Dive crews were searching Monday for the body of former Chadbourn police chief Anthony Spivey in the Lumber River, according to Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene.
Greene said Spivey’s truck was located in the area of Sandhills Hunting Club between Fair Bluff and Williamson Crossroads.
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Spivey was first arrested in April 2021 and criminal charges against him had piled up in recent months.
Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David announced the charges, which include embezzlement of state property, altering or destroying evidence, obstruction of justice, trafficking in opium, obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and obtaining property by false pretense.
The indictments allege that Spivey stole firearms from the police department evidence locker and sold them "to friends, family members, and acquaintances," David said in a statement.
In December, Spivey was charged with stealing two catalytic converters from his employer, an auto repair shop.