Former Columbus officer sentenced after stealing cocaine from crime scene

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A former Columbus police officer who pleaded guilty on federal drug charges will spend nearly four years in prison.

According to court documents, 31-year-old John Castillo will serve the next 46 months after pleading guilty to one count of possession with attempt to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

The case against Castillo, of Grove City, stemmed from a February arrest that included accusations of stealing drugs from evidence rooms and investigation scenes, as well as passing off narcotics to another person to be sold. Castillo changed his plea to guilty in July.

According to the indictment, Castillo, who originally pleaded not guilty, took approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a home on North Everett Avenue in east Columbus during an investigation but did not enter the drugs as evidence. He then planted two of the kilograms at the Broadleigh neighborhood home and took the rest to be sold by another person.

Joel Mefford, a co-conspirator and former police officer, pleaded not guilty to his charges in February, but changed his plea to guilty in August. Mefford is scheduled to go to trial on Jan. 8. He is facing an additional charge of money laundering along with two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Castillo joined the department in June 2019 and also gained high marks in performance reviews. He was a member of the department’s drug cartel unit as of June 2021.

Wednesday’s sentencing includes a five-years of supervised release after Castillo’s prison sentence in which he is also credited with time already served.