BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A former small town police chief in Kentucky has been federally indicted for stealing from the city that employed him.
Jason D. Cross, 44, reportedly ripped off more than $25,000 from the Columbia Police Department evidence locker and the city’s drug purchase fund between February 2020 and February 2021, according to court documents, WHAS 11 reported.
The case qualified for federal prosecution since more than $5,000 was allegedly stolen from a city that received more than $10,000 in federal assistance during a calendar year.
The Kentucky State Police are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser is prosecuting it.
Cross was indicted by a federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky and made his first appearance in court on Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
It was unclear how long Cross served in Columbia, Kentucky, a town of about 4,500 residents. If convicted, he will face up to 10 years in prison.
