Oklahoma City police supervisor convicted in child neglect case

An Oklahoma City police lieutenant charged with two counts of child neglect admitted to forcing two children to live alone and pay rent on an apartment in Norman.

Lieutenant Richard Lewis, charged in 2022, pleaded guilty on Wednesday June 5 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 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 authorized to conduct probation recordings by cell phone from his out-of-state residence.

Court records reveal Lewis knowingly committed child neglect by letting a 15-year-old and a 9-year-old live alone in an apartment from August 2021 to 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 were living there without adult supervision.

The children, living at the Cimarron Trail apartment complex in Norman, were left to their own devices and paid their rent, according to the probable cause affidavit. The investigation revealed that the children made a shopping list for Lewis, who brought them food every 5 to 10 days.

The children told police they often ran out of groceries.

Norman police opened the investigation in February 2022 by questioning Lewis about the living conditions. The arrest warrant states that the children were moved into the apartment as part of an ongoing investigation by the Department of Human Services (DHS) into the welfare of the children.

When questioned, Lewis said he got the apartment to avoid further involvement with DHS or welfare enforcement. He said he visited the apartment three to four times a week after doing his night patrols with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

By reviewing cell tower data, investigators determined that Lewis had only come to the apartment five times during the first month the children lived there. He claimed visits to the apartment often took place when the children were asleep, so they could not know when he was there.

Lewis claimed to be monitoring the children with a two-way camera, but it was unplugged when officers first arrived at the apartment.

The Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) placed Lewis on paid administrative leave when the allegations surfaced. He began working for the OCPD in 2003. Lewis is expected to begin serving his first 6 days in jail immediately.

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