A former Lincoln police officer has pleaded guilty to stealing money from a police union charity fund that supported the Santa Cop program.

42-year-old Cassandra Briggs pleaded guilty on Monday in Lancaster County District Court. Prosecutors dropped a second felony theft charge.

Briggs faces up to 20 years in prison when she's sentenced on
April 3.

She, who quit the department last April, had run the Santa Cop
program for years. It gives gifts to children from poor families.

An investigation showed unauthorized withdrawals from the
charity's account between August 2008 and November 2010. A lawsuit
filed by the Lincoln Police Union Charities says Briggs took more
than $16,000.