Baltimore officer found guilty of stealing money from business during checkup

BALTIMORE - Baltimore Police Officer Eric Payton was found guilty of theft and misconduct in office.

He will be sentenced on February 5.

Payton was convicted of theft stealing $111 from an envelope during a business complaint on September 20, 2023.

Theft between $100 and $1,500 carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and/or $500 in fines. 

Around 1:30 a.m. on September 20, an officer responded to the 4800 block of Belair Road to conduct a business check. The front door was ajar, and the officer called for backup.

Payton then responded, and the officers did a walkthrough of the property and couldn't find contact information for the owner.

Just before 2 p.m., court documents revealed that a person from the business reported a missing envelope that contained money.

Surveillance video showed one of the officers kicking the envelope and picking it up and putting it in their pocket.

"The actions of Officer Payton not only victimized this local business, but eroded the fragile trust between community and law enforcement," said Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. "Every single upstanding officer in the police department pays the price when one of their own casts ethics aside to commit a crime against the very people they are supposed to protect and serve. I thank my Public Trust & Police Integrity Unit for pursuing and achieving justice in this case and the Baltimore Police Officers who reported this egregious act and testified in court to the crime that occurred."