DES MOINES – An ex-officer for the Altoona Police Department is facing five felony charges including felonious misconduct in office, forgery, and possession of a controlled substance.
According to criminal complaints filed Tuesday, 39-year-old Joshua James Copeland is accused of taking prescription pills on two separate occasions in January 2017 and December 2017. The prescriptions were allegedly taken from temporary evidence lockers within the Altoona police department, according to the documents. The records also state that Copeland “switched” the pills with over-the-counter medication. It was discovered by a criminalist at the State DCI lab.
In January 2018, according to the criminal complaint, “prescription pills from the second investigation were discovered by an Altoona Police Department evidence custodian to also have been switched with over-the-counter medication.”
According to the documents, handwriting samples were taken from several Altoona Police officers, and it was determined that the forged handwriting was that of Copeland’s.
Copeland has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The documents also state that a small amount of meth was allegedly located in the police car of Copeland in March 2017. Copeland submitted to a blood test and “tests results showed an amount of methamphetamine in the blood sample.”
Copeland was booked into the Polk County Jail Monday night; he’s since bonded out. An October 24 court hearing has been scheduled in the case.