HARTFORD, Mich. — The former Hartford police chief has been charged with a variety of felony counts.
57-year-old Tressa Beltran, the former Hartford Police Department chief, turned herself in to authorities on Wednesday afternoon.
The investigation into Beltran began around June of 2022 when the narcotics division of the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office received information about potential illegal narcotics activity happening at the local city police department.
The sheriff’s office executed a search warrant on the Hartford Police Department on June 30, 2022. They were accompanied on the warrant by Michigan State Police.
Beltran was placed on leave following that search warrant, but very little information was released at the time regarding exactly what they were looking for, nor what they found.
According to court documents, charges were finally filed against Beltran on Tuesday, May 30.
The charges initially filed against her include:
- Possession of a controlled substance (under 50 grams)
- Using a computer to commit a crime
- Blackmail
- Embezzlement by a public official
Additional charges were filed on Wednesday, May 31, including theft from a building, and more drug charges.
Beltran was arraigned around 1 p.m. on Wednesday. During the arraignment, Judge Michael McKay said this was basically “an assault on law enforcement itself” and set her bond at $100,000.
A probable cause hearing is scheduled to happen on June 14.
FOX 17 will provide updates as soon as they become available.
