LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) – A former police detective in Oakland County who pleaded guilty to embezzlement has learned his sentence.
Sean Boucher, a former detective for the Hazel Park Police Department, admitted last December to embezzling about $68,000 in public asset forfeiture funds for personal use.
On Tuesday Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Rae Lee Chabot sentenced Boucher to three years’ probation and seized a portion of his pension, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday.
Boucher had previously agreed to pay restitution and relinquish his Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement certification during December’s plea hearing. Those terms of the plea have already been met, officials said.
Michigan law provides for the seizure of funds and property that were used during or derived from criminal activity. The public asset forfeiture funds are used to support law enforcement operations through training, equipment and other resources, according to a press release from when Boucher was initially charged.
Boucher allegedly embezzled just under $68,000 of those funds between January 2013 and September 2017. He was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 11, 2017 and he resigned four days later.
The FBI assisted local authorities in the investigation. Josh Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan said Boucher “violated the oath he took to protect and serve the citizens of Hazel Park by stealing forfeiture money for his personal use."
"His actions do not reflect the professionalism of the men and women of the Hazel Park Police Department. The FBI will continue to work alongside the Attorney General's office and our law enforcement partners to hold corrupt police officers accountable for their actions."
Hazel Park Chief of Police Brian Buchholz submitted a victim impact statement to the court ahead of Tuesday's sentencing. A portion of that statement reads:
“The mental and emotional impact on employees of the police department and city has also taken its toll. The trust that Mr. Boucher broke continues to have an impact on the level of trust we need to have in each other as we are asked to put our lives on the line. There are many of us that have lost sleep dealing with the added stress that these crimes have caused. The amount of time spent investigating Mr. Boucher’s crimes lasted over a year and a half and cost the city immensely. The city also had to accrue the expense of hiring an auditor to look at the records in this investigation. The integrity of the Hazel Park Police Department has been brought into question and these crimes have affected our reputation in more ways than we can measure. The community needs to trust their police department in order to feel protected and safe. Police officers should be held to a higher standard than the general public. We are asking that the sentence Mr. Boucher receives serves as a deterrent against future misconduct from all police officers and public officials.”
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