Former Jackson
police officer David Dreblow was sentenced to six months in prison by a federal
judge on Thursday.
After his
incarceration, he has to serve a two-year period of supervised release,
including six months of home detention, and pay $600 in restitution.
Dreblow pleaded
guilty in April to conspiracy to violate the civil rights of a resident. As
part of a plea agreement, he admitted that he conspired with former police
officer Marvent Brooks to steal $1,200 from Malcolm Wortham while processing a
crime scene in the 100 block of Division Street.
Brooks was
sentenced to 22 months in prison, with three years of supervised release
following incarceration, on May 21.
Assistant U.S.
Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti said it is vital that people trust those in
positions of authority such as police officers, and actions like those charged
do damage to the justice system.
“The credibility
of the entire system is put at risk when even one of those actors breaks the
law for their own benefit,” Skrmetti said.
He said police
officers who engage in theft could lead other officers to steal.
“They may think
that everybody is getting a piece of the action for themselves,” he said.
Dreblow’s
attorney, Mark Donahoe, said that while Dreblow does not deny his involvement
and responsibility, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, which Dreblow quickly
regretted.
“We differ and
have always differed in regard to whether D.J. (Dreblow) ended up with $600,”
Donahoe said.
Donahoe said
Dreblow met Brooks at an isolated location where Brooks gave him the money. At
that time, he said Dreblow saw that this was not right and told Brooks he would
turn the money in if it was left with him. Then Brooks took the money back.
“He did not keep
it,” Donahoe said. “He did not spend it.”
But Donahoe said
Dreblow kept the incident a secret and made false statements.
The attorney told
the court that the remorseful Dreblow would not appear in a courtroom on a
future offense and that he recognizes it was a lapse in judgment.