Former Wichita Falls PD officer sentenced for theft and money laundering
Wichita Falls TX Aug 12 2018 Former Wichita Falls cop Scott Bradley Higgins was sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison Friday morning at the Wichita County Courthouse for buying pricey stolen goods and selling them online in a theft and money-laundering ring that turned hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal profits.
He pleaded guilty in July before 78th District Judge Barney Fudge to one count of organized retail theft over $300,000 and one count of money laundering over $300,000 in connection with criminal activity from Jan. 1, 2017, to June 18, 2018.
Punishment for each first-degree felony ranges from five years to life in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
As part of a plea agreement, charges will be dismissed against Scott’s wife, son and stepdaughter, who were named as co-defendants in the case.
But the single day tacked onto the sentence of the 54-year-old former officer injured in the line of duty has ramifications beyond 24 hours.
“I wanted to ensure that his accountability was maintained through the sentencing,” Assistant District Attorney Dobie Kosub said after the sentencing. “Though it may seem somewhat unconventional, the extra day does remove the possibility of shock probation.”
A judge can suspend an eligible defendant’s sentence and put him on community supervision within 180 days from the date he starts serving time in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, according to Texas law.
After a defendant’s request, a judge might grant “shock probation” if he doesn’t think the defendant would benefit from more prison time, is otherwise eligible for probation and has never been imprisoned for a felony.
Kosub said Scott will be eligible for parole in the future, but TDCJ officials will establish requirements and make decisions about that.
“This was an unfortunate situation the defendant created, but it was one that we were able to deal with swiftly,” Kosub said.
Scott will receive credit for time served in Wichita County Jail following his arrest in June. He has been free on $50,000 bond.
During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Wichita Falls defense attorney Bruce Martin expressed concern to Fudge about medical care and medication being made available to Scott in prison.
He was medically retired from the Wichita Falls Police Department after a back injury several years ago, according to court documents. He is a nearly 16-year veteran of WFPD who worked in patrol and investigations and is drawing Social Security Disability.
Scott’s family members were in court when he appeared before Fudge on Friday morning.
After he was handcuffed and led away, nine people rose and left, including his son and stepdaughter.
They walked silently and solemnly down three flights of stairs to leave the courthouse.
A yearlong investigation involving various agencies resulted in charges against Scott and three family members, according to court documents.
They were accused of conspiring to move hundreds and thousands of dollars in stolen goods from store shelves to buyers on eBay and Amazon, according to court documents.
Scott’s son, Spencer Alan Higgins, 20, of Wichita Falls, was charged with one count of money laundering over $300,000 and one count of organized retail theft over $300,000. He has been free from Wichita County Jail on $50,000 bond.
Scott’s wife, Angelique “Angie” Renee Higgins, 50, of Wichita Falls, and his stepdaughter, Sydney Leanne Stockton, 30, of Iowa Park, were each charged with one count of organized retail theft over $300,000.
They have been free from Wichita County Jail on $25,000 bond each.
Stockton was employed as a librarian at Rider High School when she was arrested in June.
The Wichita Falls Independent School District put her on administration leave, pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.
Attempts to obtain comment from WFISD were unsuccessful Friday.
A Wichita County district attorney’s investigator and a special agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Division teamed up to probe the crime ring.
A nine-page, single-spaced affidavit for arrest warrant portrayed a wide-ranging effort spearheaded by Scott.
He enlisted drug addicts to steal from retailers such as Target, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe’s in Wichita Falls and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to court documents.
They took big-ticket items such as vacuum cleaners, power tools, hot water heaters and wifi devices, selling them to Scott for cut-rate prices at one-third to one-half the going rate in stores, according to court documents.
In turn, Scott sold the goods on eBay and Amazon in numerous transactions, according to court records.
Public and private resources went into snagging the conspirators, and investigators conducted a series of interviews, listened in on jailhouse phone calls to Scott and carried out stings with anonymous “cooperating individuals,” according to court records.
Investigators sifted through several bank accounts and eBay and Amazon accounts to follow the money earned in illicit operations, according to court records.
