Judge finds Whiting guilty

The five-day non-jury trial began on June 18 with the prosecution calling 10 witnesses, including Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King and Pawtucket police officer John Brown and state police, who investigated the case.

Col. Whiting, 58, who has been suspended, has denied he stole the money and testified he turned it over to Brown as evidence after an SUV he was chasing crashed during Tropical Storm Irene. The occupants fled on foot after the accident; Whiting was reportedly pursuing the vehicle after someone inside threw something at his SUV.

Brown testified Whiting confessed to stealing the money. Brown said Whiting gave him the money with instructions to spend it in Las Vegas and not say anything about it.

Whiting testified he told Brown to take the money as seized evidence and was being sarcastic when he told him to “go to Vegas.”