Former Peace Officers Union Head Sentenced For Misuse Of Funds

PHOENIX, AZ — Darren Sikes, the former Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association president, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for misusing at least $134,000 of the union's money, according to the Arizona Attorney General.

Sikes, 60, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, all felonies.

A Maricopa County Superior Court Judge sentenced Sikes on Thursday to 18 months in the Arizona Department of Corrections, followed by probation after his release.

Between 2016 and 2019, the Attorney General's Office says that Sikes spent at least $134,000 of the union's money on personal expenses, including a vehicle and a patio.

Sikes' 25-year-old daughter, Samantha Sikes, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, according to court documents. She was sentenced July 26 in Maricopa County Superior Court to five years of probation. She was also ordered to pay more than $23,000 in restitution.