Deputy Allegedly Steals from Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office – Arrested
By Jim Emerson
MARTINEZ — A 36-year veteran of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office was released from the
Martinez Detention Facility on $160,000 bond—hours after being arrested on June 16.
The suspect is 62-year-old Kevin Ray Lee, a per-diem sheriff’s deputy, formerly classified as full time for the agency.
Detectives executed warrants to search Lee’s residence in Martinez, and placed Lee under arrest
during the afternoon of June 16.
An assault weapon was recovered from Lee during the search.
Subsequently, he was released from custody at 2:18 a.m. on June 17, pending review of charges.
Lee became a prime suspect during an internal investigation of thefts occurring inside the sheriff’s
department. He allegedly stole unspecified items from the agency’s property services division in
Concord. The division is responsible for the intake, cataloging, storage, and disposal of evidence and
property.
Lee was booked on suspicion of committing four felonies –
· Burglary
· Receiving stolen property
· Embezzlement
· Possession of an assault weapon
Lee first joined the sheriff’s office in May 1990 as a sheriff’s deputy. Lee later became a temporary
deputy (per-diem) in 2012, and he was assigned long-term to the property services division.
The thefts prompted Sheriff David Livingston to request an audit conducted by the California
Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. It will focus on the property services division at
the sheriff’s department.
