliber revolved while being a convicted felon.

Conroy gave both sides until Feb. 18 to file pre-trial motions in the case, which will be heard in Brattleboro.

A raid by Burlington Police on Burnett's apartment on North Avenue led to the two arrests.

Wednesday marked the first time that Kinney and Burnett had denied criminal conduct since their arrests on Nov. 10.

Both were initially charged in criminal complaints filed by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and were formally indicted by a grand jury last week.

Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com. Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.