But if evidence bags were tampered with, and drugs taken, it could lead
to cases being dismissed, and drug users and possibly drug dealers being put back on the streets because the chain of evidence has allegedly been broken.
January 11, 2017
CAMPBELL, Ohio – 21 News has confirmed that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has ordered the Campbell Police Department to shut down it’s evidence room until further notice.
That’s because Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains has asked BCI to investigate Sergeant David Taybus who has now resigned amid a criminal investigation related to his handling of police evidence.
Taybus was put on paid administrative leave on December 29th and resigned that same day according to Campbell city officials.Law Director Brian Macala was asked if former Sergeant Taybus has admitted to taking drugs out of the evidence room, and Macala said he’s not going to confirm or deny that since BCI is involved in investigating this now.
Around 12:30 Wednesday afternoon two agents with BCI arrived at the Campbell Police Department to do a preliminary investigation of the Campbell Police Department’s evidence room.
They were at the department for just over an hour.The investigation was being handled internally until Mahoning County Prosecutor Gains stepped in.Law Director Macala said, “That’s our protocol is to do an internal investigation first.”Campbell Police Chief Dennis Puskarcik has only been on the job for three days and tells 21 News,
“The Campbell Police in conjunction with BCI will be conducting an audit of the evidence room to see if anything might be missing. I’m the new chief here. This allegation occurred before I got here. So we’ll find out if something is missing and go from there.
“Sources say that at the end of December Sergeant David Taybus was put on paid administrative leave, and immediately resigned after being caught on-camera frequently making trips into the evidence room.
An internal investigation was done, but BCI was not called in at that time.””I walked in here and was hit with this and it’s like anything else, we’ll work through it.
It will be worked through. We’ll go from there,” Chief Puskarcik said.Another secure location will now hold any new evidence.BCI tells 21 News they have not formally accepted the case at this time.Retired Sergeant Taybus has not been charged with any crime.
His attorney also did not return a call for comment.But if evidence bags were tampered with, and drugs taken, it could lead to cases being dismissed, and drug users and possibly drug dealers being put back on the streets because the chain of evidence has allegedly been broken.
Law Director Macala says he does not know of any cases where that has happened.
