Small Iowa Town's Police Chief Arrested In Minnesota

ARMSTRONG, Iowa (AP) — The police chief of a small Iowa town, who was charged with several crimes along with three other local officials last week, has been arrested in Minnesota.

The Martin County, Minnesota, Sheriff's office said Armstrong, Iowa, Police Chief Craig Merrill was arrested Saturday just over the border from the town where he was employed. Armstrong's mayor and the current and former city clerks were all arrested Friday and charged with several felonies and misdemeanors after a long investigation uncovered embezzlement and other offenses.

The Iowa Attorney General's office filed charges against the Armstrong officials alleging "misappropriation of city funds, the presentation of fraudulent public records, deploying a TASER against a civilian in exchange for cash, and falsification of ledgers to conceal embezzlement."

Merrill is awaiting extradition to Iowa to face the charges. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Phone messages left at Merrill's home and the city hall in Armstrong weren't immediately returned Saturday.

Armstrong has about 880 residents and is located 135 miles (217.26 kilometers) north of Des Moines, near the state's border with Minnesota.

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