MCKEESPORT, Pa. — A former McKeesport police officer is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the department’s evidence room.
Christopher Halaszynski, 54, of McKeesport was charged with unlawful taking and receiving stolen property on Wednesday.
The Allegheny County DA’s Office said Halaszynski stole over $260,000.
According to court documents, he was the evidence room custodian. That role is in charge of managing all incoming evidence and either passing it along to a designated location or sending it to the crime lab for testing. The custodian would also have access to evidence from previous investigations.
The chief grew suspicious in September after several failed attempts at holding an audit of the evidence room with Halaszynski, court documents say.
Investigators said Halaszynski initially used the money to keep up with finances and pay bills but used it to go on trips around Christmas as time went on.
He told police he focused on cases from the early 2000s and initially planned on putting money back but said he got “selfish and greedy” and that the stealing “became easy.”
The DA’s office said its investigation determined 159 cases were compromised due to missing cash evidence.
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