Ex-Cathedral City police officer admits stealing fentanyl, threatening judge; no jail time
A former Cathedral City police officer pleaded guilty to making criminal threats — including one against a judge — and stealing fentanyl from a crime scene. He was not sentenced to jail time, but ordered to seek mental health treatment while on probation.
Claudiu Murzea, 46, was accused of pocketing the synthetic opioid during an arrest last year. He told The Desert Sun he had attempted suicide by overdosing on the narcotic hours later while still on duty. He was found unconscious behind the police station and ultimately survived. He admitted to stealing the drug and said the attempt to take his own life was the culmination of years of workplace trauma and harassment.
He was charged with one count of destroying evidence and two counts of possessing a controlled substance, all misdemeanors. Cathedral City Police Chief George Crum previously said he fired Murzea in July 2022.
The police department declined to comment on his convictions for this story. Murzea could not be reached for comment.
The former officer's legal trouble only increased since.
In October, Murzea was charged with a felony count of making criminal threats and a misdemeanor count of both domestic battery and violating a court order. He was also accused of threatening a state official, a Riverside County Superior Court judge, later filed in a separate case as one felony count. Court documents say he made the threat against the judge during a mental health interview while in jail, but do not provide other details.
Murzea was arrested in Rancho Cucamonga on Oct. 31. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 15, to two felony counts for making threats and one misdemeanor for destroying evidence related to the fentanyl theft. He had five misdemeanor counts dismissed as part of the plea deals. He was granted probation and ordered to seek treatment.
His felony convictions mean he's barred from serving as a police officer and could have repercussions for the criminal cases he was involved in while he served in Cathedral City since 2013.
Prosecutors are required to tell defendants of any evidence that could influence their ability to defend themselves. The requirement, established by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brady v. Maryland, also extends to the police officers involved in the investigation. Defendants would have to be notified of a conviction undermining a police officer's credibility as a witness or a member of the prosecution's team.
Christopher Damien covers public safety and the criminal justice system. He can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Ex-police officer admits stealing fentanyl and threatening judge
