HUNTSVILLE, AL – A case of ironic turnabout out of Alabama has led to a retired police officer and former head of the local Crime Stoppers in jail after authorities say the former Huntsville officer illegally skimmed reward money meant for tipsters under the area’s Crime Stoppers program.
Nathan Nickelson, who retired from the Huntsville Police Department back in August of 2024, was arrested on September 25th on a single count of using his office for personal gain after investigators stated that the 60-year-old used his position as the head of the Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers to skim slightly over $25,000 originally intended to be disbursed to tipsters.
A statement from the Huntsville Police Department regarding the investigation noted, “After Nickelson’s retirement in August 2024, discrepancies were identified in the accounting of the Crime Stoppers account, which is managed by the non-profit organization. HPD immediately reported the discrepancies to the non-profit Board of Directors and then referred the findings to the Attorney General’s Office for an independent investigation.”
Although Nickelson was booked into the local jail on the evening of September 25th, his stay was relatively short after reportedly posting the $10,000 bond approximately 30 minutes after his booking process. While the former officer’s stay in jail was brief, the same cannot be said about his potential prison sentence if convicted, as the Class B felony he stands accused of carries a sentence that ranges from two to 20 years behind bars.
Huntsville Police have yet to share any additional information pertaining to the case, but have noted that the investigation is still ongoing. Likely due to the unique nature of the case, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office has assigned the case to its Special Prosecutions Division, which specializes in “public corruption and complex economic crimes.”
In light of the public corruption allegations surrounding the case, the Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers issued a statement regarding Nickelson’s arrest, emphasizing that they’re “cooperating fully with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office” throughout the investigation.
Without confirming or condemning the allegations brought against the organization’s former head, the Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers instead offered of promise of “transparency and accountability” regarding the process and to the public.
Nathan Nickelson, who retired from the Huntsville Police Department back in August of 2024, was arrested on September 25th on a single count of using his office for personal gain after investigators stated that the 60-year-old used his position as the head of the Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers to skim slightly over $25,000 originally intended to be disbursed to tipsters.
A statement from the Huntsville Police Department regarding the investigation noted, “After Nickelson’s retirement in August 2024, discrepancies were identified in the accounting of the Crime Stoppers account, which is managed by the non-profit organization. HPD immediately reported the discrepancies to the non-profit Board of Directors and then referred the findings to the Attorney General’s Office for an independent investigation.”
Although Nickelson was booked into the local jail on the evening of September 25th, his stay was relatively short after reportedly posting the $10,000 bond approximately 30 minutes after his booking process. While the former officer’s stay in jail was brief, the same cannot be said about his potential prison sentence if convicted, as the Class B felony he stands accused of carries a sentence that ranges from two to 20 years behind bars.
Huntsville Police have yet to share any additional information pertaining to the case, but have noted that the investigation is still ongoing. Likely due to the unique nature of the case, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office has assigned the case to its Special Prosecutions Division, which specializes in “public corruption and complex economic crimes.”
In light of the public corruption allegations surrounding the case, the Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers issued a statement regarding Nickelson’s arrest, emphasizing that they’re “cooperating fully with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office” throughout the investigation.
Without confirming or condemning the allegations brought against the organization’s former head, the Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers instead offered of promise of “transparency and accountability” regarding the process and to the public.
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Comments
2025-09-29T19:43-0400 | Comment by: James
He used the stolen money to post his bail! He will be GONE soon if not already!