A 12-year veteran of the MARTA police force pleaded guilty to stealing more than $26,000 worth of equipment from his employer and then pawning it.
Christopher Heggs, 40, will spend a year in prison after his conviction on 18 counts, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said Monday.
Heggs, a former lieutenant and SWAT team commander, resigned in February 2007 amid allegations of unauthorized purchases, Howard said.
An investigation by MARTA and the district attorney's office revealed Heggs pawned and sold numerous highly sensitive pieces of tactical equipment to various pawn shops in Clayton County. The items included ammunition, high-capacity weapon magazines, night vision binoculars and laser sights, Howard said. The total amount of loss was $26,241.92.
On Dec. 8, Heggs pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years, to serve one, Howard said.
Heggs voluntarily surrendered his MARTA pension -- to pay restitution in the full amount of the company's loss -- and his Peace Officer Certification, and agreed never to apply for any peace officer position in Georgia or any other state, Howard said.
In addition to the prison time, Heggs was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service upon his release from prison.
