RIVERSIDE - A former Riverside police officer who admitted carrying out or attempting to commit seven armed robberies while still on the force was sentenced today to 15 years in state prison.

David R. Reeves, 28, of Moreno Valley, pleaded guilty Feb. 23 to four counts of armed robbery and three counts of attempted armed robbery, all of which included sentence-enhancing allegations of using a firearm during a felony.

Reeves blamed his behavior on an addiction to prescription drugs that got out of control.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Richard T. Fields said Reeves' criminal conduct was "as serious as it gets," but noted the seven-year police veteran had lived an "honorable" life up to that time.

Reeves, who was handcuffed and clad in an orange jail jumpsuit, remained quiet throughout the sentencing hearing.

Fields said he read the defendant's medical file carefully, as well as letters from his family, and studied the crime reports before coming to a decision on an appropriate sentence.

"This is a person who worked for many years to stop people from the type of activity he engaged in," the judge said. "There was a single period of aberrant behavior from someone who lived an otherwise exemplary life."

Fields said Reeves had gone from being in "one of the most honorable positions (in society) to being in one of the most terrible positions."

"This (drug habit) started innocuously enough and led to incredible circumstances," the judge said. "Your conduct is as serious as it gets, Mr. Reeves, and you're going to pay Advertisement

[ Chatton and Associates ] a price for it."

The ex-cop's attorney, Danuta Tuszynska, told City News Service last month that Reeves' drug dependency had "ruined his life."

"This case is about a personal and professional tragedy," Tuszynska said. "This is a young man who has struggled with the pain of addiction for some time."

Riverside County District Attorney's Office spokesman John Hall said Reeves betrayed the public's trust and "committed crimes of violence" that warranted prison time.

The defendant was arrested Oct. 14 after allegedly trying to rob an AutoZone store on Sunnymead Boulevard in Moreno Valley. The next day, he was terminated from the Riverside police force.

His first robbery occurred Oct. 13 at an AutoZone store at 19486 Van Buren Blvd. in south Riverside.

The following day, Reeves robbed three men and broke into the AutoZone store at 23510 Sunnymead Ave. in Moreno Valley, where he was apprehended by sheriff's deputies, according to prosecutors.

Authorities said he was carrying a stolen Itratec 9 mm handgun at the time of his arrest.

In the two years leading up to the robberies, Reeves had been in and out of drug rehabilitation centers, according to Tuszynska, who said his addiction started shortly after he suffered a "significant" on-the-job neck injury and was prescribed Vicodin and OxyContin for relief. She said his supervisors placed him on desk duty.

The defense approached Fields with a plea proposal in mid-February, presenting a voluminous file detailing Reeves' drug addiction problems. The prosecution was not a party to the plea agreement.