A high-ranking, veteran Massachusetts police officer was arrested Thursday and charged with stealing drugs from his department's evidence locker.
Ludlow Police Officer Thomas Foye -- who was promoted to provisional lieutenant in May –- has been ordered to turn in all his firearms, as well as his license to carry a firearm.
"I'm devastated," Acting Police Chief Pablo Madera said at a press conference Thursday.
According to court documents, authorities last week launched an internal investigation into the theft of items from the police department's evidence room. On Thursday morning, off-site investigators were monitoring a live-feed from a camera they had installed in the evidence room, when they allegedly observed Foye, a 25-year veteran of the department, enter a locked narcotics locker and search through evidence bags.
"[A police officer] observed Lt. Foye with a clear plastic bag with what appeared to be a white substance inside. Lt. Foye was observed manipulating this plastic bag," the court documents read.
A short time later Foye was confronted inside the police station by officers from the Massachusetts State Police. They secured his firearm and Foye was searched.
According to the court documents, officers allegedly discovered a small baggie in Foye's shirt pocket that contained a substance that field tested positive for cocaine. A small plastic packet was also found in his desk, which contained an "off-white substance." The court documents do not indicate whether the second baggie also tested positive for cocaine.
Foye, 49, was booked on charges of theft of drugs from a depository and possession of a class B substance.
At his arraignment Thursday, Foye entered a not guilty plea before Palmer District Court Judge Patricia T. Poehler. The judge ordered Foye to surrender his firearms and his license to carry a firearm.
Foye was released without bail, under the conditions that he undergo a substance abuse evaluation and submit to random drug screens
A pretrial conference in the case has been scheduled for October 1.
According to The Republican, Foye participated in a conference at Ludlow High School last year, where he warned parents and residents about drug abuse. He said the drug problem in Ludlow was the worst he has seen since he has been working for the police department, the media outlet reported.
Madera called Foye's arrest a "traumatic event for our department."
READ THE COURT DOCUMENTS:
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