Former South Jordan employee pleads in gas theft case

A former South Jordan public works employee has been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution for using a government fuel card to buy gas for his personal car.

Jeremy Monroe Collins, 42, was charged in July with misusing public funds after he was caught on a surveillance camera filling up his car at a South Jordan Harmon's store while using a government gas card, according to court documents. Police later found five of the fuel cards in his desk, one in his car and one at his home.

An audit of the fuel records showed 127 unauthorized fuel purchases between November 2010 and July 2012, court documents state.

On Thursday, the fleet manager, who resigned in July after nearly 10 years working for the city, entered a plea in abeyance to a reduced third-degree felony charge of misusing public money. The count will be reduced to a misdemeanor in a year if he has no new violations.

As part of his one-year probation, he must pay $5,212 in restitution within the next week.

Aaron Falk