Former cop gets 5 years in prison for leaks, money laundering

An appellate court in Den Bosch affirmed the conviction of former policeman Mark M., and re-sentenced him to five years behind bars on Monday for his role in money laundering and leaking out confidential information about police investigations between 2011 and 2015. The man was found to have regularly scoured through police systems to find information about individuals involved in ongoing investigations, which he would then leak out to those involved.

For these offenses, the man faced separate counts of violating official secrets, committing computer trespasses and money laundering. Prosecutors alleged he earned at least 80 thousand euros in the scheme.

"With his behavior, the man has severely damaged the reputation of the police and his actions have led to information from current police investigations being leaked to criminals," the judiciary said in a statement on Monday.

M. followed the case from a video connection in Ukraine, where he resides. He had claimed entrapment in the case, and in the original trial presented a defense that he accessed and read the files in the confidential database out of curiosity.

A separate investigation led police to M. The prosecutor said during the first trial. Officers viewing the computer system of a suspicious car dealer in Tilburg five years ago found 15 hidden PDF files. The file names corresponded to investigation names in the police system. Further investigation showed M. exported those files, prosecutors said.

He was released from custody when the prosecution failed to extend his temporary detention while the case was on appeal.

The former cop was sentenced alongside two others complicit in the crimes. According to the court, a 47-year-old man who had made his home and computer available to the suspect was given a three-year sentence, and a 35-year-old man was sentenced for 6 months for secrecy and bribery.

Another man, a 41-year-old, was not charged and acquitted by the court.