Santa Ana Officer Pleads Innocent in Theft; Hearing Set
A former Santa Ana police officer charged with stealing money from detained suspects pleaded not guilty Friday in Central Municipal Court.
Judge Richard W. Stanford Jr. set a preliminary hearing for William T. Cleary, 27, for March 27.
Cleary has been charged with one count of grand theft and one count of petty theft. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The charges stem from a police sting operation Jan. 23 in which Cleary, who was on patrol at the time, allegedly stole $1,140 from an undercover officer posing as a suspect. In another incident, Cleary is accused of stealing $400 from a prisoner.
Santa Ana police officials had initiated administrative hearings against Cleary, a two-year member of the department, to remove him from the force earlier this month when he resigned.
Before coming to Orange County, Cleary served two years with the Vernon Police Department in Los Angeles County.
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