A former Columbus police officer, Joel M. Mefford, has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison for his involvement in cocaine theft and money laundering. The sentencing took place in a federal court in Columbus, Ohio.
Mefford, aged 35 and from London, Ohio, was assigned to investigate drug crimes as part of the Columbus police force. Between February and April 2020, he collaborated with another officer to steal and traffic more than 15 kilograms of cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker stated, "Crimes like those that Mefford committed undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system. Mefford abused his official position for personal gain." He added that the sentence reflects the seriousness of the offenses and serves as a warning that corrupt public servants will face accountability.
Court documents reveal that in February 2020, Mefford and his colleague illegally accessed a garage during an investigation without a warrant. They found two kilograms of cocaine but only seized one kilogram unlawfully before leaving the other for discovery during a subsequent search warrant execution. The stolen narcotics were then handed over to another individual for sale.
Further incidents occurred in March 2020 at residences on Ambleside Drive and Kilbourne Avenue in Columbus. On March 7th, they removed multiple kilograms of cocaine from these locations; some were submitted as evidence while others were stolen for sale.
In April 2020, they stole between 10 and 20 kilograms of cocaine from the Columbus police property room, replacing it with fake substances. Mefford transported this cocaine using a police cruiser while his partner facilitated its sale through another party. From these sales, Mefford personally received around $130,000.
He deposited over $72,000 from these proceeds into his bank account.
Indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023, Mefford pleaded guilty in August 2024 to charges including possession with intent to distribute significant quantities of cocaine and money laundering.
The announcement was made by Kenneth L. Parker alongside Elena Iatarola from the FBI's Cincinnati Division after U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.'s ruling.
Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are handling the prosecution for this case which was investigated by various agencies including the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force.