Former police chief gets no jail time after pleading guilty to stealing heroin from evidence room

ELIZABETH BOROUGH, Pa. — The former Elizabeth Borough police chief has been sentenced to 55 months of probation and 325 hours of community service after pleading guilty to stealing heroin from the department evidence room.

Tim Butler pleaded guilty in August to two counts of theft, one count of possession and one count of obstructing the administration of law.

Related >>> Mayor reacts to former Elizabeth police chief being charged with theft, drug possession

Butler was charged in 2018. According to the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, Butler confessed to a subordinate officer that he was addicted to heroin, and when asked if there was any missing evidence, replied that “it was all gone.”

During Wednesday's sentencing hearing, the judge decided against jail time, acknowledging this was an addiction, but made a point of telling Butler that he violated a lot of trust considering his position -- and therefore got the higher end of probation.

Butler spoke during the hearing, briefly, saying he deeply regretted this and "it will never happen again."

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