Former Oklahoma City Police Supervisor Sentenced in Child Neglect Case

A former Lieutenant for the Oklahoma City Police Department, charged with two felony counts of child neglect, admitted he forced two children to live alone and pay rent for an apartment in Norman.

Lt. Richard Lewis, charged in 2022, pled guilty on Wednesday, June 5, and received a 10-year suspended sentence. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman also ordered him to serve eight days in the Cleveland County Jail, including one day on Thanksgiving 2024 and another on Christmas 2025.

Additionally, Lewis will be on probation for two years after his conviction. He is allowed to complete probation check-ins via cell phone from his out-of-state residence.

Court records reveal Lewis knowingly committed child neglect by leaving a 15-year-old and a 9-year-old to live alone in an apartment from August 2021 until February 2022.

The neglect was discovered when a neighbor heard a commotion and found the 15-year-old locked out of the apartment.

When Norman Police responded to the call for help, officers determined the children had been living there without adult supervision.

The children, living in Norman’s Cimarron Trail Apartment Complex, were left to fend for themselves and pay their rent, according to the probable cause affidavit. The investigation revealed the children would make a list of groceries for Lewis, who would bring them food every 5 to 10 days.

The children told police they were often without enough groceries.

Norman Police initiated the investigation in February 2022 by questioning Lewis about the living arrangement. The arrest warrant indicates the children were moved into the apartment during an ongoing investigation by the Department of Human Services (DHS) into the children's welfare.

When questioned, Lewis said he got the apartment to avoid further involvement with DHS or welfare checks. He claimed that he visited the apartment three to four times a week after completing his overnight patrol shifts with the OCPD.

Looking at cell tower data, investigators determined that Lewis had only been to the apartment five times during the first month the children lived there. He claimed his visits were often when the children were sleeping, so they wouldn't have known he was there.

Lewis claimed to monitor the children with a two-way camera, but it was unplugged when officers first responded to the apartment.

When the allegations surfaced, OCPD placed Lewis on paid administrative leave. He began working for OCPD in 2003. Lewis is expected to begin immediately serving his first six days in jail.

RELATED: Oklahoma City Police Supervisor Charged, Allegedly Forced Two Children To Live Alone, Pay Rent For Norman Apartment