A police officer from the San Pedro Police Department on the Caribbean island of Belize was arrested on Tuesday after a suspect’s casino chips and cash mysteriously disappeared.
Officer Keir Roebin David Morey, 28, of San Pedro Town, was charged with theft. The incident unraveled when a suspect reported that $320 worth of casino chips and $15 in cash, initially left at the police station, had been stolen.
The victim, Kevin Salazar, also 28 and a bartender from San Pedro Town, found himself entangled in the situation after being arrested on September 10 at San Pedro’s Palm Casino. While socializing at the casino, a female police officer searched him and confiscated illegal drugs. Following the search, Salazar was booked at the San Pedro Police Station.
On September 11, Salazar was formally charged with possession of controlled drugs, though the specific substance remains unclear. He pled guilty to the charge at the San Pedro Magistrate Court and was subsequently fined.
During the booking process, Salazar handed over various personal possessions to the officers, including the casino chips, $15 in cash, a cellphone, a watch, and a silver chain. However, upon his return to the police station, he found that the casino chips and cash were missing, although the other items were returned to him.
A police department employee who reviewed records noted that Salazar had never signed any document for the casino chips or cash. Despite this, Salazar maintained that he had handed over the items, which were now inexplicably gone. The missing items included two green chips worth $50 each and 22 red chips valued at $10 apiece, according to Channel 5 Belize.
An internal investigation was launched, involving a review of surveillance camera footage and a statement from Salazar. This led to a complaint against Officer Morey, who was subsequently detained and investigated by his colleagues. On Tuesday, Morey was officially arrested, with the case likely to be brought to a local court for further proceedings.
Questions remain about whether Officer Morey has been suspended from his duties, and if Salazar’s money or casino chips were ever returned to him.
San Pedro is located in the southern part of Ambergris Caye, an island in northern Belize.
