Erie police lieutenant charged in cocaine sting

[doug]

Erie police lieutenant charged in cocaine sting
By Lisa Thompson and Ed Palattella
Source - GoErie

An Erie Bureau of Police lieutenant has been arrested on charges he stole cocaine from an Erie police evidence room for his personal use.

Robert Liebel, 46, was arrested late Sunday night in a sting operation run by Erie police internal affairs investigators and an investigator with the state Attorney General’s Office, according to the arrest records.

The investigators alleged they used surveillance equipment to observe Liebel — who was on duty at the time — take 12 grams of cocaine from a larger amount of cocaine that investigators had placed in an evidence room as part of the sting on Sunday.

The room was not the main property room at the police station. The evidence room in question is similar to a walk-in closet, and is where Erie police hold evidence on a temporary basis before the evidence goes to the main property room.

The investigators said they confronted Liebel, and that he had some of the cocaine in his hand and had hidden the rest of it elsewhere in the Erie police station. Liebel admitted to the investigators that he took the cocaine, and said it was for his personal use, according to the records.

Liebel was arraigned at 11:55 p.m. Sunday on charges including theft, tampering with evidence, receiving stolen property and obstructing the administration of law.

Though he was arrested in Erie, Liebel is in the Crawford County Correctional Facility on $100,000 bond. It was not immediately clear why Liebel was jailed in Crawford County.

[Agent Smith]

And these are the people who are supposed to be "protecting" us. How do they think they can get away with it, isn't everything accounted for when it gets entered into evidence?

[Pa. Patriot]

Only police should have guns.

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Oh, sorry... Wrong thread

[ScaredOnce]

Very saddening... But the fact that he was treated no different under the law should send the right message.

[Chazman321]

He was treated different... No possession charges, and they jailed him in another county...


Chazwouldn'tdothatforusman321

[fultonCoShooter]

Cocaine's a hell of a drug

[sgt7546]

he broke the law, he was arrested....next.

[ar15jules]

he broke the law, he was arrested....next.

Thank you.
Jules

[Michele]

Suspended with pay!!!

Does he have to give it back once he's convicted?

You don't get suspended with pay when you get caught stealing french fries out of the happy meals!

[ithinkimamedic]

I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SUGAR FOR POWDERED DOUGHNUTS I SWEAR!!!!