This dirty piggy thinks he is above the law
best part is what he got arrested for..
By Kelsey Givens
Pahrump Valley Times
kgivens@pvtimes.com
A Nye County Sheriff’s sergeant was arrested Saturday morning after he was caught allegedly stealing 60 prescription pills from the sheriff’s office.
Sgt. Michael Horn, a 10-year-year veteran, was also accused of coercing an elderly woman into giving him her prescription pain medication during a call for service on the day he was relieved of duty.
Horn raised suspicions on Friday after a subordinate reportedly questioned the superior officer’s insistence that he be the one to book medication collected from a deceased person’s residence into evidence; an order that went against department policy.
The subordinate alerted a narcotics officer to Horn’s demands and the detective was able to get an inventory of the pills before the subordinate handed them over to the sergeant to be booked into evidence.
Once the sergeant booked the pills, the narcotics officer later took them from the evidence room and recounted them. A total of 60 15-milligram morphine sulfate pills were missing. According to police, the pills have a street value of $10 each, making the missing amount worth approximately $600.
Sheriff Tony DeMeo was alerted to the situation at 11:35 p.m. Friday. By Saturday morning, police had search warrants for Horn’s person, his patrol car and his home.
Horn’s shift began at 6 a.m. Saturday. His superiors were planning on relieving him of duty as soon as he arrived at the office. Instead of coming straight to the sheriff’s office, however, Horn took a noise complaint call from an elderly woman. While at the woman’s house, Horn allegedly coerced her into giving him her pain medication. According to DeMeo, the woman told police she felt she had no choice but to turn her medication over to the sergeant based on his status as a police officer and her physical fear of him.
An NCSO press release on the matter states that Horn told other deputies the medication was expired and he was taking it to be disposed of. It was later discovered the prescription had been filled just 10 days prior.
When Horn finally showed up at the sheriff’s office, he was confronted about the pills missing from evidence; investigators then found the elderly woman’s pills in Horn’s uniform shirt pocket.
Horn was served with search warrants and then given a drug test. He was allegedly found to have three categories of drugs in his system.
A search of Horn’s squad car allegedly uncovered several different schedule 2 controlled substances, including liquid morphine and pain pills in a female’s name.
In the spare tire area in the trunk of the vehicle, investigators allegedly discovered more than 15 prescription pill bottles of yet to be determined substance and ownership.
Investigators additionally reported finding the pills Horn allegedly took from the NCSO Friday wrapped in a paper towel with some other pills in an overhead compartment.
Horn was arrested on charges of DUI, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, coercion, burglary, six counts of possession of a controlled substance, three counts of unlawful use of a controlled substance, oppression under color of office, petit larceny and possession of stolen property.
He was booked into the Beatty jail in lieu of $66,900 bail, but later released on his own recognizance by Justice of the Peace Kent Jasperson.
Police said the sergeant was arrested for DUI, first offense, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person because he was allegedly driving and in possession of his sidearm and long guns located in his vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance.