Charges Dropped Against Detective Accused Of Stealing Money From Store Customer
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A Pittsburgh detective accused of stealing an envelope of money at a convenience store, which was left behind by a customer, had charges against him dropped Tuesday.
District Judge James Hanley dropped theft charges against Pittsburgh Police Detective Michael Reddy Tuesday night - even though prosecutors say surveillance video shows Reddy taking an envelope full of cash from the counter of a 711 store on the North Side.
According to police, officers were summoned to the 7-Eleven convenience store on Pittsburgh's North Side to investigate a theft.
A customer inadvertently left a bank envelope containing $220 on the store counter and exited the store.
Reddy was in the store at the time. Surveillance footage showed Reddy taking the money.
When the man returned to the store looking for his money, the staff reviewed the surveillance tape and then called police who confronted Reddy when he returned to headquarters three hours later.
The prosecution argued Reddy never asked a cashier or anyone from the store who the money belonged to. He and his partner were headed to an overtime detail in Mercer County when they stopped at the 711.
Reddy testified that he didn't know what to do with the money and intended to take it to the Zone 1 police station. The defense argued that as soon as he was confronted by his superiors, he volunteered, "Is this about the envelope I found?" and promptly turned it over.
The money belonged to Robert Simpson, who recently cashed a check and left it on the counter by mistake. When he returned to the 711 the money was gone.
Reddy has been on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
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