Indicted ex-Dover cop also allegedly stole drugs, used Taser improperly: report

Ronald, also known asr RJ, Letendre had been a Dover officer for 13 years pror to his firing. (Courtesy photo)

DOVER - A former Dover police officer who was indicted earlier this month for allegedly falsifying drug evidence, is also alleged to have broken several other department rules, according to a report submitted by an independent attorney asked to review the department's handling of the case and authenticate its objectivity.

Ronald Letendre, 47, faces up to seven years in state prison if convicted of the Class B felony offense, which was committed on Sept. 16, 2016, according to the charging documents.

The five allegations mentioned in the report authored by Connecticut attorney Eric Daigle, a 30-year expert on police policy, include improper use of his Taser while off-duty, smoking marijuana, theft of evidence and evidence improperly stored in his locker.

According to the Oct. 15 indictment, Letendres falsified evidence "when, believing that an official investigations is pending, he removed any thing with a purpose to impair its verity or availability in such investigation; in that (he) did investigate the delivery of controlled drugs to (a Dover address), and in the course of that investigation he did removed a portion of the seized controlled drugs before entering the seized controlled drugs into evidence at the Dover Police Department."

In asking for the independent review, Dover officials requested that Daigle conduct a full examination to determinate if the city followed best practices in conducting their internal review.

Daigle's report concluded that they did and that he agreed with the allegations the department put forward.

Daigle also crosschecked whether the department followed all applicable personnel policies and protocols.

Letendres was fired by Dover Police due to "multiple violations of departmental policy," Dover Police Chief William Breault said in an Aug. 28 statement.

Letendres' conduct came to light amid the controversial arrest of his wife in connection with a July 10 domestic incident at the couple's Rollinsford home.

Sarah Letendre, 35, was arrested by Rollinsford Police on July 10 and charged with domestic violence assault, obstructing report of a crime and resisting arrest.

Soon after, however, she said on her Facebook page that it was her husband, a former MMA fighter, who attacked her breaking four of her ribs.

Rollinsford Police said Ronald Letendre suffered scratches to his chest and a torn shirt in the alleged assault.

About two weeks later Sarah Letendre filed her own Domestic Violence Petition accusing her husband of breaking her ribs when he "forcefully fell with his elbow into my left ribcage."

In the petition, Sarah Letendres, 34, said when he fell on her, "I heard and felt a crack and cried out in pain."
Ronald Letendres had been a police officer in Dover for 13 years.

As part of Daigle's investigation his law office reviewed Dover Police policies on Use of Force, Use of TASER , Police Reporting Rules and Regulations and Internal Investigations and found they are "reasonable and consistent" with best practices.

Dover's City Council voted to release the report earlier this week.

To read the full report click here.