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A 41-year-old former Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy has been charged with multiple felonies, including grand theft, unlawful possession of an assault weapon and filing a false report, county prosecutors announced Friday.
Matthew Buckley, a Pinole resident, is accused of crimes that took place in 2020 and 2022 while he worked for the Sheriff's Office, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
Buckley was a 15-year veteran at the department when he was arrested last August. Sheriff's officials did not say what prompted the investigation that led to his arrest.
Along with grand theft, unlawful possession of an AR-15 and filing a false report, Buckley has also been charged with two counts of preparing false documentary evidence and a misdemeanor charge of destroying or concealing evidence, prosecutors said.
Buckley had served as a court bailiff when District Attorney Diana Becton was a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge prior to her becoming the county's top prosecutor. As a result, the District Attorney's Office contacted the state attorney general's office to determine whether that would warrant the District Attorney's Office recusing itself from the case.
However, the attorney general's office said there would be no conflict of interest as long as Becton has an "ethical wall" in which she has no input or ability to make a decision regarding the case, prosecutors said.
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