Police officer allegedly burglarized home and stole medication, authorities say

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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A police officer in Palm Beach County, Florida, is facing multiple charges after he allegedly illegally entered a home while on duty and stole medication.

Authorities said Deputy Jason Cooke had been captured on surveillance cameras within a home in Boynton Beach after the system sent an alert to the homeowner’s children.

On Sept. 12, around 9:22 a.m., officers with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office had been called to the home of 85-year-old Moe Rosoff, who’d opted to weather Hurricane Irma alone in his home.

When the storm subsided, however, his son Jay Rosoff got worried after cameras failed to pick up any movement. Responding officers found Moe Rosoff on the floor of a master bathroom. His family said he’d fallen and hit his head during a power outage in the storm.

He was rushed to a hospital, where he later died.

According to the police report, around 10:55 a.m., the surveillance system sent an alert to Jay Rosoff and his brother Steven Rosoff that movement had been detected in the house.

“They viewed the footage and saw a deputy enter the residence through the garage,” the police report said.

When the Rosoffs reported the incident to police, authorities eventually identified the deputy as Cooke. According to the report, he could be seen in the videos allegedly going through cabinets, emptying containers and placing things in his pockets. Police said Cooke had not been told to report to the Rosoff home.

According to the police report, when officers spoke with Cooke and showed him the video, he allegedly told them that he’d used the “garage code that was in the dispatch log” to enter the home.

He allegedly told police that he’d picked up medication from the counter in the kitchen, which he identified as Tramadol, “a schedule four controlled substance and used as a pain reliever.” When police searched Cooke’s patrol vehicle, they said they uncovered 60 pills that included narcotic painkillers and antipsychotic medicine.

Cooke has been suspended with pay. He was arrested Thursday and released on $28,000 bond Friday. He faces several charges including burglary while armed during state of emergency and unlawful possession of prescription drugs. He had not yet been formally arraigned.

The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office said the case was still under investigation.

“The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office holds its employees to the highest standards and never forgets about its duty to preserve the public’s trust. Unfortunately sometimes an employee makes a bad decision which leads to misconduct. This misconduct was reported, investigated and subsequently determined to be criminal in nature, resulting in the charges. The Sheriff’s Office will remain vigilant to ensure that our efforts are professional and meet the high standards that the public has come to expect,” said in a statement to ABC News affiliate ABC15.com.

In a statement, the Rosoff family said, in part, that they were “outraged and disgusted” when they saw the surveillance video.

“Had we not had this video, this cop would still be out there posing a threat of danger to the community he swore to protect and committing more crimes. It is our hope that the justice system treats this cop like any other criminal out there and that he doesn’t receive further preferential treatment because he is a police officer,” the family said.

Stuart Kaplan, Cooke’s lawyer, told ABC News that the officer was remorseful and had shown “tremendous contrition.”

Kaplan said Cooke was addicted to pain medication and was in the middle of treatment when he was arrested. He said that Cooke had been receiving treatment for “some period of time” and was working to get himself healthy.

“It’s a very sad situation,” Kaplan said. “This is not a person who’s out there selling drugs. This is a person having difficulty with an addiction problem … This is a young man who has had a lot of strife in his life … It’s very, very unfortunate.”

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