SANTA ANA, Calif. – A police officer pleaded guilty today to stealing money from fellow officers out of a collection of donations intended to purchase a gift for a retiring colleague.

Circumstances of the Case

• At the time of the crime, Ricci was a detective with the Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD).
• Between Dec. 8, 2016, and Dec. 15, 2016, Ricci stole donations from other HBPD employees intended to go toward a gift for a retiring colleague from an envelope at HBPD headquarters.
• On Dec. 8, 2016, other HBPD officers noticed money was missing from the donation envelope.
• On Dec. 9, 2016, HBPD conducted an investigation into the matter and documented the denominations and serial numbers of the bills in the envelope.
• On Dec. 15, 2016, HBPD investigators contacted Ricci as he was leaving the building, and the defendant was in possession of bills that were previously documented as being in the donation envelope.
• The investigation was turned over to the Orange County District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigations.

Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon, Special Prosecutions Unit

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 17WM00580/ April 5, 2018