WEST JORDAN — A former West Jordan police sergeant has been charged in 3rd District Court with dealing drugs and pocketing seized money from inmates.
Aaron Jensen, 34, was charged with distribution of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony, and two counts of misuse of public money, a third-degree felony.
In 2007, after an officer made an arrest and booked a man into the Salt Lake County Jail, the officer turned over $1,239 in cash that he had seized during the arrest to Jensen, his supervisor, for processing, according to the charges. The money, which was photographed at the jail, was to be returned to the man when he was released. Six months later, prosecutors say Jensen released just $583 cash to the man's attorney.
In addition to being less money than what the man was expecting, department policy forbids officers from returning cash to inmates, only checks. Jensen told his supervisors that $583 was the only money to be returned, the charges state. The West Jordan Police Department later wrote a check to the released inmate for the remaining amount.
On June 5, 2008, Jensen, while off duty, engaged in a drug transaction with two men at 665 W. 5300 South, charging documents state. The men later told investigators that Jensen had contacted them earlier and told them he wouldn't arrest them if they would work as drug informants for him. He also allegedly offered to take care of one of the men's outstanding warrants. Jensen bought balloons of heroin and cocaine from the men on that day, according to the charges.
After Jensen was released from his employment as a police officer, other officers were cleaning out his desk and found several balloons of cocaine and heroin in his drawer, as well as copies of driver licenses from his two informants.
West Jordan police declined comment Friday, referring all calls to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
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