Former top cop of Alexandria, Rick Wyffels, has copped to a gross misdemeanor charge after a scandal involving unsanctioned splurges with city cash. The ex-chief is now on the hook for $65,000 in restitution, following accusations of using a city-issued credit card to buy personal items including electronics and lawn care products that were nowhere to be found in the department's inventory. City officials were caught off guard post-retirement, leading to a probe by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and ultimately, Wyffels's plea, as reported by KARE 11.
After his indulgence from Dec. 16, 2014, to July 7, 2020, Wyffels will weather a redemptive 120-day jail sentence, with all but four days stayed, added to a one-year unsupervised probationary period in which he has to keep his slate scrubbed clean, as per KARE 11.
Not to mention, he's also slapped with a trio of fines totaling $140 which must be settled by the coming February's first. Serving from 1987 with a tenure as chief beginning in 2006, Wyffels became a respected figure in Alexandria's law enforcement tapestry, but this patch of dishonor untwined some threads. However, Mayor Bobbie Osterberg is optimistic, stating, "Although the city of Alexandria was subjected to an egregious abuse of power during Mr. Wyffels' time of employment, our community can move on from this experience with honor and dignity," according to CBS News Minnesota.
