OHIO — A former Columbus, Ohio police officer was sentenced on January 8 in federal court to 50 months in prison for crimes involving cocaine trafficking and money laundering.

Joel M. Mefford, 35, of London, Ohio, was a police officer assigned to investigate drug crimes.

According to court documents, between February and April 2020, Mefford worked with another officer to steal and traffic over 15 kilograms of cocaine.

“Crimes like those that Mefford committed undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system. Mefford abused his official position for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.

“Today’s substantial prison sentence is necessary to reflect the gravity of his offenses and to promote respect for the law. Corrupt public servants will be held accountable.”

Court records reveal that in February 2020, Mefford and the other officer unlawfully entered a detached garage without a warrant during a drug investigation. Inside, they found two kilograms of cocaine.

They stole one kilogram and left the other to be seized during an official search the next day. The stolen cocaine was later sold.

In March 2020, the officers stole multiple kilograms of cocaine from houses on Ambleside Drive and Kilbourne Avenue in Columbus.

They turned in a portion of the drugs as evidence but trafficked the remaining kilograms.

In April 2020, Mefford and the other officer removed between 10 and 20 kilograms of cocaine from the Columbus police property room and replaced it with fake drugs.

The stolen cocaine was transported in a police cruiser and later sold. Mefford personally received approximately $130,000 from these illegal activities, depositing over $72,000 into his personal bank account.

A federal grand jury indicted Mefford in December 2023. He pleaded guilty in August 2024 to multiple charges, including possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and money laundering.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office, and the Columbus Division of Police. U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. handed down the sentence.

Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty prosecuted the case.