Nortex Times

FORT WORTH – Robert Cross, the former Olney chief of police, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Cross, 36, was sentenced to prison after threatening a person with a gun. He pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights in November under color of the law. 

“This was a despicable abuse of power,” U.S. Attorney Erin Cox told KXAN. “The public should be assured that we will not hesitate to hold the defendant accountable.”     

Cross said in his plea papers that he arrested two people for aggravated robbery offenses. After arresting them, Cross said he coerced them and pressured them into performing conduct that would benefit himself and promised to dismiss any criminal cases against them if they did what he said. 

On Dec. 20, 2017 Cross took the two individuals out to dinner and to the movie theater in his vehicle. This was approximately one month after arresting them. 

That same night, Cross threatened one of the individuals with bodily harm with his gun. He knowingly deprived the individual of his Constitutional rights, which state the individual is free from any unreasonably force from law enforcement. 

This allegedly wasn't the first time Cross acted outside the limits of law enforcement. 

Young County resident Maurice Grard told News Channel 6, "[He was] pulling people over for bogus things like license plates that's not on their vehicle when they're on their vehicle. Pulling them over for a little jewel hanging off their mirror…"

The investigation into Cross was conducted by the Texas Rangers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Robert Boudreau, assistant U.S. attorney, before U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor.