Former LPD Officer Sentenced to Prison for Embezzlement

By: Chad Silber - Email

Updated: Tue 8:44 PM, Apr 03, 2012

The former Lincoln Police Officer who stole money from a Police Union charity will spend time in prison.

Before the judge sentenced Cassandra Briggs he told her that her theft from the Santa Cop program is a breach of the community's trust and he needed to send a message. He sentenced her to 2 years in prison for the felony theft charge.

Before sentencing, the defense tried to paint a picture of a woman who was stuck in a difficult position with medical bills piling up and health conditions that affected her judgment. The defense attorney said the Department was insufficient in their response to her problems and didn't provide appropriate psychological services.

The State argued the Department was a tight-knit community and provided a support system that was unmatched.

In a lawsuit from the Lincoln Police Union, they claimed Briggs embezzled as much as $16,000 from the program. It was money used to buy gifts for children from poor families.

Briggs quit the Department last April when Police started to track discrepancies in account activity. The investigation turned up unauthorized withdrawals from August 2008 to November 2010.

Briggs' defense attorney, Jarrod Jaeger, told us Cassandra is relieved the process is over. "She doesn't like the fact that she has to go to prison for this but we see the judge's sentence as reasonable and she's intent on serving her sentence and getting on with her life."

In a statement to the judge before sentencing, Briggs said "I've never pretended to be innocent and I apologize to everyone I've hurt."

Briggs must report to prison on June 3rd.

Teens Arrested for Series of High School Burglaries