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Former PC cop accused of embezzlement found dead

Posted at 11:29 AM, Dec 31, 2013
and last updated 2013-12-31 13:30:29-05

SALT LAKE CITY — A former Park City police officer who was supposed to be sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to theft was found dead Monday morning.

South Salt Lake police said the body of Robert John Lucking, 50, was found in a small passenger car in a warehouse at 139 E 3900 S around 8: 15 a.m.

Lucking had what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a press release.

Lucking was arrested in May on numerous felony charges after a routine audit revealed that possible criminal acts had been committed.

According to court documents, a Park City police detective went to retrieve money that had been seized and should have been placed in an evidence locker and found there was no record of the money. The detective confronted Lucking, who said he would look into it. Several days later Lucking deposited money to the Park City Finance Department, and he later claimed he had found the money in his personal locker.

In August of 2012 another detective performed an audit on the evidence room, and he discovered a substantial amount of money had been logged into the evidence room during Lucking’s tenure, but that money was not in the safe and had not been deposited with the finance department.

The Park City Police Department turned the investigation over to the Attorney General’s Office, which developed sufficient evidence to bring charges against Lucking.

The alleged illegal activity occurred between 2007 and 2012.

Lucking pleaded guilty to theft in November and faced up to 15 years in prison.