A former evidence custodian with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has pleaded no contest after prosecutors said he destroyed a blood sample connected to his own DUI arrest.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Tommy Ray Trimble was sentenced to two days in county jail, two years of probation and 30 days of community labor after admitting to one felony count of preparing false evidence and a misdemeanor count of destroying evidence.
In addition to the sentence, Trimble must complete a six-month alcohol treatment program ordered by the court and pay $300 in restitution, prosecutors said.
Allegations tied to DUI arrest
Investigators said Trimble had been working at the department’s crime laboratory in Downey, California, when the incident occurred.
Authorities said he had previously been arrested for driving under the influence on July 7, 2024, and a blood sample taken during that arrest was stored as evidence in the department’s lab.
Prosecutors allege Trimble later entered the evidence storage vault and attempted to destroy the sample by heating it in a microwave, hoping to eliminate evidence connected to the DUI case.
Investigation launched by sheriff’s department
The sheriff’s department said it learned about the alleged misconduct on Sept. 11, 2024 and immediately referred the matter to its Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau for review.
Following the investigation, the case was forwarded to the Justice System Integrity Division for possible charges.
When the case was initially filed last year, Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said public officials must be held to a higher standard and warned that abusing positions of trust to evade the law would not be tolerated.