A California cop won’t face any jail time for allegedly stealing from civilians. The district attorney said losing his job was punishment enough.
John Sanzone, a white sheriff’s deputy in Glenn County, accepted a plea agreement to dismiss his felony charge of grand theft by embezzlement. According to Atlanta Black Star, he was accused of stealing thousands from multiple vulnerable civilians, including $3,500 from a homeless man.
Sanzone will relinquish his state law enforcement certification. The dismissal of the felony charge means he will not have to serve a three-year prison term.
The accusations came to light in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a Black police officer at the Oroville Police Department in 2022. Sanzone had worked at the department for 10 years, rising to the rank of sergeant despite the mounting allegations against him.
The lawsuit accused Sanzone of not only stealing from civilians but mishandling evidence and refusing to respond to high-level calls. The Black sergeant who called out Sanzone’s violations also claimed to have faced retaliation for doing so. Sanzone later moved on to the Glenn County’s Sheriff’s Office.
Sanzone joined the sheriff’s office in 2021, but was fired nine months later over the accusations that he stole from a homeless man. He was later arrested in May 2023.
Despite his plea agreement, Sanzone could become a police officer in another state. Naysayers on Facebook condemned the prosecution’s decision not to pursue harsher punishment against the disgraceful cop.
“Seems like there’s a pattern here. Glenn County shouldn’t have even hired him! He’ll just move to another state & do the same thing. It’s sad when you can’t even trust the police,” wrote commenter Faylene Jarman.
“Just shows the actual level of corruption in this county when a cop steals from a homeless man and walks free,” added a commenter named Corrine Green.
Despite calls to ensure Sazonne cannot continue police work, the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office defended the decision.
“He did not walk free. He will never be a peace officer in California in his lifetime because of the criminal investigation. Many criminals will just do jail time or pay a fine…not lose their jobs. This person lost his job and career.”
However, issues regarding “wandering cops” remain prevalent across the country. Some police officers removed from the force can end up working in other states, regardless of the severity of their crimes.
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