Former Hallandale Police Officer Accused Of Pawning Department-Issued Equipment

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A disgraced Hallandale Beach police officer accused of dealing in stolen property bonded out of jail Friday night.

Yan Kleyman declined to answer any questions about the allegations.

Hallandale Beach Police Chief Sonia Quinones took to social media Friday to explain what had happened.

Quinones said, "following an internal equipment audit, staff identified this individual conducted pawn transactions with police-issued equipment.

According to the arrest report, Kleyman initiated 15 separate pawnbroker transactions over 17 months.

Investigators say the department items pawned included a red dot laser, a semi-automatic rifle, and a Glock pistol.

"The internal system of checks and balances works. As your chief, I want to reassure you of our commitment to integrity. This type of behavior is never tolerated," said Quinones.

At this point, it's not clear why investigators say Kleyman pawned the equipment or how much money he pocketed.

His police career is over for now and his legal fight is just beginning.

Late Friday, Kleyman's attorney, Richard L. Cooper, released a statement which read in part:

"Chief Quinones would like for the public to think that my client's alleged actions were unknown to the Department when his gambling addiction was well known by the top brass at Hallandale PD for years. Kleyman's superiors knew about his mental health condition, condoned his addiction, and went as far as to deduct his gambling debts from his paychecks to repay his creditor fellow officers. While my client looks forward to resolving this matter in court, Quinones' statement is farcical including the fact that he was immediately terminated. Kleyman submitted his resignation this week and was still listed on the roster as late as Thursday."