What did Tressa Beltran do? Charges explored as former Hartford police chief accused of dealing drugs

Michigan news outlets announced on May 31, 2023, that the former Hartford police chief Tressa Beltran has been implicated in a drug racket. Reportedly, during her tenure as police chief, Tressa Beltran stole prescription drugs from a police disposal box, before selling them out on the street. Beltran resigned as police chief in January 2023, six months after detectives began investigating the drug dealing allegations.

The news was also shared by several news outlets on their social media channels.

As per the arrest warrants, Tressa Beltran underwent drug addiction treatment therapy in the wake of the allegations. She is also accused of abusing her power as police chief to force a parolee to sell drugs for her. She has reportedly admitted to the crime to investigators.

---

What is the evidence against Tressa Beltran?

As reported by Fox News, Tressa Beltran became a Hartford Police Officer in 1989. She was promoted to the position of police chief in 2016, after nearly two decades of service. Prosecutors claimed that Beltran abused her authority to conduct drug deals from May 30, 2017, to June 30, 2022.

According to an affidavit, the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office began investigating the allegations against Tressa Beltran based on an anonymous tip-off. Anonymous callers accused the former police chief of dealing drugs on several occasions. Many claimed that she would even deal drugs while in uniform, or when she was driving her squad car.

WWMT reported that on June 30, 2022, Judge Michael McKay authorized investigators to seize Beltran's phones. Her phone records indicated that she had made calls to Hai Quoc Le, an individual who she reportedly had several drug deals with.

Lucas Keene, a detective with the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, said that Beltran coerced Hai Quoc Le into working with her. Keene said that Beltran told Le that she would make "things bad for him" if he didn't sell the pills. Since Le was on parole, she even threatened to call his parole officer if he said anything.

(image via Michigan Attorney General's Office

According to the Michigan Department of Attorney General, the charges against Beltran include extortion, delivery or possession intent to deliver controlled substances, embezzlement, using a computer to commit a crime, misconduct in office, larceny, and multiple other drug-related charges.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel condemned the former law official's actions.

She said that law enforcement officials are expected to follow the law and not use their positions for illegal reasons. She added:

“The Public Integrity Unit of my office is committed to holding accountable officers who misuse the public’s trust and we will continue to investigate and prosecute such cases.”

The case against the former police chief is currently ongoing.