45°
Stephen Rilling, 40, the son of Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, appeared in Milford Superior Court to avoid any conflicts of interest from his police cases, the Post said.
Riling has resigned from the Fairfield force, his lawyer told the Post.
He is charged with third-degree computer crime, second-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, possession of narcotics, second-degree forgery, tampering with evidence and false entry by an officer or agent of a public community.
He is free on $5,000 bond, and his next court appearance will be July 18, the Post said.
If convicted, Rilling could face more than 20 years in prison.
Rilling, who was arrested May 26, had been the Head Narcotics Investigator for the Fairfield Police since April 2011. He had been with the department for 18 years.
Related story: Fairfield Cop, Son Of Norwalk Mayor, Charged With Stealing Drugs
Police learned of the thefts on April 12 and placed Rilling on administrative leave while they launched an internal investigation that is still ongoing. They subsequently launched a criminal investigation and issued a warrant for Rilling's arrest. The thefts of drugs occurred between June 2016 and February 2017, police said.
Fairfield Police said that Rilling got the drugs through the evidence room by leading the property officer to believe that they were being taken out for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
In a blog entry posted on RyanHampton.org earlier this month, Rilling admitted that he had had an addiction problem with opioids and heroin.
Click here to read the story at the Connecticut Post.Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.
