Two Former East Cleveland Police Officers Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Thousands of Dollars from Traffic Stop Victims

Two former East Cleveland, Ohio police officers were sentenced to prison this week for stealing thousands of dollars from individuals they pulled over during traffic stops.

Alfonzo Cole, 35, was sentenced Monday to 2 1/2 years in prison and was fined $40,000, according to court records. His partner, Kenneth Sims, 34, was sentenced to four years in prison and was fined $50,000.

In total, Sims and Cole stole $14,781 from six victims between July 2020 and July 2021 while on duty, prosecutors said. During a June 2021 traffic stop, Cole stole a firearm and $4,000 from a 26-year-old he had pulled over. In November 2020, Sims pulled over a 34-year-old and stole $1,300 from the trunk of the victim’s vehicle. In July 2021, Sims pulled over the same victim and stole $781 and weed edibles from the vehicle.

Both men pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery and one count of theft in office each for robberies they committed between July 2020 and July 2021.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Astrab said the two men had violated the public’s trust and that they had “abused their authority as police officers.”

“The one person that the public should be able to have confidence in is the police officer,” Astrab said. “You have violated that trust.”

The sentences handed down to Sims and Cole serve as a reminder that police officers are held to a higher standard and that any misconduct will not be tolerated.