HONESDALE, PA — Former Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Brian Rickard remains under active probation in Wayne County more than three years after pleading guilty to stealing heroin from the Troop R evidence room, tampering with records, and using drugs on the job.

Court records show Rickard, 52, made his last payment toward supervision costs on September 4, 2025. His probation runs through early 2027.

Wayne County District Attorney A.G. Howell’s office has never publicly addressed whether any of the cases Rickard investigated during his 18-year career were reviewed — or whether defendants he helped convict were notified of his crimes.

Rickard was a Criminal Investigation Unit supervisor at PSP Honesdale, earning $109,807 annually. He oversaw other investigators and handled evidence in criminal cases across Wayne County.

50 Bags Became 20

On November 5, 2021, fellow troopers found Rickard at the Honesdale barracks “in a compromised state, unable to function normally,” according to the criminal complaint. He “made a commotion when he was told to return home.”

A colleague drove him home. Investigators then searched his office. An evidence envelope that should have held 50 bags of heroin contained 20. Five empty packets and a straw were found nearby.

The PSP Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards determined Rickard had stolen heroin from evidence, used it at work and at home, and altered department computer records to hide the thefts.

House Arrest, Not Prison

Rickard pleaded guilty June 29, 2022, to five charges: felony acquisition of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, obstruction, evidence tampering, forgery, and theft.

Monroe County Judge Stephen M. Higgins — brought in because Wayne County judges work regularly with PSP — sentenced him to 6-23 months house arrest followed by three years probation.

Rickard completed house arrest in February 2024. He never went to state prison. The Attorney General’s office prosecuted after DA Howell’s office referred the case, citing the conflict created by the close working relationship between Wayne County prosecutors and state police.

Restitution for the stolen heroin: $1,025.

18 Years of Cases, Zero Answers

Under Brady v. Maryland, prosecutors must disclose to defendants any evidence favorable to their case — including an investigating officer’s subsequent conviction for dishonesty.

Rickard spent 18 years investigating crimes in Wayne County. He made arrests. He testified in court. He handled evidence. Now he’s a convicted evidence tamperer.

How many cases did he touch? Were any defendants notified? Did DA Howell’s office review his work? The Pocono Review found no public statement addressing these questions.

“All the arrests, all that stuff, they could be tainted,” White Mills resident Kert Myers told WNEP when Rickard was first charged in 2021. “They all have to be reviewed.”

No review has been announced.

Still in Honesdale

Rickard lives in Honesdale. He reports to Wayne County Adult Probation, submits to drug testing, and wears a SCRAM alcohol monitor.

His supervision fees, paid through September 2025, total more than $5,700 — including $2,160 for alcohol monitoring and $2,700 in offender supervision costs.

By early 2027, he’ll have completed his sentence. Whether anyone convicted on his investigations knows what he did remains unanswered.

Case: CP-64-CR-0000062-2022 | Wayne County Court of Common Pleas

Defendant: Brian Edward Rickard, Honesdale
Plea: Guilty, June 29, 2022
Sentence: 6-23 months house arrest, 3 years probation
Judge: Stephen M. Higgins (Monroe County)
Prosecutor: PA Attorney General
Current Status: Probation through 2027

Contact DA A.G. Howell: 570-253-4912 | ahowell@waynecountypa.gov