Oklahoma Police Chief Charged for Allegedly Stealing Drugs, Weapons From Evidence Room

An Oklahoma police chief is facing years in prison after he allegedly stole weapons and drugs from the evidence room of his precinct.

Charles Williams, the chief of the Locust Grove Police Department, was initially being investigated for his alleged use and possession of illegal drugs, and when he was confronted about his drug use, he told an investigator that he had been "clean a week." He also admitted to stealing methamphetamine from the department's evidence room, according to an arrest affidavit, and that he told investigators he used the drugs he stole.

At the time of his initial interview with investigators, Williams was wearing his official badge and had his city-issued handgun concealed under his T-shirt. He agreed to accompany the investigators to the Mayes County District Attorney's Office and that they could remove the firearm before transporting him.

After telling Branson Perry, an investigator with the district attorney's office, that he wanted a lawyer present before answering more questions, he told the investigator he had a "story he wanted to tell."

It was during that recounting of his "story" that Williams allegedly admitted to taking four firearms from the evidence room of the police department, according to the affidavit. He said he took them to keep them from "being stolen" from the police department.

Steven Rose, assistant chief of police, told Perry there were about 200 guns in the room and was unaware that Williams had taken the firearms from the evidence room to his home. Officers found the missing firearms in Williams' home.

Williams was arrested on June 18 and booked into the Mayes County Jail. He was released after posting bail, which the judge set at $50,000. He appeared in court on Tuesday.

The police chief was charged with larceny, burglary or theft of a controlled dangerous substance and theft of weapons from the people of the state. If convicted on both charges, Williams could face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of at least $5,000.

Charles Ramsey, an attorney representing Williams, declined to comment to Newsweek about the case.

The Locust Grove City Council has temporarily suspended Williams with pay, according to KFOR, and they appointed Rose as the interim police chief.

"The rumors, they'll continue for a while. It'll be posted on social media. It's going to calm down and then we'll all start discussing the next candidate for our police chief," Nancy June, a Locust Grove resident told KTUL. "And we're going to rally around him, we're going to have him at local events and we're going to say, 'Let's do this right.'"