BRAINTREE, Mass. — So far nearly a dozen cases connected to the collection and storage of evidence by the Braintree Police Department have been dismissed, and FOX25 News has learned that number could reach into the hundreds.
FOX25’s Robert Goulston has been covering this story since it broke, and Friday he spoke with the retired state trooper who conducted an audit of the evidence procedures.
"Knowing there are a lot of hardworking police officers, especially at the Braintree PD, that they went out to make an effort to get drugs off the street and now unfortunately now because of this a lot of these cases will be thrown out,” Bruce Gordon said.
Gordon now works for Narcotics Audit Solutions and was asked by the Braintree Police Department to take a thorough look at the evidence room after concerns surfaced.
At the time the audit began, Officer Susan Zopatti was responsible for the evidence room lock up and had been since 2013.
"She was there from 2013 to the present but the problem is she might have tampered with evidence prior to 2013,” Gordon told FOX25.
Days after Gordon first interviewed Zopatti in May she took her own life.
When the audit was released this week, FOX25 learned money, drugs, and gins were unaccounted for.
Braintree officials said much of the evidence has since been located, including several guns at Zopatti’s home.
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s office is now reviewing the audit to see what, if any, impact it will have on other cases.
“I think the DA said it in the right way - if you tasted some soup and it's tainted you're not going to finish the bowl,” Gordon said of the potential impact.
Cox Media Group
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