East Cleveland commander indicted for tampering with evidence, fraud, resigns

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Two East Cleveland Officers were indicted on charges of tampering with evidence and telecommunications fraud, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office.

The officers charged are 46-year-old Larry McDonald and 36-year-old Anthony Holmes.

An internal investigation into Larry McDonald has also sustained charges of tampering with evidence and telecommunications fraud.

East Cleveland police say McDonald has submitted his letter of resignation Tuesday afternoon.

Police say the timing of the county’s indictment, handed down Tuesday, is coincidental and the internal investigation is separate from the prosecutor’s investigation.

The prosecutor’s indictment states on March 12, 2023, East Cleveland Police Commander Larry McDonald attempted to complete a traffic stop on the victim, in East Cleveland.

The pursuit ended when the victim crashed into a bus stop near Ivanhoe Road and St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland.

Commander McDonald saw the crash and then fled the scene, according to the indictment.

Cleveland Division of Police (CPD) responded to the scene after a passer-by reported it.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Commander McDonald did not report to dispatch that he was engaged in a pursuit or that the crash had happened.

Additionally, Sergeant Anthony Holmes contacted McDonald and advised him of the accident. Sergeant Holmes knew that CPD initiated an investigation and withheld knowledge of McDonald’s involvement in the pursuit.

Larry McDonald was indicted on the following charges:

• One count of Tampering With Evidence

• One count of Failure To Stop After an Accident

• One count of Telecommunications Fraud

• One count of Obstructing Official Business

• One count of Dereliction Of Duty

Anthony Holmes was indicted on the following charges:

• One count of Tampering With Evidence

• One count of Telecommunications Fraud

• One count of Obstructing Justice

• One count of Obstructing Official Business

• One count of Dereliction Of Duty

Additional charges were added to Officers Anthony Holmes who was previously indicted for an October 3, 2021, incident.

On October 3, 2021, East Cleveland Police Officers Ian McInnes, and Tristan Homan, attempted to

execute a traffic stop on the victim, 16, in East Cleveland. The pursuit ended near East 105th Street and

Superior Avenue in Cleveland. After the pursuit, the victim sat down and placed his hands in the air. Officer

McInnes ran up to the victim and kicked him in the groin.

Tristan Homan and Anthony Holmes were indicted on the following additional charges:

• One count of Tampering With Records

• One count of Telecommunications Fraud

• One count of Dereliction Of Duty

• One count of Assault

Copyright 2023 WOIO. All rights reserved.