Columbus policeman pleads not guilty in cocaine scheme with fellow officer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- One of two Columbus police officers accused of stealing and selling cocaine appeared in federal court Wednesday morning.
John Castillo, 31, of Grove City, pleaded not guilty to federal drug charges after he and Joel Mefford, 34, of London, were arrested Feb. 1. Indictments against the two include accusations of stealing from evidence rooms and investigation scenes, as well as passing off the narcotics to another person to be sold.
The indictment against Castillo states that in June 2021, he allegedly took approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a home during an investigation but didn’t turn the drugs in to be logged as evidence. He then allegedly planted two of the kilos at the scene and took the rest to be sold by another person.
His charge includes possessing with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Castillo joined the department in June 2019 and also gained high marks in performance reviews. He was a member of the department’s drug cartel unit as of June 2021.
Castillo is scheduled to have a jury trial that will begin on April 8. Mefford pleaded not guilty earlier in February. He has an additional charge of money laundering and two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.