It follows an FBI investigation that claims 10-year veteran Rey Medeles stole $60,000 from the department's evidence room.
Chief Mindy Casto expressed the disappointment this situation has brought, but says their swift action when they realized something was wrong is a testament to their commitment to the Fresno community.
Medeles is facing charges for abusing his power in a community he swore to protect.
"He had checked out $60,000 cash from our evidence room without proper authorization. It was very suspicious to us, to the point we believed criminal conduct may be involved," explains Casto.
Chief Casto says they immediately contacted the FBI to handle the criminal investigation in May of 2024, fearing it could be part of a larger problem.
The police department conducted the internal administrative investigation.
Medeles was fired from the department in June.
"We place our trust in our officers when we pin that badge on them, and the community does as well, and it's just disappointing. I don't wanna lose sight that we do have over 1,300 department members out there just working hard trying to do a good job that have integrity," expresses Chief Casto.
Medeles was arrested on Thursday and faces charges, including Grand Theft.
The department has confirmed the former narcotics detective has dealt with other administrative and civil incidents in the past, but nothing criminal.
Chief Casto is promising to continue protecting and serving the Fresno community.
"Yes, there are things we have looked at. We examined our own practices, and we have taken numerous steps to make sure this isn't able to happen. Again, this isn't something that was a lack of policy. This is because an individual willfully intentionally abused his authority and was dishonest in what he did when he took that money."
Chief Casto says all the cases he worked on are now being reviewed.
Medeles is scheduled to be in court on October 23.
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