New Mexico sheriff faces possible jail term over eBay sales [View All]

Source: Reuters

Santa Fe County's once ambitious and popular top lawman could get up to eight years in prison for selling county property, including used police body armor, on the Internet, authorities said on Thursday.

Former Sheriff Greg Solano, 47, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in District Court as part of a plea agreement to five counts of fraud for embezzling county property and selling the items for his own gain on the popular online auction site, eBay.

The plea deal came eight months after Solano resigned as sheriff and admitted auctioning the items for personal profit. A date for the sentencing hearing has not been set.

"Solano was elected to protect and serve, not steal and profit," Special Prosecutor Matt Chandler told Reuters.

"In an era where public trust is becoming the topic of the day, it's time to send a message that gross misconduct by public officials will be strictly punished, and I believe an eight-year prison sentence will send that message."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/21/us-sheriff-ebay-new-mexico-idUSTRE76K6YG20110721