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Ex-Montco detective charged with stealing guns, drugs

John Becker

By Tom Infield, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Posted: May 18, 2012

A former detective-sergeant in the Hatboro Police Department stands accused of stealing firearms, cash, and narcotics from the police evidence room, and also of using a police informant to buy illegal drugs for him.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office said Thursday that John Becker, 42, of Horsham, had been arraigned before District Judge Paul Leo on numerous charges and had been released on $10,000 bail pending further court action in Montgomery County.

He allegedly committed the crimes to support his drug habit, said Nils Frederiksen, spokesman for Attorney General Linda Kelly.

Kelly said in a statement that between December 2009 and January 2011, Becker “convinced or coerced several individuals to make numerous drug purchases on his behalf, including powerful prescription pain medications such as OxyContin and Percocet, along with cocaine.”

This was done “under the guise of assisting undercover drug investigations” that in reality didn’t exist, Kelly said. Becker, at the time, was evidence-room custodian.

Over eight years, from 2003 to 2011, he allegedly stole 10 firearms, including a German Luger pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun, Kelly said.

Kelly said Becker also took $18,000 in cash from the evidence room, along with an Omega watch valued at $2,700 and narcotics worth more than $2,000.

Agents searched Becker’s house in June 2011 and found items determined to be from the evidence room, Kelly said — some “still bearing evidence stickers.”

Kelly said Becker sold some stolen weapons at a store in Horsham. Four weapons were recovered in the trunk of Becker’s car.

Montgomery County law enforcement officials joined the investigation.

Contact Tom Infield at 610-313-8205 or tinfield@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @tinfield.