Terry Poland, 34, of Fremont, resigned as police chief in Oakland after the purchases were made public. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Nelson for misuse of public funds.
The Nebraska Auditor’s Office, in a June 2022 audit, found that Poland had used 27 gift cards purchased with city funds to buy a series of personal items, including ice-fishing equipment, a wake surfboard and a $950 glass basketball backboard.
He had told Oakland officials that he was using the gift cards to buy ammunition for the police department.
Poland, according to the U.S. Attorne’s Office, also provided phony invoices about the purchases — invoices that were not issued by the store, with item numbers and item descriptions that did not match the store’s records.
Poland previously surrendered his state law enforcement license and paid $14,631 in restitution. He also agreed to not to work as a law enforcement officer in the future, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and Twitter.
