Updated at 5:53 p.m. Nov. 19, 2014
A married couple who both served on the San Diego Police Department for years pleaded guilty Wednesday to committing burglaries while on duty in order to steal prescription medications and sell them.
Bryce Charpentier, 32, and his 41-year-old wife, Jennifer, each face up to seven years and eight months in state prison when they are sentenced Jan. 30.
Effective Wednesday, they no longer are employed by the SDPD, according to police Chief Shelley Zimmerman.
“Both of these individuals will have to face the consequences of their actions, which have diminished the great work our officers do every day to serve our city,” Zimmerman said.
At the time of their arrests in early June, Bryce Charpentier had been with the agency for six years, and his wife for 18.
Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime — possession and sale of a controlled substance — selling or furnishing a narcotic substance and possession of a firearm by an addict.
The couple’s decision to plead guilty to all charges came as a surprise, Deputy District Attorney Matthew Tag said.
“You know, police officers are human beings just like everyone else, so they can commit crimes as well,” the prosecutor told reporters outside court. “It’s just unfortunate, and it’s a complete betrayal to the law enforcement community, and I expect them to think about that in state prison.”
The Charpentiers admitted sending text messages to each other in order to set up burglaries in which they stole prescription drugs from people they had contacted while on duty. The defendants also admitted stealing Hydrocodone and selling the drug.
Jennifer Charpentier even offered to take over a narcotics operation from a drug dealer, Tag said.
— City News Service
