Former senior West Chester officer appears in court on felony tampering charges

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HAMILTON, Ohio (WXIX) – A now-former veteran West Chester Township police officer is preparing for his first court appearance on felony charges.

He is scheduled to appear in Butler County Common Pleas Court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to court records.

Michelle Berling, 46, of Wayne Township, is accused of tampering with evidence and misusing a police database in a death investigation, according to Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser.

A Butler County grand jury last month indicted him on two counts of tampering with evidence and one count of falsifying records and unauthorized use of property.

The indictment claims that the crimes were committed on August 8 and August 8-13.

According to Gmoser, Berling’s tampering charges stem from allegations that he altered Flock camera data and footage during the investigation into the death of a woman on Schumacher Park Drive in June.

He said Berling is also accused of misusing the department’s Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG) to collect information for personal use.

He was suspended from all duties when the investigation began and was placed on paid administrative leave before resigning on Oct. 28, according to a county spokesman.

When West Chester police notified the state of his resignation. His departure “while under investigation” was announced in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office’s public database.”

“During the second week of August 2024, West Chester Police Department officers and staff became aware of possible legal and policy violations committed by Officer Michelle Berling,” the district said in a statement.

“After a brief internal review and data analysis, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) was consulted for assistance. All information was provided to BCI to conduct an independent criminal investigation of the matter.”

The statement also says:

“West Chester Township expects the highest level of integrity and professionalism from its employees. “As reinforced in our Police Department’s vision, mission and guiding principles, every employee is responsible for serving the community with honesty, commitment, professionalism and courage.”

Berling became a police officer in Ohio in 2000 and began his law enforcement career with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office that year, according to state records.

He joined the West Chester Police Department in July 2002.

Berling was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division as an intelligence analyst and also had an assistant role as a crisis negotiator. government records showing.

He also worked as a public relations officer for the police department, according to his LinkedIn page.

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