Former Caruthersville police chief gets probation for theft

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- The former police chief in the southeast Missouri town of Caruthersville has been sentenced to five years of probation for forgery and theft.

KZIM Radio reported that Chris Riggs was also ordered to pay back $37,000 stolen from the city's criminal investigation fund at sentencing on Thursday. He had pleaded guilty to one felony theft count.

Authorities say Riggs wrote checks to former Bootheel Drug Task Force agent Marcus Hopkins out of a criminal investigation fund, then forged Hopkins' signature to cash them. Both were arrested in October.

Hopkins earlier pleaded guilty to one felony count of forgery and was sentenced to three years of probation.

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Information from: KZIM-AM, http://www.960kzim.com