A former Warren police officer accused of embezzling money from a police explorer program, a group dedicated to youths interested in law enforcement, pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation.
Jack Barnes, 29, pleaded to the reduced charge of embezzling from a nonprofit charitable organization, less than $200, a misdemeanor, on Nov. 18 in 40th District Court in St. Clair Shores, according to his attorney and online court records.
Barnes was arraigned Oct. 24 on the original charge of embezzlement from a nonprofit or charitable organization, $200 to $999, a felony.
Barnes, who has been terminated from Warren police, was ordered to pay $530 in restitution as well as court costs, fines and probation fees. He paid the total owed —$1,130 — on Nov. 18, according his attorney, Marc Curtis, and online court records.
Curtis said Barnes also was sentenced to 12 months of nonreporting probation and has to take a financial stability course.
“He was willing to take responsibility for what had occurred and pay the full restitution amount that the prosecutor requested,” Curtis told the Detroit Free Press after the hearing. “I think it’s important to note that the prosecutor’s office did recognize that he was terminated from his position and was prepared to make full restitution today.”
Curtis did not comment on how Barnes used the money.
Barnes was one of the associate advisers of the explorer post when the incident began, according to a release Oct. 24 from Warren Police. He had been with the department since December 2023.
The prosecutor’s office previously said that in July a senior command officer reported a financial discrepancy after the explorer post finalized a charity event. Barnes was accused of misappropriating funds from the program around July 4.
Warren Police Commissioner Eric Hawkins previously said the department was committed to ensuring the explorer program continued to thrive and receive its support, getting the necessary resources and oversight to continue.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Warren cop pleads no contest to embezzling money from youth police explorer program
Reporting by Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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