Bakersfield, CA – A Kern County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) sergeant has been arrested following a criminal investigation into irregular activity at the agency’s property room, officials confirmed Sunday.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, on January 19, 2026, investigators discovered that Sergeant Ryan Dunbier allegedly entered the closed property room during a holiday period and may have removed items of evidence. The incident led to a search warrant and a full investigation by the department’s Professional Standards Unit.
Detectives executed a search warrant at Dunbier’s home on January 20, recovering three items believed to be drug paraphernalia, including one with a usable amount of suspected narcotics. Following the search, Dunbier, 55, was arrested on multiple charges including tampering with evidence, burglary, possession of controlled substances, and possession of a controlled substance while armed, according to KCSO.
Authorities said Dunbier was booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Receiving Facility and later posted bail set at $67,500. He has been employed with the Sheriff’s Office since 2001 and was placed on administrative leave.
The department stated that an administrative investigation is also underway, and findings will be referred to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for potential decertification review.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at (661) 861-3110 or Kern Secret Witness at (661) 322-4040.
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