Former Police Officer Arica Hutchison Defrauds Crime Stoppers for $18,500
- Former police officer Arica Hutchison was sentenced for conspiring to steal from Crime Stoppers.
- Hutchison fraudulently received $18,500 by providing false information and naming an accomplice.
- Her actions resulted in a prison sentence, restitution, and mandated counseling and treatment.
Arica Hutchison, a former police officer from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to six months in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit theft from a federally funded program. The crime involved falsifying information in police department databases to mislead the Crime Stoppers program, a service that rewards individuals for providing tips that lead to arrests. Hutchison named an accomplice as a tipster in her false claims, which allowed her to illegally collect a total of $18,500. In addition to her prison sentence, Hutchison was ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution. The court also mandated that she undergo mental health assessments and counseling, enroll in a financial literacy class, and participate in substance abuse and alcohol treatment programs. This incident raises questions about the integrity of individuals in law enforcement and the measures in place to prevent abuse of programs intended to assist in crime prevention.