Missouri's longest-serving sheriff pleads guilty to stealing

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The career of Missouri’s longest-serving sheriff has come to an abrupt end after he pleaded guilty to stealing reimbursement checks for his own use.

Wallace Newman George Jr. served as Saline County sheriff for 36 years before being required to step down Monday under terms of a plea agreement announced Tuesday. Under that deal, he pleaded guilty to one count of stealing, and prosecutors agreed to seek no more than one year and one day in jail.

Prosecutors said the 70-year-old admitted stealing 34 state-issued checks reimbursing the sheriff’s department for mileage and expenses incurred when transporting prisoners returned from outside Missouri.

The checks were taken between January 2010 and June 2015 and totaled around $97,000. George admitted taking nearly $79,000 of that, which prosecutors said he has paid back.