Officials announced that a former North Carolina police chief was indicted with more than 70 felonies. He was accused of setting up suicide and then fleeing to South Carolina.
The Chadbourn Police Department's chief William Anthony Spivey (36), was dismissed last spring after a misconduct investigation by North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations.
Police said that he was charged with evidence mishandling and drug trafficking, as well as embezzling.
He was reported missing almost a year later than the charges were filed.
A boat that was left abandoned by the Columbus County Sheriff's Office was reported to them. This prompted an investigation by several state and local agencies.
North Carolina Wildlife Officers talked to local residents and discovered that Spivey had been last seen driving a truck through the area, and also owned the abandoned boat in Lumber River.
Sheriff's Office investigators spoke with Spivey's family and friends at the scene.
"Family members described it as a possible suicide," said the Columbus County Sheriff's Office in a press release.
Investigators discovered handwritten notes at the scene, as well as a.22 caliber rifle that had a still-loaded round in it.
Investigators determined that the evidence didn't support a suicide scenario.
Video from surveillance systems and interviews further confirmed that the scene at the river was staged.
Spivey was arrested for failing to report to court on Wednesday and he was declared missing and wanted by the sheriff's office.
The case was finally broken when the Horry County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina received a tip Wednesday about Spivey.
They said that they met Spivey in an apartment just outside Loris, South Carolina.
Officials said that he tried to escape into nearby forests before he was finally arrested.
According to jail records, he is currently being held at Columbus County Detention Center without an attorney.
Spivey was found to have 40 warrants for failure of appearance. Each warrant carries a $25,000 bond, making his total bond $1 million.
WECT, an NBC affiliate from Wilmington, North Carolina reports that Spivey was repeatedly raided the evidence room at Chadbourn Police Department and robbed narcotics and thousands of dollars worth of firearms.
He was accused of embezzling $8,000 intended for the family a patient with leukemia. WECT reported that he was again arrested in January for allegedly stealing catalytic convertors from an auto shop.
Officials stated that the investigation was ongoing and that additional charges and arrests were likely.
"We want citizens to understand that we will respond appropriately no matter what the circumstance. A person was reported missing in this case. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office stated in a statement that it was their duty to do everything possible to save lives and find the missing person. We are grateful that we now have the resources to do this. Spivey was found healthy and well. That is a job well done.
