CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. (AP) - A former South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper has been sentenced to five years in prison after admitting he took tens of thousands of dollars in evidence money.
Forty-eight-year-old Brian Biehl of Platte also was fined $10,000. Brule County State’s Attorney David Natvig and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Biehl’s sentence Friday.
Biehl pleaded guilty to grand theft by law enforcement for keeping nearly $70,000 confiscated from drug searches during his time with the patrol. He faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
The Capital Journal (https://bit.ly/2nUGitB) reports state police began investigating Biehl when other troopers began noticing money missing from evidence bags.
Biehl was a trooper for about 15 years, working out of Chamberlain. He left the patrol last year.
___
Information from: Pierre Capital Journal, https://www.capjournal.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.