Brickbat: Crime Doesn’t Pay (Much)

Former, Memphis, Tennessee, police officer Arica Hutchison was sentenced to six months in prison plus two years supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from a program receiving federal funds. The program in question was Crime Stoppers, which rewards people who provide information leading to an arrest in a crime. According to court documents, Hutchison entered false information into department databases and listed an accomplice as a tipster, after which she fraudulently obtained $18,500 from the program for the fake tips. Hutchison must also pay $22,000 in restitution, get a mental health assessment and counseling, take a financial literacy class, and undergo substance abuse and alcohol treatment.