FORMER LONE JACK POLICE CHIEF CHARGED WITH COCAINE POSSESSION

A former Lone Jack police chief surrendered today on a charge of possessing
a controlled substance -- cocaine -- in Clay County.

William Abney, 39, is pleading not guilty, said his attorney John O'Connor.

If convicted of the Class C felony, Abney faces a maximum penalty of up to
seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine. His bond was set at $10,000.

In court documents, Kansas City police said that on June 25, they found
Abney lying on the floor having seizures in the master bedroom of his
Northland home. About 11 grams of powder were found nearby which tested as
cocaine.

The document says family members reported that Abney earlier in the day was
in a confused and paranoid condition, running from window to window,
stating that people were after him and he feared for his safety. He also
told his family that he had been sniffing cocaine, police said in the document.

Within hours, the Lone Jack Board of Aldermen learned that the FBI had
begun investigating whether the drug was taken from city police
department's property room. The board immediately fired Abney, who is a
former Kansas City police officer.

No charges relating to the property room have been filed. Abney has been
replaced as chief by Larry Dickstein, a retired Kansas City police officer
who lives near Lone Jack.