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A Polk County sheriff’s deputy’s law enforcement career is in jeopardy after he was charged with stealing sports player cards from a Bondurant convenience store.

Eric D. Kennedy, 36, faces a misdemeanor theft charge after a hidden camera allegedly recorded him slipping packs of football cards into his pockets without paying for them at the Casey’s General Store, 1455 Grant St. S., Polk County Sheriff William McCarthy said Wednesday.

Kennedy was in uniform and on duty at the time of the alleged thefts, McCarthy said.

“I have no idea what the motivation was,” McCarthy said. “It’s a waste.”

Kennedy was placed on paid administrative leave after receiving a fifth-degree theft citation Monday, McCarthy said.

The total value of the cards taken cannot exceed $200 under Iowa law for a fifth-degree theft charge.

A witness at Casey’s allegedly saw Kennedy steal football cards earlier this month and reported the incident to the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff’s investigators borrowed a camera from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to record activity near the sports card display, McCarthy said.

Kennedy has been a deputy for 11 years. He was the Bondurant patrol officer five days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., said Senior Deputy Jana Rooker, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.

The matter remains under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards, Rooker said.

Kennedy has maintained his innocence, McCarthy said. The Des Moines Register’s efforts to reach Kennedy on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

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