A former officer with the Pearl Police Department will spend two decades behind bars for brazenly stealing money from the home of an elderly woman who had recently passed away.
Madison and Rankin Counties District Attorney Bubba Bramlett announced Thursday that Christopher Taylor Lofton, 30, pled guilty to grand larceny in court and was ordered by Judge Dewey Arthur to serve 20 years behind bars. On Nov. 18, 2024, Lofton, while working as a patrol officer, responded to a call for assistance after an elderly woman died in her home.
Officers and paramedics attempted to revive the woman, but to no avail. She was pronounced dead of natural causes at the scene. Shortly after officers left, the deceased’s husband contacted law enforcement to report that he was missing $32,000 in cash that had been stored in the couple’s bedroom.
Upon learning of the complaint, Pearl Police Chief Nick McLendon contacted the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and turned over the body-worn cameras of all officers who had been at the home. State investigators promptly determined that Lofton had entered the couple’s bedroom, located the money in a dresser drawer, and taken it with him when he left. Lofton was indicted on one count of grand larceny and elected to plead guilty to the charge instead of taking his case to trial.
“We commend the transparency of the Pearl Police Department in immediately turning this case over to MBI. We thank MBI for turning over an extremely thorough and complete investigative file to our office for prosecution,” Bramlett said. “This officer failed in every respect by not serving the public’s trust, not protecting the innocent, and not upholding the law. He not only violated every standard of law enforcement, but those of human decency as well. Our prayers continue for the victim and his family.”
As part of his sentence, Lofton must also pay full restitution in the amount of $32,000 and surrender his law enforcement certificate.