Fired Suffolk cop appears on charge of bilking Walmart
SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A former Suffolk Police officer was in court Wednesday, charged with obtaining more than $1,000 under false pretenses.
A trial date on the felony charge for Marco Leslie, 30, was set for May 15, but his attorney said the case may be settled prior to that.
Leslie was a city police officer for more than six years until he was terminated in September. According to court documents and defense attorney Tim Anderson, Leslie’s charge is that he was “working at Walmart while he was on duty as a school resource officer at the same time.”
Previously: 2 Suffolk police officers arrested, charged with obtaining money under false pretenses
Court papers indicate the double-dipping happened last June. Leslie was arrested in August and then terminated as a Suffolk officer in September.
“He’s very devastated,” Anderson said outside the courthouse Wednesday morning. “He’s lost his whole career.”
Anderson said there’s only one way Leslie can get back on the force.
“He’d have to be found not guilty,” Anderson said, “and he’d have to seek reinstatement, but at this point he’s been released from the police department, and that’s not likely.”
Anderson said he’s working to negotiate with the Commonwealth to try to settle the case before trial. He said Leslie’s case is unrelated to two other Suffolk police officers, Officer James Babor and Sgt. Hector Rosario, who face similar recent charges involving financial crimes.
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