A former Davis police officer is due to appear as a defendant next month in Yolo Superior Court, where he’s accused of misappropriating public funds.
Trevor Anthony Edens, 46, faces a single felony charge in connection with his alleged conduct, the details of which have been kept under wraps since he first came under suspicion in late 2018.
At the time, Edens was a sergeant with the Davis Police Department supervising the now-defunct Yolo County Narcotics Enforcement Team (YONET).
According to Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel, several officers under Edens’ supervision back then reported to their assigned administrator that he may have engaged in work-related misconduct. Edens was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
“Shortly thereafter, several Davis police administrators conducted a standard check of department equipment and items under the control of Edens,” Pytel said in a written statement released this week. “An anomaly was detected that was unrelated to the original allegation.”
The anomaly — the result of an unspecified event that occurred hours before Edens was placed on leave — prompted the Davis Police Department to contact the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office and request “a full, independent criminal investigation by an outside law-enforcement agency,” Pytel said.
As parallel criminal and administrative investigations ensued by the DA’s Office and Davis Police Department, Edens fully resigned on June 7, 2019, with no benefits extended to him, Pytel said.
Following the conclusion of its investigation, the Yolo County DA’s Office submitted its case to the Solano County District Attorney’s Office for review and potential handling of the prosecution should charges be filed. That agency filed a criminal complaint in Yolo County on July 23.
Online court records show that Edens is charged with felony embezzlement. A copy of the complaint document obtained by The Davis Enterprise shows he is charged with misappropriation of public funds, alleging he was a public officer “charged with the receipt, safekeeping, transfer and distribution of public moneys, did in a manner not incidental and minimal without authority of law, appropriate the same, and a portion thereof, to personal use or the use of another.”
Pytel said in an interview Tuesday that Solano prosecutors have cautioned him “not to disclose any additional information at this point so we don’t jeopardize the investigation.”
“In cases involving a former police officer, prosecuting can sometimes be difficult,” Pytel added. “It’s incumbent for the agencies to control the information so that we have a successful criminal prosecution.”
Edens’ arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 14 before Yolo Judge Peter Williams. According to Pytel, Edens has not yet been arrested, but is required to surrender for booking prior to his court appearance.
“This is usually how it’s done in these types of nonviolent cases,” Pytel said when asked if Edens received preferential treatment.
Edens joined the Davis Police Department in September 2002. In December 2007, he suffered major injuries in an off-duty motorcycle collision in Roseville that resulted in the amputation of his left lower-leg.
He returned to work six months later and full-time patrol five months after that, going on to receive the department’s Officer of the Year award in 2009 and promotions to the rank of corporal, then sergeant. He also served as an undercover YONET agent.
The Enterprise has reached out to Edens for comment on the allegations and is awaiting a response.
In his prepared statement, Pytel called Edens’ alleged conduct “inexcusable and entirely incompatible with being a police officer and supervisor.”
“Without question, his departure had to happen,” Pytel said. “Despite Edens’ breach of public trust and duty, I was very pleased that the officers under his supervision took active steps to report potential misconduct and to completely cooperate with investigators. This is exactly what we expect from our personnel and what we demand as a professional law enforcement agency.”
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene.