AKRON, Ohio -- A former East Cleveland police supervisor pleaded guilty Friday to ripping off drug dealers by stealing money seized during investigations.
Sgt. Torris Moore pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal the money, conspiring to commit extortion, two counts of theft and one county of lying to federal investigators.
Moore, who appeared in court wearing a black business suit, faces between nine and 15 years in federal prison, depending on the outcome of a background check.
U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi will sentence her April 5.
Moore agreed to pay $37,333 in restitution and to forfeit another $32,166 as part of the plea deal.
Moore and defense attorney Nathan Ray declined comment after the hearing. Moore will remain free until her sentencing.
Moore and two of the detectives she supervised in the street crimes unit stole tens of thousands of dollars from five drug dealers between 2012 and 2014.
The two detectives in the case, Antonio Malone and Eric Jones, each pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal the money. They have not been sentenced.
Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of up to six years for Malone and nearly five years for Jones, who is considered a lesser player in the scheme. Both agreed to cooperate in the case against Moore.
The officers raided homes by applying for search warrants, then documented on official court records that they found less money than they actually seized. The trio kept the remainder and split the money.
The FBI used recorded conversations with cooperating witnesses to obtain incriminating statements against the officers.
All three officers resigned from the department within the past year. Several county drug cases were dropped because of the officers' actions.
Moore supervised the drug unit and sent information to the county prosecutors for charges as part of her duties.