A former Gering Police sergeant has been charged in Scotts Bluff County Court, accused of stealing from a program that provides kids with gifts for their family members.

According to Scotts Bluff County Court documents, Henry Moreno, 40, has been charged with three counts of theft by taking, a Class II misdemeanor.

An arrest affidavit was not filed in the case, but the complaint states that Moreno took different amounts from the Shop with a Cop program on three separate occasions: $500 in August 2016; $300 in March 2017; and $500 in June 2017.

Moreno was issued a citation on Sept. 6 by Doug Warner, a deputy attorney with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. Moreno is scheduled to appear in Scotts Bluff County Court on Sept. 22.

Moreno, who had been a longtime detective and most recently a sergeant with the Gering Police Department, had been one of the organizers with the Shop with a Cop program. In 2016, Moreno said the program had helped more than 100 kids. He had been lauded for his accomplishments in programs working with kids, such as being Gering's first school resource officer, serving for two years, working to fundraise for CAPstone and other work. In 2016, Moreno received the Outstanding Police Officer award from Kiwanis.

Moreno had resigned from the Gering Police Department in August, though personal reasons were cited.

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