Their arrests are connected to a wider investigation into the East Cleveland Police Department for corruption.
Two former East Cleveland, Ohio, police officers were sentenced this week for stealing thousands of dollars from people they pulled over during traffic stops.
A judge ordered Willie Sims, 32, to two years in prison Thursday. His partner, Alfonzo Cole, 35, was sentenced Monday to 2 1/2 years in prison and was fined $40,000, court records show.
In total, Sims and Cole stole $14,781 from six victims between July 2020 and July 2021 while on duty, prosecutors said. Cole also swiped two firearms from the victims, the Cuyahoga County Office of the Prosecutor said in a news release.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Russo told Sims that his actions have “disgraced” hard-working officers.
Abusing the power granted to them by the state to commit crimes under the guise of law enforcement should earn them life in prison. Cops should be held to a higher standard than the average person, and should see harsher punishment when they break the law. I hope these two never live peacefully when they get out.
I mean, I’m mostly with you (see my comment above), but automatic life in prison for any abuse of power is too much. For example basically all cops use their state-given position of power to illegally park their personal vehicle wherever they want, which definitely should get them punished by the law, but it definitely shouldn’t be a life sentence.