HARPER WOODS, Mich. – A former Harper Woods police officer was sentenced Tuesday morning.
Michael Richard Lynch, 36, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and two counts of misconduct in office. All six charges of larceny in a building were dismissed.
Lynch was sentenced to two years of probation and must enroll in a residential drug treatment program as part of the plea agreement. Lynch's attorney told the court no residential drug treatment program will accept him because he has been sober for over a year.
The judge told Lynch to follow the plea agreement.
Prosecutors had originally said Lynch stole various items from the Harper Woods Police Department property room between Feb. 4 and Feb. 10, 2017.
Harper Woods police Chief Jim Burke released the following statement about the string of incidents:
"This is another investigation that was initiated by members of the Harper Woods Police Department. Once an internal investigation was begun, it was determined that the officer may be responsible for a criminal violation of the law. I contacted the Michigan State Police and turned the investigation over to them. The Michigan State Police presented their findings to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office, who issued the charge against Officer Biernat.
"The top priority of this department is the safety of our community, and maintaining the excellent relationships we have built and the trust you have placed in us. I want to thank everyone who has reached out to us telling us that we still have that trust in spite of recent events. Your confidence in us is essential to continue the significant reductions in crime we are experiencing, and the demonstrated respect we have for each other. The National Night Out and Unity in the Community Walk last week was attended by over 500 people. We take great pride in our privilege to serve you, and we hope to keep building the relationship we have with our residents every day.
"I would also like to thank the media for the fair treatment we received Wednesday, despite the negative circumstances that made it necessary for their coverage of our community. While a police officer charged with a crime is never a positive event, I was given ample time to explain that the activities in question were uncovered by our officers, and we do not tolerate any violations of the law. Most importantly, the focus on the excellent relationship that exists between our police department and our residents was emphasized, and how critical it is to our mission."
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