This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The former sheriff of San Juan County on Monday pleaded guilty in abeyance to a misdemeanor count of misusing public funds but maintained he didn't steal anything.
Instead, Mike Lacy, 61, said the $4,134 from a fund for the county search and rescue team was spent on a Christmas party and door prizes for the team's volunteers and retirement gifts for sheriff office staff.
"I did not steal public funds," Lacy said. "I just stuck it in the wrong fund."
Lacy entered the plea in 7th District Court in Monticello as part of a deal with prosecutors. Lacy earlier had been charged with a felony count of misusing public funds.
The plea in abeyance is an admission of guilt, but the case against him will be dismissed if he completes one year of probation. Lacy also was ordered to pay a $500 fee.
According to a written statement from the current sheriff, Rick Eldredge, the charge stemmed from Lacy closing a $4,134 bank account after he lost the November 2010 election. The money was from donations and the sale of county equipment meant to benefit the county's search and rescue team.
In a telephone interview after his court hearing, Lacy said when he became sheriff in 1994, the previous sheriff left him a private bank account for search and rescue. Lacy said donations went into the account and, over the years, money from the account was used on search and rescue equipment and holiday parties and door prizes for the volunteers. Some years, Lacy said, there wasn't enough money in the account for prizes so Lacy bought them with his personal money.
"The whole time I considered it a private account," Lacy said.
About a week after Lacy lost his bid for a fifth term, the county sold two pieces of surplus property. Lacy was to deposit checks totalling $2,100 into San Juan County's general fund. Instead, he said Monday, he placed them in the search and rescue account.
"I shouldn't have done that, and I feel bad that I did it," Lacy said.
Lacy then closed the account and spent the $4,134 on the party, prizes and retirement gifts.
Lacy said he did not gain financially and there was no criminal intent. He realizes depositing the checks meant for the general fund was wrong, Lacy said, and that's why he entered the abeyance plea. He also agreed to pay back $2,800 — a figure he says was a compromise with the sheriff's office.
Lacy acted as his own attorney at his hearing Monday.
"I'm one of these guys that think if I did something wrong, I want to get it over with and get it on down the road," Lacy said.
Twitter: @natecarlisle