HARRISBURG, PA — A UPMC police officer and former Westmoreland County police chief is facing a series of felony charges after investigators allege he sold cocaine while under surveillance and kept a stolen AR-style rifle taken from an evidence locker.
Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that 56-year-old Eric Doutt has been charged in Armstrong County with felony possession with intent to deliver after allegedly selling cocaine on multiple occasions. Investigators say the drug transactions occurred while Doutt was under active police surveillance.
In a separate case in Westmoreland County, Doutt is charged with receiving stolen property and possession of a stolen firearm. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the AR-style rifle was discovered during a search of Doutt’s home and had been stolen from an evidence locker at his former police department. The weapon had been slated for destruction, but investigators allege Doutt took it instead, claiming he intended to return it to its previous owner.
“This type of conduct by a trusted officer of the law violates the oath he took to keep our communities safe,” Attorney General Sunday said. “As a sworn officer, he was duty-bound to remove these dangers from the community and instead, we allege he peddled these poisons.”
UPMC cooperated with the investigation, providing information to the Attorney General’s Office as requested. Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement agencies assisted in taking Doutt into custody on Wednesday.
Authorities emphasize that criminal charges are merely allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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