Ex-Minneapolis cop found guilty for illegal searches, stealing drugs
A jury Tuesday convicted Ty Jindra, a former Minneapolis police officer, of conducting illegal searches and stealing drugs from citizens.
After a nine-day trial at the federal courthouse in St. Paul, jurors convicted Jindra, 29, of three counts of acquiring controlled substances by deception, and two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.
In a mixed verdict, the jury acquitted him of four similar counts, and also found him not guilty of extorting citizens into giving him drugs.
Prosecutors say Jindra intentionally created opportunities to search people and vehicles to steal drugs including methamphetamine and oxycodone, and that he conducted these searches without reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
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After receiving complaints, Jindra's superiors reviewed his body camera video in late 2019 and contacted the FBI.
Judge Donovan Frank has yet to schedule a sentencing hearing.
The Department of Justice said in a statement that Jindra faces a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison on each account of acquiring a controlled substance, and one year for each civil rights count.
“Ty Jindra failed to uphold his oath as a peace officer, he failed the community he was sworn to serve, and he failed his fellow officers,” said Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk. “This office and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate corruption and blatant abuse of authority. I am grateful to the Minneapolis Police Department for rooting out Jindra’s wrongdoing and notifying the FBI.”