Having considered sentencing County Treasurer Sandy Knapp to serve time behind bars, Judge Alan Brodbeck instead handed down a fine during court proceedings Thursday morning.
As part of a plea agreement, Knapp pled guilty to public official-misuse of property/funds and another charge (official misconduct) was dismissed. For the Class III misdemeanor, she was fined $500 plus $49 court costs by July 1, 2015.
The charges stemmed from her past actions as country treasurer, where she did not publish her own personal property taxes which were delinquent and subject to annual tax sales.
The case was prosecuted by the Nebraska Attorney General’s office. Assistant Attorney General Laura Nigro made no recommendation on sentencing. However, Knapp’s attorney, Ted Lohrberg urged the judge to only fine her the misdemeanor charge.
Brodbeck said his decision to issue only a fine came, in part, because voters re-elected her in November 2014.
