Kevin Lee, a 62-year-old who spent more than three decades working for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, was arrested Tuesday on charges of burglary, embezzlement, receiving stolen property, and possession of an assault weapon — after an internal investigation found alleged criminal conduct inside the department's own Property Services Unit.

The arrest is striking not just for the charges but for what the Property Services Unit actually handles: the storage and management of items seized by law enforcement. A legal analyst is already warning that any tampering in that unit could compromise chain-of-custody records in pending prosecutions — and potentially justify reopening past convictions. The Sheriff's Office has asked California's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to audit the unit independently, a sign that officials themselves don't yet know the full scope of what may have occurred.

A 36-year veteran of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office was arrested Tuesday afternoon on four criminal charges — including embezzlement and illegal possession of an assault weapon — after detectives launched an internal investigation into misconduct at a unit that handles property seized by the department.

Kevin Lee, 62, was booked into the Martinez Jail on suspicion of burglary, receiving stolen property, embezzlement, and possession of an assault weapon, according to the Sheriff's Office. He was held on $160,000 bail.

Lee joined the department in 1990 as a deputy sheriff. In 2012 — fourteen years ago — he transitioned to a "temporary deputy sheriff" classification and was assigned to the Property Services Unit at the department's Concord office, where he remained until his arrest. The "temporary" designation, which carries different oversight parameters than full deputy status, didn't prevent him from spending well over a decade embedded in a unit responsible for managing property in the custody of law enforcement.

The sheriff's office said detectives opened the investigation after discovering misconduct tied to Lee's work at the unit. It did not detail what specifically was stolen, saying only that Lee was arrested in connection with thefts from the Property Services Unit. Search and arrest warrants were obtained before he was taken into custody Tuesday.

The criminal justice ripple

The arrest raises an urgent secondary concern: if Lee was stealing from a unit that handles evidence in criminal cases, the integrity of that evidence — and the prosecutions built around it — could be in question.

Legal analyst Steven Clark, speaking to NBC Bay Area, said investigators now face the task of determining whether any items taken were connected to pending prosecutions or prior convictions. "Because it's essential for prosecutors to be able to establish chain of custody of evidence, any tampering with that evidence or stealing it or removing it from the property room could significantly impact the ability to prove their case," Clark said.

He warned the fallout could extend well beyond Lee's arrest. "This will have a ripple effect on the criminal justice system in Contra Costa County," Clark said. "It's important for the attorneys to be notified of this so they can look into it as to whether their cases should be brought back to court for a review."

The Sheriff's Office is asking California POST — the state body that certifies and regulates peace officers — to conduct an independent audit of the Property Services Unit, a step that suggests officials aren't confident in their ability to assess the damage internally.

Sheriff's response

Sheriff David Livingston issued a statement after the arrest. "All Sheriff's Office employees are held to the highest standards and any employee who is involved in criminal conduct will be held accountable," he said, according to Bay City News.

The statement is standard-issue accountability language, but it sidesteps the harder institutional question: how a "temporary" employee was able to work in a sensitive property-handling unit for fourteen consecutive years, apparently without the kind of scrutiny that caught the alleged misconduct sooner.

The assault weapon charge adds an unusual dimension to the case. Deputies are authorized to carry firearms as part of their duties, but "possession of an assault weapon" is a distinct criminal charge under California law — suggesting the weapon in question may have been improperly obtained or retained rather than issued through official channels.

Lee has not entered a plea. The charges against him are allegations; he is presumed innocent unless convicted.