A Dedham, Massachusetts police officer accused of being an accessory to kidnapping appeared in court Thursday morning. Michael Schoener posted $5,000 bail and was outfitted with a GPS monitoring bracelet.
His arrest is the latest development in the case of an Avon man who disappeared back in January. The man is suspected to be dead.
Authorities say two men pretending to be police officers went to the home of 37-year-old James Robertson, flashed badges and told him they needed to escort him to a drug probation test.
Robertson has a checkered past. He is said to have had struggled with drugs and alcohol. He was arrested for breaking and entering last fall.
Schoener, 40, plead not guilty to being an accessory before the fact of kidnapping at his arraignment Wednesday afternoon in Norfolk Superior Court.
Schoener is accused of giving his badge, holster and handcuffs to the man believed to have masterminded the kidnapping, James Feeney. Feeney pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and is currently in jail. Feeney's criminal record is extensive.
People who know Schoener describe him as a good guy and an upstanding officer. The news comes as a surprise to many. He was a nine-year veteran of the department.
Local
The Dedham police are saying very little in regards to the investigation.
All three suspects in question in this case are due in court next week.
