Cop got thousands donated for cancer he didn’t have and now faces charges, officials say

A former Arkansas police sergeant is facing charges after authorities say he misled his community into thinking he had cancer.

Former England Police Sergeant Eric Caffey was working as a school resource officer in 2022 when he said he learned he had cancer, his attorney Bill James told KARK.

Caffey went on to receive thousands of dollars in donations from community members and schools to help pay his medical bills, according to the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office.

But on Oct. 5, of this year, authorities opened an investigation after it received information that Caffey “misled the England community by falsely claiming he suffered from cancer,” according to officials.

Officials say after a “lengthy investigation” they found that Caffey had lied about the diagnosis.

However, his attorney says Caffey didn’t learn his leukemia diagnosis wasn’t real until the beginning of 2023, KARK reported. Caffey was originally told it was cancer, but it turned out he actually had heart and blood pressure condition that he’s now being treated for, James told the news outlet.

McClatchy News reached out to Caffey’s attorney on Oct. 24 but did not immediately hear back.

Caffey faces two felony counts of theft of property, according to officials. He turned himself into authorities Monday, Oct. 23, and was later released on a $2,500 bond.

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