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 under terms of a plea agreement.
Under that deal, he pleaded guilty to one count of stealing. Prosecutors say the 70-year-old admitted stealing 34 state-issued checks reimbursing the sheriff's office 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 say he has paid back.
