JENKS, Okla. -- The Jenks Police Department is speaking out after one of its own was arrested on a Tulsa County warrant Friday night by Creek County Sheriff's Office deputies.
According to OSCN, a warrant was issued for James Bennett's arrest Friday as he was charged with falsely obtaining money over $1,000. Police Chief Cameron Arthur says James Bennett, who was essentially the No. 2 in the department and received an increased salary of nearly $7,000 through advanced CLEET training, and a Masters degree he supposedly obtained through Denton University.
According to the affidavit, Bennett never attended classes at a college, and they traced the address of "Denton University" to be a travel plaza in Texas.
Arthur says the educational incentive Bennett was receiving stood out to him while he was doing a routine audit of his salary, because out of the many years he knew Bennett, he says he didn't know of any Masters, let alone a Bachelors degree, he received.
"At the time that he submitted his, and some things were submitted, it was when he was, I believe, functioning as the acting chief in my absence. I had surgery, and so I believe it was submitted at that time," Arthur said.
Arthur says transparency is their main concern here. He says Bennett was arrested, spent the weekend in jail, and he will have to go through the court system like any other citizen.
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