- {West Virginia}...Former Ripley Police Officer Denver "Buddy" Thomas was sentenced Friday to a year in jail, but a judge suspended that and ordered him to serve 30 days in jail on the weekends, pay a $500 fine, serve 100 hours of community service and be on probation for a year. Thomas pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, admitting he provided alcohol to a 16-year-old girl while he was a Ripley police officer.