This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A former West Jordan police supervisor was charged Friday with distributing drugs and taking cash that should have been turned over to the police department.
Aaron D. Jensen, 34, is charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony, and two third-degree felony counts of misuse of public money.
According to documents filed in 3rd District Court, West Jordan officers in October 2007 booked a person referred to as CF into jail and seized $1,239, which was photographed and turned over to Jensen, who was the supervisor.
But Jensen never recorded the cash in the police department's seizure log, never reported it to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office for processing and never deposited it in West Jordan City's seizure bank account, according to charges.
In April 2008, Jensen released $583 in cash to the man's attorney. In January 2009, CF was released from jail and went to the West Jordan Police Department to request the balance of the cash.
Jensen told his supervisors there was no additional money beyond what had been given to CF's attorney, according to charges. The police department gave CF a check for the balance of the money.
Jensen subsequently was fired. A spokeswoman for West Jordan city said the date of the termination was April 29, 2009. While two officers were cleaning out his desk, they found several balloons of heroin and cocaine in a drawer, as well as printouts of driver licenses belonging to people referred to as JD and JM, the charges state.
That discovery led to further investigation of additional past crimes.
In May 2008, Jensen contacted JD and JM, and told JD he would take care of an outstanding warrant and that JD could avoid additional charges by becoming Jensen's drug informant, according to charges.
Jensen took $300 from JD and again failed to document the seizure of the cash, according to charges. Jensen also failed to make a record that JD and JM were working for him, or that he took several balloons of heroin from JD and JM, according to charges.
In June 2008, Jensen contacted JD and asked for 10 balloons of heroin and cocaine in exchange for $100, and Jensen then returned two of the balloons to JD, according to charges.
Jensen "had no authority of law [to] 'kick back' two balloons of seized controlled substances," according to charges.
Jensen, who is being held at the Davis County jail, is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday at Salt Lake City's Matheson Courthouse.