Roscoe City Manager Arrested For Alleged Abuse of Power

ROSCOE, TX –– Earlier this week, the Roscoe City Manager unexpectedly submitted his resignation to be effective on November 1st. Then on Wednesday, he was arrested for abuse of power.

City Manager Cody Thompson has officially been charged with Abuse of Official Capacity >$150K – <$300K –– a second-degree felony.

According to the Texas Penal Code, this charge is brought forward when "a public servant commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly violates a law relating to the public servant's office or employment or misuses government property, services, personnel, or any other thing of value belonging to the government that has come into the public servant's custody or possession by virtue of the public servant's office or employment."

According to court documents, Thompson utilized city funds his fund his personal business –– the music venue known as The Lumberyard in Roscoe. Over the summer, the venue was destroyed in a horrific fire.

Thompson is specifically accused of using the city credit card to "pay vendors at his business at the Lumberyard, pay for bands that played at the Lumberyard, house the bands at the local Microtel."

After finding the City of Roscoe's Industrial Development Board's checkbook in Thompson's office, investigators located multiple checks with forged signatures totaling $137,632.19.

According to the Roscoe Industrial Development Board, Thompson did not have permission to write checks and board members did not sign the checks.

The documents also showed during an interview with law enforcement back in May, Thompson admitted to forging the signatures of the board members.

The City of Roscoe confirmed it is actively searching for a replacement as they work to figure out who will handle Thompson's responsibilities.

Thompson was booked into the Molan County Jail and his bond has been set at $25,000.