Former police chief sentenced for misuse of public funds
A 34-year-old Fremont man accused of misusing public funds while he was the Oakland police chief was sentenced to three years of probation with 60 days in jail.
By News Channel NebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. -- A 34-year-old Fremont man was sentenced to three years of probation with 60 days in jail.
Officials said Terry Poland pleaded guilty to misuse of public funds and paid $14,631.00 in restitution, with the agreement that he will not work in law enforcement in the future.
From February 2020 to January 2021, Poland purchased about 27 gift cards from a sporting goods store, using the charge account the city of Oakland had. Poland was the Oakland Police Chief at the time. The total value of the gift cards was $14,631.00.
Officials said Poland used the gift cards to buy items for himself and family members. Poland bought women’s and children’s clothing, an ice fishing house, an auger, fishing equipment, a basketball backboard, and other items. Poland bought the items using gift cards at store locations in Nebraska but made at least one purchase online.
According to court documents, an outside auditor questioned the acquisition of the gift cards. Poland stated that all the gift cards were used to purchase ammunition for the Oakland Police Department and provided to the City Clerk five purported receipts, each captioned “Purchase Statement.”
Officials said the Purchase Statements that Poland provided to the City Clerk were fake. They were not issued by the store, and the transactions, item numbers, and item descriptions did not match the store’s records.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.