From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — Former Trussville Fire Chief Russell Ledbetter was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, after pleading guilty to six charges.
Ledbetter, 61, was accused of using city vehicles, including a travel trailer, a 2008 Crown Victoria and a 1968 AMG military vehicle, among other vehicles, for personal gain. According to the indictment, Ledbetter was also accused of using the city’s human labor or facilities to improve a 1952 Willys Carryall Jeep.
Ledbetter was originally charged with six felony charges: four counts of ethics violations for using city property for personal gain and two counts of first-degree theft of a motor vehicle. As part of the plea agreement, those charges were reduced to misdemeanors and classified as unintentional violations.
He was sentenced to 12 months suspended on each charge, although those sentences are to run concurrently. He will be on probation for two years and must resign from all fire department positions.
SEE RELATED STORY: Fire chief Russell Ledbetter submits resignation
Ledbetter resigned from the Trussville Fire Department in 2016 and was arrested in 2018 after a lengthy investigation by multiple agencies.