Toledo, Ohio – A Toledo Police officer was captured on camera purchasing marijuana while on duty, in uniform, and armed with a department-issued firearm.

The incident occurred in December 2024 at Maximum Performance Cycles on Laskey Road near Lewis. Officer Jeremy Berndt, a 21-year veteran of the department, was seen placing cash on a desk. Moments later, another man retrieved a green substance from a drawer, weighed it, counted the money, and handed some cash back to Berndt before placing the substance in Berndt’s pocket.

Berndt claimed the substance was hemp and said he was buying it to help a family member quit marijuana. He added he could not distinguish between hemp and marijuana, stating they “look and smell the same.”

Investigators disagreed. One sergeant commented, “I think Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles could see this would be a drug transaction.”

The shop was already under investigation for drug possession and stolen motorcycle parts, which led to the indictment of owners Mike and Markus Caputo.

Berndt maintained that the money was for bike detailing and denied it was a drug deal, even after viewing the video. He said he was a friend and customer of the shop owner. During the internal affairs interview, Berndt stated that while at the shop, someone said, “Give him some of the hemp we got,” in reference to his family member.

Testing confirmed the substance was marijuana. Maximum Performance Cycles is not a licensed marijuana dispensary.

Berndt was found guilty of dereliction of duty and sentenced to community service. In June, Police Chief Mike Troendle terminated his employment.

Berndt’s community service includes teaching youth at the Frederick Douglass Center in Toledo about positive police interactions.

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