Redstone Twp. Officer Accused Of Tampering With, Stealing Evidence
REDSTONE TWP. (KDKA) -- Former Redstone Township police sergeant Norman Howard has had a checkered past. Now, he's being charged with tampering with and stealing evidence while he headed up the police department.
The Fayette County District Attorney has filed theft and other charges related to several incidents that allegedly took place when Howard worked in Redstone Township. According to a criminal complaint, auditors came in to look at the department's records and found numerous problems with money and evidence.
- In a 2010 drug case, $694 was missing from an envelope in the evidence room.
- In 2012, a new computer seized in a search warrant was also missing.
- In a 2013 drug case, $2,020 was found to be missing from an envelope in the evidence room.
Auditors also discovered that in the case of the missing money, the officer in charge of the case and the one responsible for the evidence was Sgt. Norman Howard.
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Howard was also discovered to be using the missing computer at home. According to court records, he falsified cash amounts seized in drug cases.
His problems with the law started in Sept. 2014 after being arrested for beating a girlfriend. Investigators found the victim with broken tooth and bite mark on her back. Those charges were dismissed but Howard was ordered to anger management.
In April of 2015, Howard was indicted on federal civil rights violations, accused of punching an innocent man in 2013 for no reason. Howard was sentenced to three years on probation, with the first six months on house arrest. He also promised never to be a police officer again.
