(PAMPLIN MEDIA) — A Scappoose police officer has been indicted on charges alleging he stole drugs from police evidence for personal use.
Troy Gainer, a 17-year employee of the Scappoose Police Department, was indicted on 13 charges, including eight counts of official misconduct and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
According to prosecutors, Gainer allegedly took the drugs from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and St. Helens Police Department’s evidence collections between 2019 and 2020. Instead of taking them to be destroyed, as was intended, Gainer allegedly kept the drugs.
Gainer also allegedly entered Scappoose’s evidence collection while off-duty in order to take controlled substances.
He is charged with soliciting Oxycodone, a highly-addictive opioid painkiller, from two people who testified in front of the grand jury.
The indictment was filed Friday, June 25. Gainer pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment over video on Monday, June 28.
Gainer’s attorney, Daniel Thenell, said Gainer “cooperated with the investigation and provided a full statement.”
Fellow Scappoose police officers were among the witnesses presented to the grand jury, including current Sgt. Justin Stevenson and Officer Matt Dorick, who left Scappoose for the Forest Grove Police Department in 2020.
Gainer has served as the school resource officer for the Scappoose School District.
Scappose School District Superintendent Tim Porter did not immediately responded to questions about who currently holds the SRO position in the school district. Scappoose Police Chief Norm Miller has not responded to questions about Gainer’s employment status with the police department or if any internal investigation was conducted prior to the criminal indictment.
State law enforcement records show Gainier is still employed by the Scappoose Police Department.
This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.